Get Hooked
Well-Known Member
For those anglers having the thrill and heart pounding excitement of catching Lake Erie Rainbow Trout (Steelhead) for many past seasons and what’s upcoming.
Sum times called: Chromers, Silver bullets and Ghosts
When your line is screaming off your reel and your rod is pumping and your heart is racing and a Bow is exploding out of the water you know you have a fight on your hands.
Have you ever wondered or taken the time to check out why we have such a fantastic Rainbow fishery. Is it because of natural reproduction or is it because of American OR Canadian fish stocking programs?
As natural production is very minimal it’s only because of stocking programs like those from our neighbours to the South and on our own doorstep we have The Lake Erie Salmon and Trout Hatchery out of Port Stanley located at 4255 Thomas Rd.
History of the Club, the Hatchery and Stocking Facts:
The Club was organized in 1981 and had around 75 members and now have approx. 31
The Hatchery property was purchased in 1982 and the Hatchery was built in 1986
First eggs were collected from Youngs Creek in the Normandale -Turkey Point area. They were hatched in the Hatchery and released in South Mill Creek (which winds through the Club's land, draining through a culvert under Union Road into Kettle Creek, just north of town) in fingerling stage in fall of years 1987,88,89 & 90
First returns were in the Spring of 1991 and eggs collected thereafter in S. Mill Creek
In Nov 1990 built and installed floating docks to support 4 net cages in Hatchery Pond and rearing the Trout thru 2 years of age before stocking to increase survivability in the Lake. In 2020 it became necessary due to climate warming to reduce the age to 1 year of age
Using a yearly average of fish reared to stocking size of 45,000 this would work out to the Club having stocked 1,485,000 fish mainly 2 years of age since inception
Volunteer hours constructed the Hatchery, Office, Workshop and Fish Food Storage Buildings as well as stream rehab and pond construction and alterations to the landscape
The Volunteers spend perhaps 60 hrs each over the Spring, Summer and Fall months or about 3000 hrs per year. There are now 8 regular Volunteers who look after fish rearing, maintenance (Buildings, Docks and Property) Fish Stocking and moving fish from the Hatchery to the Nets. The hours expended are around 1000 per year in total
The Club has supplied Fish to stock farm ponds etc in small quantities and larger quantities to the Pointe aux Pins Club in Erieau and the Southwest Outdoors Club in Wheatley both 1000 fish per year
In addition to a Fish Hatchery a Nature Reserve with approx. 120 Native Trees and Shrubs as well as Reptiles, Mammals, Birds, 7 Ponds and 11.5 acres.
The Club gets a large number of visitors estimated to be around 5000 per year and have had much larger numbers with events like the London Free Press Shunpiker-Tour which was estimated to have attracted over 5000 people in ONE day. The property is a popular site for Public School Tours, Service Clubs, Nature Clubs, etc.
I am sure Kit Brown and the dedicated Volunteers would appreciate a shoutout for their service all these years for rearing and stocking Rainbows. Email Kit at: kitbrown43@gmail.com
LINKS TO CHECK OUT:
northshorebeacon.ca
Port Stanley’s community hatchery
Has several PICS of the property
Lake Erie Salmon and Trout Club
Sum times called: Chromers, Silver bullets and Ghosts
When your line is screaming off your reel and your rod is pumping and your heart is racing and a Bow is exploding out of the water you know you have a fight on your hands.
Have you ever wondered or taken the time to check out why we have such a fantastic Rainbow fishery. Is it because of natural reproduction or is it because of American OR Canadian fish stocking programs?
As natural production is very minimal it’s only because of stocking programs like those from our neighbours to the South and on our own doorstep we have The Lake Erie Salmon and Trout Hatchery out of Port Stanley located at 4255 Thomas Rd.
History of the Club, the Hatchery and Stocking Facts:
The Club was organized in 1981 and had around 75 members and now have approx. 31
The Hatchery property was purchased in 1982 and the Hatchery was built in 1986
First eggs were collected from Youngs Creek in the Normandale -Turkey Point area. They were hatched in the Hatchery and released in South Mill Creek (which winds through the Club's land, draining through a culvert under Union Road into Kettle Creek, just north of town) in fingerling stage in fall of years 1987,88,89 & 90
First returns were in the Spring of 1991 and eggs collected thereafter in S. Mill Creek
In Nov 1990 built and installed floating docks to support 4 net cages in Hatchery Pond and rearing the Trout thru 2 years of age before stocking to increase survivability in the Lake. In 2020 it became necessary due to climate warming to reduce the age to 1 year of age
Using a yearly average of fish reared to stocking size of 45,000 this would work out to the Club having stocked 1,485,000 fish mainly 2 years of age since inception
Volunteer hours constructed the Hatchery, Office, Workshop and Fish Food Storage Buildings as well as stream rehab and pond construction and alterations to the landscape
The Volunteers spend perhaps 60 hrs each over the Spring, Summer and Fall months or about 3000 hrs per year. There are now 8 regular Volunteers who look after fish rearing, maintenance (Buildings, Docks and Property) Fish Stocking and moving fish from the Hatchery to the Nets. The hours expended are around 1000 per year in total
The Club has supplied Fish to stock farm ponds etc in small quantities and larger quantities to the Pointe aux Pins Club in Erieau and the Southwest Outdoors Club in Wheatley both 1000 fish per year
In addition to a Fish Hatchery a Nature Reserve with approx. 120 Native Trees and Shrubs as well as Reptiles, Mammals, Birds, 7 Ponds and 11.5 acres.
The Club gets a large number of visitors estimated to be around 5000 per year and have had much larger numbers with events like the London Free Press Shunpiker-Tour which was estimated to have attracted over 5000 people in ONE day. The property is a popular site for Public School Tours, Service Clubs, Nature Clubs, etc.
I am sure Kit Brown and the dedicated Volunteers would appreciate a shoutout for their service all these years for rearing and stocking Rainbows. Email Kit at: kitbrown43@gmail.com
LINKS TO CHECK OUT:
Port Stanley’s community hatchery < North Shore Beacon
northshorebeacon.ca
Lake Erie Salmon and Trout Club
