Me and my “Licence to Collect Fish for Scientific Purposes”…….

If you recall from last year, the MNR was conducting a tracking survey on a number of lake trout that were implanted with transponders. If you’re not familiar with this just go and click on the “old posts” button to see some of the preliminary results of 2009. This spring the MNR is hoping to capture a few more trout……..somehow I have wrangled this special licence which allows me to catch up to 5 trout for “scientific purposes”. Shown above is the floating holding pen which I am about to set out in the lake to hold my potential prisoners.

On my brief forays to find some trout these other “rough fish”, walleyes etc. , must be avoided. If caught they are immediately released……I’m using barb less hooks to make this easier.

Finally, on Sunday evening, Susanne & I took a few passes nearby and I caught this lively trout…..maybe 6 or 7 pounds. It would have made some nice fish cakes, but this was it’s lucky day! Into the holding pen…….the MNR bio’s are notified.

The next day the fish is drugged (clove oil of all things!) and the process begins. Here the fish is receiving a dorsal tag. A pectoral fin is also clipped for ageing purposes. Note the aerator tubes in the fishes mouth to allow water to flow over the gills.

Now on the bottom side the scales are removed from the insertion site.

An opening is created and the transponder (the black cylinder) is inserted.

Things are stitched back up……..good as new. A bionic lake trout!

The fish is then put into a bin to recover. After about ten minutes the drug has worn off and the fish looked pretty lively. It’s then back to the lake. Since I caught the fish it was up to me to assign a name for the fish………..it is now referred to as “Susanne”. May she have many adventures and safe travels………

I’m hoping to be able to catch a few more to add to the study. Any suggestions for future names?