2014 trout spawning project underway

Merrill Collins and Toby Braithewaite bring trout to holding pens while Tori Toews ties boat

The fall weather has been beautiful, maybe too beautiful for fish project

A couple of Ministry of Natural Resources crews started last week in collecting trout for the 2014 spawning project. They catch live lake trout, keep them in underwater pens for a few days, strip them of milt and eggs and release them.
The eggs will be raised at the Dorion fish hatchery, just east of Thunder Bay. After 18 months the fingerlings will be released back into Red Lake. This past spring the fish were released in the Potato Island vicinity.
Although this year's trout capture started off promising early last week, the weather turned decidedly like summer with highs up to 25 C (mid-70s F). That turned off the cold water-loving trout and the biology crews had to work hard to get even a few trout per boat each day.
A lot of us anglers have often wished that we could have a net instead of a hook when fish get finicky. Well, this proves it wouldn't necessarily be any better.
The crews took today off but will be back tomorrow.  The 'good' news is the balmy weather is disappearing. Maybe that will bring the trout back to the spawning shoals.
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