Welcome to Week CCVIII of ‘Fishing Parkland Shorelines’. Like most of us I am a novice fisherman, loving to fish, but far from an expert. In the following weeks I’ll attempt to give those anglers who love to fish but just don’t have access to a boat, a look at some of the options in the Yorkton area where you can fish from shore, and hopefully catch some fish.
The provincial government has certainly bought into the idea of creating ‘weeks’ to mark just about anything, and everything in the province. Frankly I am surprised they haven’t come up with a ‘Catch-all Week’ with the sub text this is for any profession, disease prevention program, or event we haven’t covered in the other myriad of designated weeks.
Now the basic idea of raising awareness of something that needs more attention is admirable, but in the end many weeks come and go with barely a notice from those not directly associated with the theme of the week to start with.
So when a release hit the inbox recently about Aquatic Invasive Species Awareness Week in the province I more or less yawned.
The reason for the week is solid enough I suppose. It was designated as a way to help keep the province’s waterbodies free of zebra and quagga mussels, with the week emphasizing the need for diligence when it comes to the issue.
“While monitoring done to date has not found zebra and quagga mussels in the province, we continue to work to increase awareness on this issue,” Environment Minister Herb Cox said in the release. “Our government’s focus in 2016 and beyond will include increased watercraft inspections, decontaminating high-risk watercraft found entering the province and additional education and awareness efforts to help protect our fish populations and aquatic habitats.”
It went on to outline the provincial government is undertaking several initiatives to prevent invasive species from entering the province. This includes conducting roadside watercraft inspections and check-stops with a focus on the Manitoba and U.S. borders, as well as high-risk water bodies such as those that host organized watercraft events.
In addition, the ministry’s mobile decontamination units will be used in cases where invasive species are discovered on watercraft. The province supports several other initiatives that raise awareness about aquatic invasive species and the importance of prevention through the CLEAN, DRAIN, DRY Your Boat awareness program.
Saskatchewan is also partnering with the Canadian Border Services Agency to assist with preventing contaminated boats from entering this province from the United States.
The government is also reminding people to never release aquatic plants or pets into the wild or dump aquarium water into rivers, streams, lakes or storm sewers.
Invasive mussels and other species can be impossible to eliminate if they become established in a waterbody, and have the potential to severely impact aquatic habitats, fisheries, valuable recreational resources and water-related infrastructure. Mussels can clog water intake structures and increase costs significantly for irrigation, power generation and municipal water supply.
More information about fishing and aquatic invasive species can be found in the Saskatchewan Anglers’ Guide, and online at www.environment.gov.sk.ca/fishing or www.environment.gov.sk.ca/invasivespecies.
Of course what the release doesn’t touch on is that the invasive species which ultimately has the greatest impact on the province’s natural waters in us.
Humankind constantly changes natural systems to suit their singular needs.
Lake of the Prairies was created as a water level control mechanism to help protect Winnipeg from flooding.
Tobin Lake north of Carrot River, SK. a lake I grew up fishing, exists because the Saskatchewan River was dammed to create hydroelectricity.
As fisherfolk we should remember too that other than Lake Trout, (which are not actually trout), are the only native species to Saskatchewan.
When we seek out rainbow, brown and brook trout they are introduced species.
The Tiger Trout takes that line of thought a step farther, as it a hybridized species where man crossed brown and brook trout.
Splake are the same in that they were/are created by the crossing of a male brook trout and a female lake trout.
Then there in the carp which has a growing range.
I adore the carp for its feisty fight but the common carp are not native to Saskatchewan, Canada, or even the United States. Common carp were also never stocked in Saskatchewan.
“Carp were originally introduced to the eastern United States from Europe in the early 1800s. Since then, the common carp has invaded and have extended their range to include areas of southern and eastern Saskatchewan,” notes www.saco.ca. Records indicate an invasion prior to 1955.”
As much as carp should be respected as a game fish, they are not a great neighbour for other species.
“Large numbers of carp feeding stirs up the water, and makes it difficult for some other fish species to see and feed. Carp are tremendously reproductive with a single female laying up to two million eggs,” details the website.
So yes we should be diligent in terms of trying to keep zebra and quagga mussels at bay in Saskatchewan, but our record in terms of impacting ‘natural’ waters in the province shows we constantly tinker in hopes of creating something more to our liking than what nature itself created.
Oh, my son and I did get out for a second straight Sunday of action.
I had heard via the old ‘pike vine’ that fish were biting at the west end of Theodore Dam.
Apparently the fish missed the memo, or as often happens we missed the hot day and caught it on the frigid side of things.
We hit the bridge and caught some early season weeds, and I brought in some twiggage which might have made a snazzy table centrepiece with some work — but no fish.
At Whitesand Regional Park I at least out-fished my son, which was not hard. He got skunked.
I managed one hammer handle pike.
The birds in the picture helped save the morning as they waded the shore edge close to us most of the morning.
Add a couple of either very large hawks, maybe eagles, or turkey vultures — I am so not a birder — soaring overhead, it was a chance to enjoy nature.
That said I drooled over the first disc golf tonal target installed at Whitesand, and dreamed of the new 18 being completed so on a slow fishing day I will be able to simply switch passions and have a great day.
Finally this week, a tip of the hat to Len Thomson Lures which is based in Lacombe, AB.
Company president Brad Pallister recently announced the company had made a $10,512 initial donation to the Canadian Red Cross for Fort McMurray aid. When matched by the Federal and Provincial government this donation equals $31,536.
The company release went on to note, while relieved to hear that the fire risk within the city of Fort McMurray has started to lower. It will likely be weeks until residents are allowed to return to their homes.
“These displaced people are still relying on resources from the Canadian Red Cross. So, we have decided to make more lures and re-launch the #FishingForFortMac campaign for the remainder of May,” noted Pallister.
Fifty per cent of all proceeds from the next batch of #AlbertaStrong lures sold will continue to support the Canadian Red Cross.
In addition, “due to significant requests, we will be adding our larger No. 0 size (2.5”, 5/8oz) to the #AlbertaStrong assortment,” he said.
Check it out at www.lenthompson.com
