“all about the fish” - CONSERVATION CLUB
(close up adipose fin being clipped for future identification) March first was fin clipping day at the Bruce Peninsula Sportsmen’s Association (BPSA) hatchery. Every year around this time, club members gather to clip the adipose fin on thousands of yearling rainbow trout, preparing them for stocking in the near future. For these folks it’s a labour of love as it’s “all about the fish”. The clippers worked in long afternoon and evening shifts processing 30-thousand trout. Members of the Barrow Bay and District Sport Fishing Association helped out. This in return for BPSA providing thousands of yearling trout for Barrow bay anglers. Fin clipping helps identify if fish are natural or stocked. In the past when we took eggs for our hatchery from spawning fish, sixty-per cent of the trout had been fin clipped. This suggests a good survival rate and healthy return of our stocked fish. BPSA Hatchery Manager Ray Marklevits reports our hatchery fish are in great shape and water flow and temperatures in our hatchery tanks, have been ideal this spring. When these fish are stocked, a new supply of rainbow trout eggs will arrive, starting the process over again. 
(BPSA members work in two shifts to process thousands of rainbow trout weeks before they are stocked)
( BPSA Hatchery Manager Ray Marklevits and Fish Committee Member Murray Garniss handling yearling rainbow trout at the BPSA hatchery BPSA boasts the longest running volunteer staffed community fish stocking program in Ontario. Since the sixties we have stocked over 5-million rainbow and brown trout and salmon for the Grey-Bruce recreational fishery. Our stocking is licensed by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry and is operated for the Province by the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters under the Community Hatchery Program. Anglers from Ontario, other provinces and the US travel to Grey-Bruce every year to enjoy our beautiful scenery, our pollution free environment and sports fish they can eat. Our clubs efforts
over the last 65-years have helped pump many millions of dollars into our regional economy. Among our partners are the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resource and Forestry (MNRF), The Lake Huron Fishing Club, the Barrow Bay Sport Fishing Association, the Ontario Steelheaders, the Sydenham Sportsmen’s Association and the Ontario Community Hatchery Program. BPSA recently hosted more than 300 guests at our Family Day open house. That successful event was a part of our club’s community outreach effort. An effort that we hope will attract new members, young and old, as we try to expand our range of programs aimed at getting more people outdoors. Learn more about BPSA and our range of programs at our site http://bpsportsmen.com/youth-programs/ Our next major event is the annual BPSA SPRING FISHING DERBY for members and guests. It runs from May 12-14 with the derby awards Sunday May 14 during our annual fish fry at the clubhouse. Our BPSA KIDS FISHING DAY 2017 runs the morning of May 27th this year at our hatchery pond. Youngsters 12 and under are welcome to take part. There is no charge. The MNRF has donated 300 brook trout for this popular annual event which will be “catch and release” and once again will be lots of fun. Issued by: Stu Paterson for the Bruce Peninsula Sportsmen’s Association 519-534-5194 (not for publication) Jim Martell, President - Bruce Peninsula Sportsmen’s Association | 