Trout in the Community

Angler’s Covey is the host site of “Trout in the Community” – a joint venture between the Pikes Peak Chapter of Trout Unlimited (PPCTU), the Colorado Division of Wildlife and Parks (CWP), and Angler’s Covey (AC). Trout in the Community is the first program of its kind nationally in Trout Unlimited — and Angler’s Covey is proud to be the pilot site!

Modeled after Trout Unlimited’s very successful “Trout in the Classroom” national program, Trout in the Community (TiTC) is a program in which students and the community at large learn the importance of water quality, cold water conservation, and the local watershed by raising trout from eggs to fingerlings and then releasing the trout at an approved location within that watershed.

Angler’s Covey invites students from around the area to be part of this program. “Trout in the Community” allows students to have an experiential learning experience that is conservation-oriented and environmentally sound. Over the next several months, students will be able to

• watch trout grow from eggs to “fry”;
• help monitor tank quality;
• learn about stream habitat;
• know and understand delicate ecosystems; and
• foster a conservation ethic.

Instructional materials for the program may be found on the Trout Unlimited website. Since Angler’s Covey will be involved in a hands-on way, students will not be responsible for maintanence of the tank or feeding the fish. Instead, students will be able observe the life cycle and growth of the trout, learn about aquatic life, and participate in the release of the fish into the wild later in the spring.

Here is a brief timeline of the stages of a young fish’s life:

• Eggs begin to hatch: 4-7 days after receiving. Eggs usually all hatch within 2-3 days of the first ones. We should be having hatching eggs any day now.
• Alevin: This is the “sac-fry” stage and lasts 1-3 weeks. The young fish use their yolk sac as a food source.
• Swim-up: This stage lasts about one week. Fish begin to look up and swim to the surface for food.
• Fry Stage: The young fish are learning how to feed. This stage lasts from 6 to 8 weeks.
• Parr Stage: The young fish begin to develop markings and begin to show signs of territorial behavior — a trait that will stay with them through adulthood.

Watch this blog for updates as our fish progress through each stage.

After the eggs begin to hatch, the “fry” stay in the breeding basket

for the next several days.

Angler’s received the first eggs – and we have hatching trout! Pictured here are young alevin trout, still feeding off their egg sac in the hatching basket suspended in our tank. Come on by and check them out. You know how kids are … they grow up so quickly!

Each of the three partners has its own responsibilities for the success of Trout in the Community. In a nutshell:

• Trout Unlimited will provide the oversight of the project and financial resources to cover the necessary materials (eggs, aquaria, etc.), ensure the health of the fish, and work with CWP to agree on a time for the release of the fish and make sure that appropriate stocking practices are followed.
• CWP will ensure that TITC is implemented with adherence to the Division’s regulations and procedures. The Division will provide the eggs and all testing to make sure that the fingerlings are healthy at the time of release.
• AC will provide the physical location for the program. Angler’s Covey will provide access during normal business hours to the TITC program partners and the general public to meet the program objectives of fostering knowledge of the trout’s life cycle and raise awareness of water quality and conservation issues. We ask that visitors wear masks, limit their visits to the lobby area with the fish tanks, and be courteous of the customers entering and exiting the Shop.
  

Please watch this blog over the next weeks for announcements and updates on Trout in the Community.