Anglers fishing in Horne Lake have an opportunity to be rewarded with gift cards for catching tagged cutthroat trout, over the next three years.

Provincial fisheries staff are partnering with the BC Conservation Foundation and the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC to complete a three-year study on the health of Horne Lake’s cutthroat trout population.

As part of the study, approximately 150 cutthroat trout are being tagged with brightly coloured Floy T-bar anchor tags, and then released back into the lake.

The study aims to measure the health of the population by determining mortality rates and tracking fish movements into the surrounding tributaries during spawning. This information will allow fisheries managers to evaluate the effectiveness of existing regulations, and ensure the long-term sustainability of the trout population.

The Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development is offering gift cards of $100 (per fish) to anyone who catches and reports one of these tagged fish. This will help researchers understand the rate at which the cutthroat trout are harvested by anglers.

Anglers will need to remove the tag from the fish, and either deliver the tag to the front desk at the ministry office located at 2080A Labieux Rd. in Nanaimo, or take a photo and email it to: Brendan.Anderson@gov.bc.ca