Anglers in southwestern Montana will have a chance to win prizes while also helping the state’s efforts to study what’s leading to trout population declines in some of the nation’s most popular trout fishing rivers. .
Teams from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and Montana State University this winter began tagging trout in the Big Hole, Beaverhead, Ruby, and Madison rivers — an effort that will take three years — that they ask the fishermen to use to report information to be used in the study, the agency said Friday.
“Fishermen play a critical role in this study,” said Mike Duncan, southwest Montana fisheries program manager for FWP. “When they submit reports about tagged fish, they help gather important information on the health of the fishery.”
After a person catches a tagged fish, they are asked to clip the tag close to the fish’s skin while holding it slightly, then use the unique number to report the tag number, date, location, condition of the fish, type of rig used, and whether the fish were harvested or released back to the research team through the online portal. FWP created a video to show anglers the process.
Three MSU graduate students who helped conduct the research will also be out on the rivers interviewing fishermen and other people who use the river as part of their study, which includes studying mortality. of fish, juvenile fish studies in the basin, fish health studies and ongoing monitoring.
FWP said in late January that the team was together and holding meetings to plan more field work for this summer. The agency announced efforts to study fish declines in the basin in July after gaining pressure from locals to act following large declines in brown and rainbow trout populations over the past decade and trout showing signs of mysterious lesions over the past two years in the Big Hole and Beaverhead rivers.
FWP said earlier this year it also hopes to add more advanced molecular testing for fungi, bacteria and viruses in the spring, summer and fall on fish of all ages collected at Big Hole and Beaverhead.
Another local group from the basin, Save Wild Trout, is also conducting studies on nutrient pollution, lower streamflow and warmer water temperatures.
People who catch tagged fish can submit reports through the online portal or by calling 406-994-2384.
