Ministry Natural Resources Stocking

I"m still in awe , no lets call it the " wow " holy !!!! factor . I am completely grateful to the Ministry of Natural Resources and the helpers / volunteers for their dedication , hard work and time that is put in every year to allow anglers all across Ontario , the opportunity to experience great fishing on back lake, trout fishing ,all due to "stocking ". I was fortunate enough to finally after 25 years of imagining how the trout stocking was done , take part in the 2012 trout stocking program . Over the last 25 years I have on occasion, witnessed the trout being released on the lake while fishing ,and thought wow that's so cool . I would love to do that some day ,you could say this was on my " BUCKET " list of things to do in my lifetime. Well its April 10 ,2012 and my dream became reality. I am completely grateful to Steve Lawrence for allowing me to take part in a 25 year dream .Steve Lawrence is a SR. Fish & Wildlife Technician out of the Bancroft/Mazinaw Area . To all you back lake trout anglers ,you can give thanks to Steve and Doug the next time a Rainbow , lake trout , Brook trout , Splake , Brown trout is screaming drag off your reel . For the anglers who are interested in what all areas a stocking program exists or takes place , Steve Lawrence informs me that the helicopter stocking program is provincial in scope but locally (Bancroft District) they stock out of White Lake Hatchery , Ompah ,Denbigh, Apsley , Bancroft Airport , Lake St Peter , and Stanhope Airport in Haliburton .In the Southern Region they stock out of four locations for Pembroke , two locations for Algonquin Park and two for Parry Sound /Bracebridge and Kemptville and Kingston Area .Helpers on site with Steve Lawrence were Glen Brethour from Bancroft district , Jim Brumpton , Kyle Reynolds , and Angela Tooley from White Lake Hatchery .Volunteers were Gordon McCarthy and his family Singrig , Patrick and Erin. Steve Lawrence has a right hand man also ,which is his chopper pilot and great friend ,Doug Holtby . Doug started with the MNR in 1990 and is one of their best pilots. Doug If your reading this ,thank you so much for allowing me the opportunity to be your co-pilot and fulfill a dream of mine .This guy was an incredible at flying and a very informative pilot with a state of the art helicopter . Steve and Doug allowed Dan Miguel and myself the opportunity to perform the " release" of the trout just feet if not inches above the water on the three lakes of our choice .How cool is that when when you release the very trout that you or some other lucky angler may someday catch in the future. This was my "first " time ever in a chopper ,It was so exhilarating and yet breathtaking lifting off the ground and flying , it gives you a completely different outlook of the landscape and lakes , it was like being in a dream , one might say " heavenly " . You can literally see all the rock shoals ,sand bars ,water breaks,animals ,birds flying off the water below, moose in the swamps absolutely amazing.If you ever have this opportunity , don't pass it up . This program exists and will continue to do so as long as each and everyone of us does out part and purchases a fishing license. Some of the revenues pay for this funding to promote angling opportunities in Ontario . Its also up to us as anglers and tax payers to keep an eye on our Government to make sure stocking programs like this stay or our Natural Resources will cease to exist for our sons , daughters and grandchildren . If your asking yourself now , how do I find where and what fish to target in my area or others its as simple as going on line or into the MNR and asking or looking up the stocking list for your area .The stocking list gives you gps or compass degrees of each individual lake ,township, species your after and the volume of fish released in that lake and in what year .Some lakes receive stocking every year due to the fishing pressure ,water quality, volume of water , accessibility ,massive amounts of forage in the lake . Lakes receiving stocking every other year are to protect the the forage ,minnows ,leaches ,shrimp, skuds and other aquatic life from being absorbed to quickly which could lead to smaller fish or dwarfing .All you need is the equipment ,some good maps ,maybe a GPS or compass ,and start your adventure .This opportunity is available to everyone ,just do some homework ,study the maps and stocking lists and maybe you will be rewarded with a trophy of a lifetime. This program exists and will continue to do so as long as each and everyone of us does our part and purchase a fishing license .Some of the revenues from our fishing licenses are suppose to go towards the funding of stocking programs to provide angling opportunities in Ontario. Its also up to" us" as anglers and taxpayers to make sure that our governments continue to support stocking programs and jobs in Ontario for the future so our sons,daughters and grandchildren can also enjoy what we now have. Best of luck on your fishing adventures and remember to practice" catch and release " of the trophy"s ,take a camera and lots of pictures , and enjoy some awesome shore lunches of the smaller ones .