Redds survey moved to Friday, Nov. 29

A chance to learn about the salmonid life cycle and how to help find trout nesting sites, or reeds, has been moved to Friday, Nov. 29, at 9 a.m.

Click here for a video.

We’ll meet at the Mill River WTMA (Wild Trout Management Area) in Easton, at the bottom of the big hill on South Park Avenue by the bridge.

Please bring polarized sunglasses to see through the glare of the water, a snack and drinks, waders (though we’ll try to stay out of the water as much as possible) and a cell phone. Please plan to spend up to a couple of hours doing this.

Accomplished lifelong conservationist Mike Piquette will be leading this, and it’s a tremendous learning opportunity open to all TU members. We hope that once you have participated you will consider joining us on doing yearly redd counts in late fall/early winter.

The event was scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 24, but postponed due to water conditions.

• What is a redd?
  Redds are spawning sites of salmonids (in Connecticut that mostly means wild brown trout and wild & native brook charr.) Favored locations in rivers and streams where they bury their eggs in depressions in the gravel created by kicking the gravel up with their tails. They are fairly easy to spot when river conditions allow it.
• Why do this?
  Redd counting a very useful fishery management tool for anglers, conservationists and regulatory bodies. It provides the following information*:
  • A record of the spawning range in each year under specific flow conditions
  • A comparison between years, allowing trends to be identified over time
  • Identifies obstructions to fish passage
  • Identifies areas of clustered spawning
  • Identifies under-utilized spawning habitat
  • The identification and later assessment of gravel cleaning sites
  • Provides spawning data for the interpretation of fish population surveys
  • Enhance awareness of wild brown trout and native brook charr spawning within the Mill River

Click here is an example of a TU Redd Count report.

*Source: http://www.casterbridgefisheries.co.uk/environmental-monitoring/redd-counting/