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Show Brood Stock Trout To Be Planted in Streams BICKNELl Utah Division of Wildlife Resources announced plans to release some 0,000 of their rainbow trout brood stock from Perry Egan Hstchery near Bicknell, in waters throughout the state. The fish weigh between two and ore-half and seven pounds. The n lease U scheduled for the latter part of July. rhe release of the brood stock i' part of the overall fish culture p'ogram of the Division's I sherles Management Section. ' Uh has produced its own rtlllied eggs for rearing in the .ate's hatcheries for ap-roxlmately four years. Kent Miller, supervisor of the ish culture program, explained he release, "We have found that most rainbow trout reach a reproductive peak at the ages of three to five years for the females and two to four years of age In the males, This is the time of the fishes' life cycle where the highest quality and quantity reproduction occurs. By rotating the brood stock to maintain maximum numbers of fish In their peak reproductive condition, we feel that the hatchery system can be operated at the most efficient levels. This, of course, means that we are endeavoring to get the most benefit from every fishery dollar we spend." Miller went on to say that the fish will be released in waters that have been scrutinized carefully to determine their capacity to maintain the fish and allow anglers an opportunity to harvest them. Waters had to be at safe levels and of relatively good size in order to suport the larger fish. Since many waters become too warm in late summer, biologists also had to be certain that areas in which the fish were released were deep enough to provide suitable water temperature. The water also had to protect the fish from winter kill, as some of the brood stock are expected to hold over until next year. Some waters in the state were rejected because they did not meet these specifications. Plans for this year's brood stock release call for Fish Lake, Starvation, Soldier Creek, Joe's Valley and Millsite reservoirs to receive fish. Planting the large fish represents special challenges for fish managers. Most fish are planted in larger reservoirs via trucks which release the fish into the water by way of tubes that run from the tank to the lake. The brood stock are too large to fit in the tube and must, therefore, be unloaded by hand. The Job requires many trips since the larger fish require more room per fish in the transport truck's aerated tanks. |