Return of the Cutthroat Trout - American
Fisheries Society
27 minutes
Good information about Flathead Lake and
bull trout from the Montana Native News Project
of the U of M School of Journalism with a
great video. Watch the
Montana FWP video on Bull Trout Recovery
from the FWP website.
"Protecting existing bull trout habitat and
restoring places that used to have bull trout
has benefits for other kinds of trout as well.
We can all do something to help Montana's
largest native trout."
Non-Native Lake Trout Continue to
Threaten Flathead Lake
Opinion piece from FVTU in the Missoulian
March 23, 2012 FVTU
is pleased to announce the release of our
exciting new video, Jewel in The
Crown. This new DVD examines the
plight of native fish in the Flathead with a
focus on current problems facing bull trout.
Through conversations with the last generation
of anglers who were able to legally fish for
bull trout in our home waters and many
historical photos as well as interviews with
local fisheries biologists and managers, we
examine the current situation and where we need
to go now to preserve our native fish heritage.
Jewel in The Crown
is available for only $12 (+ $2 shipping and
handling)
Click
HERE for a
list of our local associate retail outlets,
or use our secure partner PayPal account to
buy online by clicking the "Buy Now" button
below.
You can also get a copy of the new video by calling
(406)-755-2920, or by sending your shipping
address and phone number to
video@flatheadtu.org and we will contact you
with payment information.
For more information about bull trout in the
Flathead and the exciting DVD as well as a
short trailer for the film, see our companion website
www.savethejewel.org
Truth in
Advertising Notice:
Due to a manufacturing glitch, these videos will
auto-start in the middle. You will have to
rewind to the beginning to start the video.
Sorry 'bout that.
CS&KT Proposed Netting Program
Note:
The original April 2009 CSKT proposal has been
removed from consideration, but continues to be
a good example of actions that can be taken to
save native bull trout and cutthroat trout. The
Tribes and FWP are reviewing current science and
will release proposals for restoring native fish
to the Flathead watershed sometime in late 2011.
FVTU will continue to follow this process and
keep you posted.
MTFWP also released the
redd
counts for the Kootenai Drainage on Nov.
29th. Populations continue to decline in the
Kootenai as well as the Flathead and Swan.
Western Lake Trout Woes.
Great article in the Sept. 2009 issue of
Fisheries, the monthly publication by the
American Fisheries Society. The article
details problems and attempts at control of
non-native lake trout across the west, including
the Flathead and Glacier Park.
Netting of invasive lake trout has been ongoing
for the past four years in Lake Pend Oreille in
northern Idaho. This year's report shows some
encouraging signs. "...the evidence is
beginning to suggest the effort is benefitting
bull trout."
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is
conducting a 3-year lake
trout removal effort in Swan Lake, Montana, to
determine the feasibility of suppressing the
population in helping depressed native fish and
kokanee populations. The proposed action
involves contracting with professional
fishery consultants to conduct gill netting
over 3-week periods beginning late August or
early September...
Read the EA and Decision Notice from FWP -
PDF 2010
Swan Lake Netting begins Sept. 10,
2010
Work begins this month on an experimental
project in Swan Lake using modified
electrofishing equipment to destroy lake trout
embryos in Swan Lake. If successful, this
project could provide a valueable tool for
controlling lake trout invasions in several
western lakes.
Read the Environmental Analysis from FWP and
watch this site for more information.
The Spring 2011 Flathead Valley Trout
Unlimited Newsletter is now available. You can
read it here online.
Upcoming FVTU
Events
May 5, 2012, join us for the
Snappy Sport Senter Fishing Fair. Kids will have
a chance to catch some extra-large spawner fish
from the Snappys pond and there will be casting
and fly-tying demos along with lots of other
great kids activities.
May 10-11, sign up to help with
streambank stablization plantings along the
lower Flathead. See above for details. Thanks.
Ever wonder just what we have lost by
eradicating bull trout from the Flathead
watershed? You've got to see
these amazing images taken by Joel Sartore
and local endangered fish biologist Wade
Fredenburg for National Geographic. This is what
a healthy bull trout population looks like. This
is what we had in the Flathead before we screwed
it up and this is what we could have again with
proper management. These photos came from the
Wigwam River, just over the divide from the
North Fork Flathead.
April marked our final
meeting for this season. Please join us again in
September.
On May 19th, FVTU will host
our annual fund raising banquet at Grouse
Mountain Lodge in Whitefish. We hope you can
join us for this fun-filled event. There will be
door prizes and raffles as well as live and
silent auctions for some amazing prizes. The
Grand Prize this year is a 14-foot,
self-bailing, full wrap raft package including
frame, oars and everything you need to get out
on the water this summer.
Festivities begin with a
social hour at 6pm followed by a scrumptious
dinner at 7:30. Get your tickets early. Please
RSVP by May 17th. Tickets for the banquet are
$35 and you can get ticket Information by
calling; 260-1198, 250-5064 or 257-7125. This is
our only fund-raising event of the year and we
hope you will join us and help fund many
projects to help coldwater fish and their
habitat throughout the Flathead.
FVTU is looking for a few good men,
and/or women to help out with some
streambank stabilization work on Thursday and/or
Friday May 10-11. We will again be planting
shrubs along the lower Flathead River in
collaboration with MFWP. We have done work there
in the past that has been highly successful.
If you can help out, give Chris a call at
406-260-1198 or let us know at
flatheadtu@gmail.com. These plantings are
always loads of fun, and you will be actively
doing something to help our fisheries. And, a
FREE LUNCH will be provided by the chapter. Hope
to see you there.
FVTU encourages everyone
to participate in the public discusssion of
native fish issues. Please visit our
Letters to the Editor page
for tips on writing an effective letter and for
news outlet contacts.
For more information and
important updates be sure to vist the FVTU blog
FVTU
is pleased to announce the release of our
exciting new video, Jewel in The
Crown. This new DVD examines the
plight of native fish in the Flathead with a
focus on current problems facing bull trout.
Note:
The original April 2009 CSKT proposal has been
removed from consideration, but continues to be
a good example of actions that can be taken to
save native bull trout and cutthroat trout. The
Tribes and FWP are reviewing current science and
will release proposals for restoring native fish
to the Flathead watershed sometime in late 2011.
FVTU will continue to follow this process and
keep you posted.
