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Hello,
We’re gearing up for a Fin Clipping in Ashton and looking for as much help as we can get. We’ll need all hands on deck to make it a success. This year is different than previous fin clipping. We will not be standing in water all day. We plan to have everyone on dry ground next to the raceway working up fish.
When
September 16th. We will meet at the office at 7 am and carpool out to Ashton, or you can meet us there at 8 am.
Please try to carpool as much as possible because parking is limited. Primary parking will be along either side of the driveway (red rectangle in map below), and overflow parking will be along East 1200 North in the other red polygon. Be sure to leave enough room for other vehicles to pass you along the driveway when you park.
What
We’ll be clipping fins on ~60,000 Henrys Lake Hybrids at the Blue Mountain Hatchery in Ashton (the old IDFG Ashton Hatchery). We’re looking for ~40 volunteers to help us with this effort. Volunteers will not need waders but will need footwear that they’re comfortable putting through a 1” sterilizing foot bath for biosecurity. It would also not be a bad idea to bring a rain jacket/pants to stay a little drier. Volunteers should NOT wear wading boots that have been worn in any previous waterbody.
Why
We’re in the process of doing a stocking strategy evaluation of Henrys Lake Hybrids (cutbows). Despite consistently stocking ~200,000 hybrids annually, they have struggled to survive long enough to contribute to the fishery. We believe the main contributors to our hatchery fish mortality are lake water quality and predation. These hybrids are usually stocked at ~3 inches. These fingerlings are incredibly vulnerable to predation, and over-winter survival during their first year is known to be a significant source of mortality for juvenile fish. A portion of the fish we’ll be fin clipping will be held back in the hatchery over winter, and stocked at ~7 inches the following spring. The fin clips will allow us to tell whether the fish were part of this group, or our regular fall-stocked 3-inch fingerlings. In future years, we will be able to evaluate comparative survival of hybrids stocked at 3 inches and 7 inches to see which is better.
Bring
We will provide Snacks, Drinks and lunch. Just let me know if you have any dietary needs. We will provide all the tools and supplies needed. You should dress for the weather, bring rain gear and or a change of clothing.
We will be handling hundreds of three-inch fish while wielding sharp scissors used to remove the adipose fin, a permanent mark on the fish. You might remember to bring your reading glasses
Let me know if you can help!
Gerren B. Steel
Volunteer Services Coordinator
Idaho Department of Fish & Game
Work: 208-535-8039
Cell: 208-850-7576
Gerren.steel@idfg.idaho.go
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