Yesterday Karen, Colin and I headed out to Kerbes Pond (travel towards Stettler on Hwy 11 east and turn right at Erskine and travel 23 km south of Erskine and 3 km east-I think on Fern Road which is gravel -NOT Fenn Road, see map below) to meet Harvey travelling from the Cold Lake Trout Hatchery. Harvey brought us 1000 tiger trout, 1000 rainbows and 250 brown trout. Those stockers are now safely in Kerbes Pond. Kent Butterfield has spent a lot of time developing this trophy fishery that has fell on tough times. The fishery collapsed 2 years ago with no aerator on in the winter time. The good news is that fish from last year did winter and yesterday we added several thousand.
Our local chapter of Trout Unlimited helped get aerators back into the pond. Today I saw three aerators working. That is good news. I hope we can keep these aerators going during the winter. There are liability issues to deal with unfortunately!
This is a quality fishery. To harvest a trout, they must be over 50 cm in size. That will not happen for a few years but the fishing will be a lot of fun. There is great parking, washrooms and easy shore fly fishing. The lake has lot of forage fish. Small pin fry are everywhere. The trout get fat quickly. No scented baits of any sort are allowed. I like to use tiny minnow patterns like an ice minnow!
Please get out there. It is a great place to spend a day. Take a lawn chair and a picnic lunch!
The stocking process is interesting. The fish are not put into the pond until the dissolved oxygen is checked as well as the ph of the lake. Both tests passed. I believe the dissolved oxygen was close to 10 and the ph around 11. Both very acceptable levels.
Colin helping with the stocking!
Colin catching a rainbow from last years stocking. Great news.
1 comment:
This was an amazing place to fish for years. I can not wait until it is again. Thank you so much for not giving up on it. Now to keep the poachers away! Let them grow!!!!
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