The Cutthroat Chapter held it’s October meeting on Tuesday the 17th at the Lone Tree Brewery. This month the brewery welcomed us with a special, buy one beer get another for free! Thank you to those that made that happen, a number of our members enjoyed that special October perk.
Our speaker this month was Mike Geary from Healing Waters Lodge in Twin Bridges, MT coming to us via Zoom. This was our first Zoom presentation so please let the leadership know your thoughts. We prefer in person presentations, but some topic experts are not in our area.
Mike discussed the challenges the fish are having on the Big Hole, Ruby and Beaverhead Rivers. Focusing on the Big Hole River, we learned about declining fish populations in brown and rainbow trout documented by Montana FWP surveys. Guides have experienced catching diseased fish with various growths, lesions and other deformities as will as reduced angler success. We watched this youtube video to help understand the problem.
Lead by the guide and ranching community in the area, a round table discussion was held in the town of Wise River this summer. Montana’s governor and state experts heard concerns from residents about the health of the fish population and decreasing water levels. While a complete understanding of the struggles in the river system have yet to be determined, state and NGO organizations are working together to resolve the issue. To learn more visit these organizations that are on the leading edge of the challenges:
https://www.uppermissouriwaterkeeper.org/
Finally the next time you are in the Yellowstone area, take a day or two to support this community by fishing these beautiful rivers. They still have fish!