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Show JUNE 13, 2008 PAGE A5 Summit County News June 7 - Free Fishing in Utah on Saturday The fishermen were out in record numbers, despite the weather threatening rain off and on during the day. The Weber River was lined up and down with families - men - women - experienced and non-experienced - all trying to entice that “fish” to bite their bait! Success was had by some, others just were satisfied with the sport of it all! This Roy couple spent the better part of the day “drowning” their fly as they cast numerous times into the Weber near the exit to Henefer coming up from Croydon. “Not even a bite” - the lady stated, “…lots of snags, though!” DWR Hosts Viewing Event on June 14 Strawberry Reservoir — Colorful cutthroat trout are swimming up the Strawberry River right now. You can see these cutthroats — and watch biologists take eggs from them — at a free wildlife viewing event. The event will be held June 14 at the Strawberry Reservoir Visitor Center. It runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. DWR biologists will be available to answer your questions and show you the many cutthroat trout that have worked their way up the Strawberry River to spawn. To reach the event, park at the visitor center, and then walk along the boardwalk behind the visitor center to the Division of Wildlife Resources’ fish trap and egg-taking facility. Strawberry Reservoir is about 25 miles southeast of Heber City, off US40. See and Learn “The reservoir’s Bear Lake cutthroat trout spawn in late May and early June,” says Scott Root, regional conservation outreach manager for the DWR. “These determined fish are well known for their energy and their ability to jump over obstacles as they make their way upstream to spawn.” Many of the cutthroat trout in the Strawberry River end up in the DWR’s fish trap and egg-taking facility. After the fish arrive at the facility, biologists extract eggs from the “ripe” female cutthroats by rubbing the bellies of the females and gathering the eggs that squirt out. They typically gather more than 1,000 eggs from each female. After the eggs are gathered, the biologists fertilize them by adding the milt of male cutthroat trout. After the eggs are fertilized, they’re taken to DWR hatcheries. Hatching the cutthroats in hatcheries allows them to be raised in a protective environment. More than 90 percent of the cutthroats hatched in the hatcheries will survive. In the wild, less than 10 percent of cutthroats that hatch typically survive. “The tributaries to Strawberry Reservoir are closed to fishing until July 12, and some of them are closed even longer. But this event is a great way to get a close-up view of these spawning fish,” Root says. “Unlike the kokanee salmon in the reservoir, the cutthroat trout do not die after they spawn.” The water in the tributaries is high and murky right now. That can make it difficult to view fish in the Strawberry River. But if you attend the event, you’ll still be able to see the fish. “Our biologists will occasionally hold up a large cutthroat so everyone can get a good look,” Root says. For more information, call Root at (801) 491-5656 or (801) 491-5678. Attention All Hunters — Buy Deer and Elk Permits If you don’t have a permit to hunt buck deer in Utah this fall, your next chance to get one begins June 12. That’s when permits not taken in this year’s big game draw go on sale. Most of Utah’s buck deer permits were taken in the draw, but more than 9,300 Northern Region rifle and muzzleloader, and 6,600 statewide general archery permits, are still available. Bull elk permits to hunt during Utah’s general season also go on sale June 12. You can buy a permit starting at 8 a.m. at www.wildlife.utah.gov and from DWR offices and more than 350 hunting license agents across Utah. When should you buy a permit? While you shouldn’t wait for weeks to buy your permit, you probably don’t need to buy one the moment they go on sale either. “The morning of June 12 will probably be a busy morning on our Web site,” says Judi Tutorow, wildlife licensing coordinator for the DWR. “Once the site reaches the maximum number of people it can serve, a message will pop up indicating the site has reached its full capacity. “If that happens to you, try buying your permit later in the morning or in the afternoon. You can probably even buy it later that week.” When did permits sell out in 2007? Buck deer permits to hunt during Utah’s general archery hunt were the first permits to sell out last year. They sold out on July 23, a month before the 2007 archery season began. Northern Region rifle and muzzleloader permits were the next to go. They sold out on Aug. 21. That was one month before the start of the muzzleloader hunt and two months before the start of the rifle hunt. General bull elk permits sold out on Oct. 3. The general bull elk hunt started Oct. 6. For more information, call the nearest Division of Wildlife Resources office or the DWR’s Salt Lake City office at (801) 5384700. Now is The Time To Go Native Plant Plants For Dry Climates Summit County is in the high desert where precipitation is low during the summer months. That’s why native plants are important to your landscape projects because thrive in dry climates. If penstemon, service berry, and rabbit brush are all new terms for you, help is on the way. Recycle Utah will hold its annual Native Plant Sale on Saturday, June 7, and Sunday, June 8, at the Diamonds • Custom Design Center on Woodbine, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., both days. Experts from Wildlands Nursery will guide your selection of water wise plants. This year they’ll joined by a new grower – Sun Mountain Growers of Fruit Heights, Utah, who specialize in wildflowers. Native perennials, grasses, shrubs, and trees will help you save on your water bill. For more information, call 6499698. Watches • Engraving • Repairs 32 S. Main Street Heber City, UT 84032 435.654.5661 |