Bow River Creel Survey - 2006
Update - Preliminary Results
The 2006 Survey is complete. Anglers were interviewed between April 1, 2006 and Sept 30, 2006 to estimate the amount of angling pressure exerted on the Bow River. The final report will soon be completed and posted in our reports/publications department.
Facts:
- 3431 anglers were interviewed
- 16,849.75 reported hours of fishing (approximately 7 hours/angler for completed angling trips)
Based on this information; accounting for missed anglers, non-surveyed days and non-surveyed shifts there is an estimated 172,974 hours of angling effort on the Bow River between Bearspaw and Carseland. This translates to an estimated catch of nearly 63,000 rainbows and 15,000 brown trout. In 2006, approximately 70% of anglers interviewed were flyfishing with the remainder using lures. Very few anglers used bait.
Only 3 reported rainbows and 7 reported brown trout were kept. This suggests the bow river within this section is primarily catch and release.
For more information, contact Travis Ripley.
What is a creel survey?
Creel surveys are a common tool fishery managers use to obtain the total pressure or "effort" that anglers exert on a fishery, angler catch rates, and fish harvest rates. This information is then used to estimate the total number of fish being kept (harvested) and the number succumbing to hooking and post-release mortality.
We collect this information by interviewing individual anglers during their fishing trip. Often we ask questions regarding how long you have been fishing for; what, if any, were your catches; and other types of questions designed to assess the overall angler use and satisfaction of the fishery.
We use this information in many ways, but most importantly, we can assess the trend and potential for the fishery to be improved. The final reporting of this information will be available upon completion of the analysis.
