Well, it looks like some uninvited guests are trying to crash the Flathead party, and wildlife officials are definitely not handing out VIP passes.
Tristan Scott over at the Flathead Beacon recently reported how state biologists are on high alert after brown trout—a nonnative fish—turned up in Ashley Lake and Church Slough. This headwater basin has spent years successfully dodging a full-blown brown trout invasion, but someone might be playing amateur delivery driver, which is highly illegal and incredibly damaging to the local ecosystem.
Local experts are stressing that catching this early is crucial. As FWP fisheries biologist Kenny Breidinger put it, “Our goal is to prevent them from becoming established before they have a lasting impact.” If these golden-brown party crashers get comfortable, they’ll start bullying and snacking on the native bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout, which would be terrible news for the local fishing scene. Breidinger warned, “In Ashley Lake and Church Slough, brown trout will compete for resources with and prey upon other sportfish.”
So, if you’re out on the water upstream of the SKQ Dam and reeled in a silvery or golden-brown trout with haloed spots, FWP wants you to terminate it on the spot and give them a ring.
You can read the full, detailed breakdown of the investigation by visiting the Flathead Beacon website here.
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