| Date: July 17, 2010 |
| Location Crawfish Lake Stocking |
| Where: Cottage Grove District, Umpqua National Forest |
When I received an e-mail from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife requesting volunteers to participate in their High Lakes Backpack Stocking, I asked if I could stock Crawfish Lake. I had a particular interest in this lake, as the trail to the lake is one of the trails I surveyed for the Umpqua National Forest earlier this year.
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| Michael at the Crawfish Lake Trailhead I talked my friend Michael Garguilo into helping me. We drove to the Leaburg Fish Hatchery on the McKenzie River to pick up our fish. At the hatchery we lined our backpacks with double plastic bags, poured in four gallons of water and a chunk of ice. The biologist added 275 two to three inch cutthroat trout, called fingerlings, added some oxygen, and then sealed the bag with duck tape. We fastened the back packs upright in the car and then drove 75 miles up into the Calapooya Mountains to Crawfish Lake.
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| Michael at Crawfish Lake We appreciated the fact that it's a short hike into Crawfish Lake because 40 lbs of water and fish sloshing around in a backpack is not the easiest thing to carry. We went to the far side of the lake where some old logs gave us some easy access to the water. We let the plastic bags with fish float in the water for ten minutes to equalize the tempatures before opening the bags to let the fish escape.
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| Michael releasing the fish It was a perfect day to be at the lake. We ate our lunch and watched our tiny fish dart around exploring their new home. Further out on the lake an occasional splash indicated a former stocking member was taking a bug on the surface. It was easy for me to imagine returning some time with my fly rod in hand and enjoying some successful angling. |
