At the last expert meeting it was realized by all that kokanee egg plants alone wasn’t going to turn the lake around and for kokanee to start increasing in numbers we need to plants eggs and cull bull trout that continue to do okay and continue to prey on kokanee. Here are the salient points on this issue:

 

1. Kokanee—they are the primary food source for Gerrard rainbow trout, bull trout (BT) and most other predators in the lake. They have numbered over 1.5 million in good times and nowadays number less than 20,000. Meadow Creek is the primary spawning stream as well as the Lardeau River.
2. Gerrard rainbow trout eat kokanee and used to grow to a size of 30 lbs. They have always been low in numbers ranging from 1500 spawners to less than 100 over the last 60 years. Their numbers today are less than 200 spawners but their size is now less than 5 lbs. The same story for BT although unlike the Gerrards they do eat other fish species. Today their numbers are on the low side and size is less than 10 lbs, average around 3-4 lbs. Overall, the BT are doing okay compared to Gerrards.
3. Issue—-The numbers of predators (Gerrards and bull trout) increased in the early 2000s because the lake was fertilized starting in 1992 the result of which was significantly increased kokanee numbers from lows of around 200,000 in the early 1990s to well over 1 million by the late 1990s. The decline of kokanee in the early 1990s was due to nutrient uptake in upstream reservoirs (Duncan & Libby) that used to flow into KL. Fisheries management failed to recognize that increasing the kokanee numbers would predictably result in increased numbers of predators (Gerrards and BT). The end result was that by 2009 it was evident that the large predator numbers were eating down the kokanee numbers and certainly by 2012 kokanee numbers declined precipitously low. Management did not adjust the fishery to remove (harvest) the predators. The end result has been that the predators have eaten themselves out of “house and home”.
4. Despite my advice management has been loath to reduce predator numbers and now kokanee are < 20,000 spawners for the entire lake. Reduction of BT is necessary to permit kokanee numbers to increase. If predator reduction on a large scale isn’t conducted the kokanee will remain low in numbers and all wildlife that depend on them will be continue to be negatively impacted. The same situation happened on Pend O”Reille Lake just south of you in Idaho. Management there implemented a predator suppression program and kokanee egg plants and within 10 years kokanee numbers went from < 100,000 back to 1 million or more.
5. The world famous Gerrard rainbow fishery is now a mere shadow of itself and there are none that exceed more than about 5 lbs. It is very simple—to increase kokanee numbers we have to suppress BT and suppression must be intensive for 3-5 years. I doubt our fisheries managers are committed to this course of action.
6. Only two weeks ago we advised John Krebs that the Ministry needs to inform the public about the need to cull bull trout. Nothing was done and now they have a protest on their hands due to lack of public information.
7. The BCWF supports the Ministry’s efforts to reduce bull trout.

List of donors for Nelson District Rod & Gun Club Kitchen & storage addition

Nelson District Rod & Gun Club

 

Would like to Recognize and Thank

 

 List of Donors for Nelson District Rod & Gun Club Kitchen & Storage Addition

 

Nelson Italian Canadian Society

 

Red Dog Carpentry

 

 Wall-Tone Painting & Contracting

Maglio Building Center

Arcovio Elect

McNally Excavation

Nelson Ready Mix Concrete  

Lammle Drywall 

 

 Edward Nunn p. Engineer

 

 James Kurzinger

Thank You


Wally Kampen

President

Spring clean up

Start times will BE 9:00 am Sat and again Sunday

May 5th & 6th

Lunch included

Thanks Howie

See newsletter for Gun Show Poster

 

NRGC_Newsletter_Mar_2018

 

 

Nelson District Rod & Gun Club & Conservation Society

AWARDS BANQUET & FUNDRAISER SPONSOR LIST – 2018

 

A-3 Plumbing Heating & Gasfitting       A & W Restaurants                         Ainsworth Hot Springs

All Seasons Cafe                              Andex Rentals                                  Arcright Plumbing & Heating

Art of Brewing                                  Balfour Gill & Gift                                          Balfour Repair (B. Beaudoin)

Barren’s Sport Shop                        Blue Sky Clothing                                           Frances Brown

Canada Safeway                              Dr. Brian Cheshire                           Dr. Louise Cheshire

Cottonwood Kitchens                     Cowan’s Office Supplies                  Dr. Kelly Davidoff

Vince DeVito Shoes                          Downtown Automotive                   Drop Manufacturing

Eddy Music                                       Katie Foley                                       Finley’s Irish Bar & Grill

Katie Foley                                        Rhys Gerow                                      Georama Growers

Glacier View Glass                           R. Green                                                          Bruce Halstead

Herb’s Alignment & Mechanical     Hipperson Hardware                     Hywood Truck & Equipment

Inland Allcare                                   Itza Ristorante & Pizzeria                Ray Johnson

KAL Tire                                                          Kolmel Jewellery                                            Kootenay Country Store Co-op

Kootenay Glass & Mirrors               Kootenay Motors                                           Kosy’s Meat Cutting & Wrapping

Lees Auto Haus 1999                       Lillie & Cohoe                                  Lordco

Love O’ The Woods (L. MacMillan)        Maglio Building Centre                  Main Jet Motorsports

Mallards Source for Sports                            Martech Electrical Systems             Glen McKen

NAPA Auto Parts                              Nelson Brewing                                Nelson Chocofellar

Nelson Chrysler                               Nelson & District Credit Union       Nelson Ford

Nelson Home Hardware Building Centre        Nelson Police Association          Nelson Toyota

Otter Books                                      Don Pedersen                                  Pharmasave

Railway Coffeehouse                      RHC Insurance Brokers                  Save-On Foods

Selkirk Eye Care (Dr. J. Proctor)       Shoppers Drug                                 SK Electronics

Snow Pack Outdoor Experience      Speedy Glass (Brian McKellar)        Taylor-Wilton Nelson

Jack Tolles                                       Torchlight Brewing                          Valhalla Pure

Vienna Café                                 Wall-Tone Painting & Contracting           Western Auto Wreckers

Wine Kitz                                          J. Yasek Contracting                            Zap Welding

Many thanks for fish, fowl and meat donations go to Jason Hawkes, Kozy’s Meat Cutting & Wrapping, Fisherman’s Market, John Wright, Howie Grant, Bruce Halstead, Gary Meadows

Also a huge thank you to the volunteers and attendees!

            Please support the above businesses – they are supporting our club!

 

https://outdoorempire.com/how-to-get-kids-into-hunting/

Click on link to open poster

Annual Banquet 2018Annual Banquet 2018

The proposed hunting, trapping, motor vehicle prohibitions, and firearm restriction regulation changes are now posted on the Angling, Hunting and Trapping Public Engagement website at https://apps.nrs.gov.bc.ca/ahte/. Note, this is a new system, and members of the public that want to comment on proposed regulations are now required to log in with a BCeID.