Handle with Care

Reports from the river say folks are seeing numerous dead brown trout in the water, especially upstream by the dam. Stan counted 30 dead trout on his trip this past Sunday, and in one spot fifteen fish, one rainbow and the rest brown. We know the dissolved oxygen is typically low this time of year and wondered if this was the cause or what the heck was happening. Rather than speculate, Carolyn gave the hatchery a call this morning. The manager  is well aware of the fish dying and looking into it.  According to him, the problem is a result of stress.  He says the strain of brown trout stocked in Taneycomo is particularly susceptible to stress, and the increased numbers of browns concentrated upstream for the fall run is part of the reason. They are assessing the situation and are not aware of any disease that would be causing a kill. That is the news for now. The fall is a stressful time for all Taneycomo trout because of the low oxygen and the heavy fishing pressure, so please remember to land your catch quickly, keep the fish in the water when removing the hook, and revive it before releasing.

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