Super Catchable Rainbows

During 2001, anglers in south-central and southeast Idaho had the chance to participate in a new fisheries research project designed to make hatchery rainbow trout more "catchable." These anglers also had the chance to win $50. Now, it's your turn. In 1998, about 2,750 newly hatched rainbow trout from Hayspur Fish Hatchery near Picabo were placed into raceways. These fish were raised for a year and then marked with individually numbered tags. From June through September 1999, the trout were caught and released repeatedly, while biologists recorded the number of times each fish was caught. Fish caught two or more times were kept for breeding purposes. Fish that were caught only once or not at all were removed from the breeding population. The offspring of the highly catchable rainbow trout are now ready to be stocked in waters across southwestern Idaho before or shortly after stream fishing season opens on May 25, 2002. Sixteen waters will be stocked and each will receive equal numbers of highly "catchable" and normal rainbow trout. Prior to stocking, a small, numbered metal band will be affixed to the lower jaw of each fish. Lucky anglers are asked to return the tag along with the angler's name, address, and phone number as well as the location and date the fish was caught to: Nampa Research Office, IDFG, 1414 E. Locust Lane, Nampa, ID, 83686. By supplying the information, anglers will help Idaho Fish and Game researchers Dan Schill and Joe Kozfkay to see if hatchery trout can truly be made easier to catch through selective breeding. Additionally, for each tag returned, the angler's name will be entered into a water specific lottery where the winner receives $50. Drawings will be held on December 31, 2002. Stocking sites include the Middle Fork Boise River, North Fork Boise River, Boise River, Grimes Creek, Mores Creek, Silver Creek, Little Smoky Creek, Warm Springs Creek, Portneuf River, Crooked River, Rock Creek, Mores Creek, Middle Fork Weiser River, Weiser River, North Fork Payette River (2 Sites), and North Fork Lake Fork Creek.