The Big Thaw! Spring Is In The Air! And the boys have been busy getting ready for the annual spring yearling steelhead stocking on the Saugeen River. It’s one hell of a lot of work in the cold confines of the hatchery making sure the Saugeen continues to be known as one of the best big steelhead rivers on the continent. It’s called commitment and lot’s of it by a group of volunteers in the Ontario Steelheaders and the Lake Huron Fishing Club. Once you strip and fertilize wild steelhead eggs you have to feed and raise the little creatures for one full year at the LHFC’s Kincardine hatchery. Then just before stocking, the chunky 8 Inch smolt have to have their adipose fin removed for future identification. That’s Fifty Thousand plus fish that have to be manually clipped one at a time….AND THAT’S ONE HELL Of A CHORE and you only have to experience it to believe it. Great work guys and a special thank you for creating this great sport fishery! Right fish, Right Genetics, Right release size, Right stocking location, Proper Imprinting…again thank you!

Lots of Steelhead Trout

Steelhead Fin Clipping