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Oct. 2, 2014
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Report tagged fish: 500 tagged fish were released into Henry Hagg Lake to study effectiveness of ODFW stocking programs.
-Photo by ODFW-
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CLACKAMAS, Ore. -- This week, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife released 500 specially tagged fish into Henry Hagg Lake – in an effort to evaluate the fish stocking program -- and is asking anglers for help in getting those tags back.
The fish tagging effort is part of a pilot program initiated at Wallowa Lake this spring that will help quantify the harvest, movement and growth of stocked fish. As in Wallowa Lake, the agency will tag and release a known number of fish into Hagg Lake and ask anglers who catch a tagged fish to return them or notify ODFW with the tag information.
According to Ben Walczak, ODFW fish biologist, the 500 tagged fish are a small portion of the 15,000 fish released. Comparing the number of tags returned to the total number of fish released will allow biologists to draw some conclusions about the success of the trout stocking program in Hagg Lake.
“We hope the tagging program will be an effective and affordable way to determine catch rates of the fish we stock, and to see how many of these fall-released fish overwinter and are available to anglers next spring,” Walczak said.
To further fine tune the sample, a prescribed number of fish have a reward tag that will earn the lucky angler who catches a tagged fish a $50 reward.
For anglers, it’s a chance to participate in fishery management and, perhaps, to come away with $50 for that help.
If you catch a tagged fish:
- Tagged fish can be harvested or released. If the fish is released, cut the tag off at the base rather than try to rip the tag out.
- Anglers can report non-reward tags in person, by mail, by phone, or on the ODFW Web site.
- Reward tags must be returned to ODFW Clackamas Office, either in person or by mail.
- Look for “Tag Team” posters at the boat ramps for further project and contact information.
This pilot program will be funded through a grant from the ODFW Fish Restoration and Enhancement Program.
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Contact:
Ben Walczak (971) 673-6013
Tom Murtagh (971) 673-6044
Jessica Sall (503) 947-6023
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