FOLLOWING on from the successful loading of the instream egg incubators at Snobs Creek last week, the incubators have now been deployed.
Last Monday, Lee Carpenter from the Victorian Fisheries Authority at Snobs Creek assisted the Australian Trout Foundation’s (ATF) Matt Byrne (Chairman Stocking) to transport and deploy incubators in the Queens Creek (anabranch of the King River), Vic.
On Wednesday the remaining incubators were placed into the Macalister River by a very enthusiastic band of highly committed fishers. The group included ATF Committee representatives Peter Murray and Ray Throup, plus members from the Sale (Gavin and Ian), Latrobe, VFFA and Bairnsdale clubs (John Scott and John Roche), and they wasted no time in donning waders and getting into the river to get the job done.
The task included attaching the incubator boxes together, tying them on to a secure structure and then covering them with river boulders to protect them from potential high river flows.
River water temperatures were extremely cold, as the river comes off the snow, but this didn’t phase the fishers who happily went about the work in such good spirits.
Thanks to the VFA for not only delivering the incubators but also for hopping in waders, boots and all to assist the installations, and to Matt Bowler and Rob Johnston from the West Gippsland CMA for organising such good access and for helping out on the day at the Macalister.
Thanks also to Andrew Briggs of North East CMA for his ground work in organising access to Queens Creek.