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This fishout is a new
survey project that the GBF Conservation Committee has agreed to test in order
to provide interested fish biologists data that
indicates the size and condition of fish in Gerle
Creek Reservoir. Bill King will act
as the Fishmaster Wednesday, Sept 28th for a one day Fishout at Gerle Creek Reservoir (Gerle Lake), source of large 13”
plus brown trout!
As a
bonus to make this fishout even more interesting, biologists have developed
a survey form (see below), which I’ve reformatted and linked for
on-line printing from a GBF webpage by clicking here
and printing in Landscape format with .25” margins, or in an EXCEL
Spreadsheet here (Right Click and Save As to your hard disk) to
collect data about the fish condition and other fishing specifics. We hope
to demonstrate the need for improvement in stillwater fisheries and the beneficial
effects of proper catch & release flyfishing. The ultimate goal is the
creation of several quality stillwaters restricted to barbless hook, catch
& release fly fishing where only non-motorized watercraft are allowed.
A
very interesting study titled ”The Influence of Hook Type, Angler
Experience, and Fish Size on Injury Rates and the Duration of Capture in an
Alaskan Catch-and-Release Rainbow Trout Fishery” by JULIE M. MEKA, U.S.
Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, as published in the North
American Journal of Fisheries Management
24:1309–1321, 2004 ©Copyright by the American Fisheries
Society 2004. This study of catch & release effects
on fish in Alaska
is available in Adobe PDF format here
(Right Click and Save As to your hard disk).
An optional purpose of
the study is to determine the effectiveness of Randy Siever’s
“Belly Boat Attractor Flies” when fishing from a float tube, pram,
or pontoon boat in stillwater. This pattern has been effective for many
years for both bass and trout. The optional fly study includes six colors
of #6 size ‘attractor flies’. You can also switch to other
flies as you find a specific hatch developing in your fishing spot. September brings the highest emergence
rate prior to winter set-in when mayfies (pale
and dark form), alder flies (helgimite) and
stoneflies (perlididae) are present. (ref. S.
Lehr)
If interested, you can
read Reservoir Fisheries Technical Report (5.8 MB pdf) to find data on Gerle Lake
and other stillwaters in the Crystal
Basin. This fishout
survey may evolve and expand to other stillwaters next year. In the
meantime, you can use the form whenever you fish an
local stillwaters and send in your catch data.
The six flies used in
the optional fly study and the Fish Survey forms will be available from
Fishmaster Bill King at Gerle Lake. Bill will also bring materials and tying
instructions to the September 20 GBF Fly Tying Jam. A pattern sheet and instructions in draft
form are available here. These were reviewed and revised at the
GBF September 2005 Fly Tying Jam.
If you are interested in
fishing for browns in Gerle Lake
Sept 28th during
the highest emergence rate prior to winter set-in, call Bill King at
530.677.4439 or email him at bill.king001@comcast.com.
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