Release your trout gently.

[Poke 'Em]

An excerpt from the book I'm currently reading (An Entirely Synthetic Fish by Anders Halverson) regarding stocking trout by airplane:

First, Reese tried freezing the fish in ice blocks and parachuting them in ice cream containers. Both of these techniques, though, proved dangerous and difficult. And so, one day, Reese and his assistants tried a simpler technique. They put fifty trout and some water into a five-gallon can and threw it out the window toward a hatchery pond about 350 feet below. They missed, and the can bounced along the rocks nearby instead. But when observers recovered the twisted metal debris, they found sixteen fish still swimming in the small amount of water that remained. It was a stunning result for the fishery managers who had long been telling anglers not to throw fish back, but to gently place them back in the water.

Assured by this mishap that the fish could survive the impact, Reese set out to discover whether they could make the trip without the protection of tin and water. Reese and his partner grabbed some more fish, hopped in a vehicle, and hit the gas until they were moving seventy-five miles per hour down the hatchery road. At that point, the men grabbed the fish, one by one, and held them out the window for two minutes, at which point they pulled them back in and dropped them back into the water. And once again, the fish survived.

[James Smith]

When I was a young man, I used to work for Fish and Game in NH and particpated in aerial stocking where we we had an airplane with a 150 gallon tank welded to the floor of the aircraft. There was a simple flat steel plug about 8 inches across with a piece of re-bar welded to the top of the plug. When we got over a mountain pond, the pilot swooped in low, we puilled the plug and the fish and water rushed out. Most of the time we hit the target and I'm sure the majority of the fish lived.

All that being said, I will still treat all the fish I catch and release with respect and release them as gently as I can.

Jim Smith

[Gnu Bee Flyer]

Way back when I was a kid. We watched a hatcheries truck pull up to the boat launch and run a large diameter hose into the lake. Then watched the driver throw a lever apparently pumping Hatchery fish into the lake. We just continued fishing where we were but several boats pulled anchor and raced to the small cove as soon as the CO's had left the scene. We already knew from talking to the campground attendant earlier in the day that there was to be a release of 5000 fingerlings sometime that week. It was a hoot watching those 4 or 5 boats troll back and forth all day in that spot.

I also watched one day as a C185 flying fairly low over a small lake made a large water drop which I assumed must be a fish drop. No sooner did that drop hit the water when an Osprey swooped in and nailed about a 10 inch fish. Who says birds are stupid?

The Hatchery guy in Summerland once told me that the mortality rate from air-drops versus driving 20 to 40 miles up a rough mountain road to the lakes is far smaller from the drops than from a rough ride.

[gutbomb]

I would surmise that fingerlings fly better than larger fish.

[zaxaca]

I've always thought trout to be more resilient than conventional wisdom would suggest. Having said that, I'm not sure I believe they're that tough!

[fishdog54]

Did a little remote stocking of Brook trout in ponds via small heli (egg-beater). 5 gallon bucket between you and pilot, 5 gallon bucket between legs on floor and 5 gallon bucket in your lap. Low strafing run - no hovering - dump bucket - swing around - dump next bucket, etc. Fly a run back over to see how many were belly-up, NONE! Pretty cool!! This was a cooperative venture through the Mich. DNR, Fred Waara Chapter of Trout Unlimited and the Upper Peninsula Sportsman Alliance.

Best regards, Dave S.