LOTSA pen rearing project work party April 1
The Lake Ontario Trout and Salmon Association will be holding its Salmon and Trout Pen Rearing Assembly Day on April 1 at the Town of Newfane Marina starting at 9:30 a.m. Pen rearing manager Alan Sauerland said the port of Olcott will receive 13,000 more Chinook salmon this year, bringing the totals at the port to 126,000 Chinook and 15,000 steelhead this year.
All New York salmon being stocked into Lake Ontario this year will be reared in numerous pen projects along the south shore of the lake, with the exception of the salmon being released directly from the Salmon River Fish Hatchery. Total salmon stocking from the Empire State will be 985,000 kings. Remember to dress warm and bring side cutters to trim zip ties. It is a great way to see what LOTSA is all about and join the group for $10.
Suspected Avian Influenza found at Reynolds Game Farm
People are also reading…
There was a suspected outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) virus at Reynolds Game Farm in Tompkins County, the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation said. The agency began its investigation Monday of suspicious deaths affecting the farm’s pheasant population. Early test results indicated a possible outbreak of the H5N1 Avian Influenza (AI) virus. DEC is working closely with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory and the state’s Department of Agriculture and Markets to determine what will happen next at Reynolds.
AI is a strain of the influenza virus that primarily affects birds, including commercial and backyard poultry stocks. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recent APAI cases do not present an immediate public health risk. Cases in humans are rare, and symptoms are typically mild. The virus has been circulating in birds in North America since last year. The virus was previously detected in wild birds in Tompkins County.
Cornett to speak at local TU chapter on Pennsylvania trout
Local fisheries guru Scott Cornett of Allegany will be the featured speaker at the next monthly meeting of the WNY Chapter of Trout Unlimited on March 28. The in-person meeting is at the Orvis Buffalo store location, 4545 Transit Road, Williamsville. Interested parties can start to arrive at 6 p.m., when there will be some fly tying demonstrations and instruction. Cornett’s talk will begin at 7 p.m., focusing on fly fishing for wild trout in north central Pennsylvania along the West Branch of the Susquehanna River. He will be emphasizing the differences between Western New York and north central Pennsylvania, offering insight into the different resources and experiences.
The evening is open to the public and there will be opportunities to join the club. As always, the group will be recording this workshop to post to the club’s YouTube channel for those who are unable to attend. Check out www.wnytroutunlimited.org for more information.
DEC’s Markham wins award
Fish biologist Jim Markham, with the Department of Environmental Conservation’s Lake Erie Fisheries Research Unit, received the 2022 Sport Fish Restoration Outstanding Project from the American Fisheries Society in a special presentation last month at the Greater Niagara Fishing and Outdoor Expo in Niagara Falls. In addition to Markham, his entire Lake Erie Unit as well as staff at the Salmon River Fish Hatchery was honored.
The award was given for their work on “Evaluation of Steelhead Stocking Size and Location on Emigration and Adult Returns in Chautauqua Creek, NY.”
Markham's work was selected from fishery management studies across the country. This research influenced a significant change in New York’s Lake Erie steelhead stocking strategy with the goal of improving survival of stocked fish and increasing the number of adult steelhead returning to tributaries.
The science behind this award is emblematic of the work the Bureau of Fisheries conducts to improve our fisheries management across the state. Hats off to Markham and the entire project crew for this outstanding accomplishment.
Catharines Creek trout survey results
In anticipation of the regular inland trout opener April 1, DEC’s Region 9 fisheries staff has released its 2023 Catharine Creek Rainbow Trout Survey. A total of 102 rainbow trout were netted during the survey, along with another dozen or so from a tributary. The largest rainbow was just more than 10 pounds.
Sampling includes netting rainbow trout and recording the fish’s length, weight, gender and spawning condition. Complete sampling results will be available to the public at the DEC Region 8 fisheries office prior to the April 1 opening of the Finger Lakes tributary season. It will include the results of the Naples Creek Survey that took place March 23.
Anglers who want to fish for trout before April 1 are reminded that although catch and release trout fishing is open for inland streams, Finger Lakes tributaries remain closed to fishing until April 1. The main bodies of the Finger Lakes are open to fishing year-round.