In an effort to protect the native cutthroat trout population in the Snake River, Idaho Fish and Game has partnered with nearly a dozen sponsors to host South Fork Rainbow Day from 8 a.m. Friday to 4 p.m. Saturday on the Snake River.
Fish check-in will be held starting at 4 p.m. both days at the Huskies Boat Ramp.
All proceeds from the event will go to Shepherd’s Inn, a pregnancy resource center in Idaho Falls.
The rainbow trout and hybrid rainbow population in the Snake River have been a concern for several years, said Robert Knox, a member of the Snake River Cutthroats fly fishing club board of directors. He believes this event is a great way to get the message out regarding the rainbow trout initiative in the South Fork while giving back to the community.
“Rainbow and cutthroat trout spawn at the same time of the year in the same area,” Knox said. “What that does is that it dilutes the pure strain of the cutthroat. And this Rainbow Day can help Fish and Game remove rainbows from the South Fork and help protect our native trout.”
Cutthroat trout are a native species to western waters, and the South Fork of the Snake River remains one of the few strongholds for the cutthroat population.
Paul Patterson, former president of Snake River Cutthroats, said it’s important for the species to remain thriving in the area, in part to avoid government intervention in the regulation of the river.
“If the cutthroat is included as a threatened and endangered species, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will be coming in to run the show, and nobody wants to see that,” he said. “We want to keep this local.”
Patterson highlighted the efforts of Fish and Game to help control the rainbow trout population, including scaling back regulations on fishing and allowing an unlimited number of rainbow trout to be taken from the river.
“We’re just trying to encourage people to not catch and release,” he said. “It’s kind of the objective of this rainbow harvest we’re involved with.”
Cash prizes will be awarded for the most fish caught, the largest rainbow trout, largest hybrid trout, largest overall fish, and the smallest rainbow or hybrid trout caught.
Fish caught at the event can either be kept by the angler or donated to a local homeless shelter or Fish and Game.
Registration for the event is $25 per person or $65 for a three-person boat. Interested parties can register at Sportsman’s Warehouse, Idaho Fishing Outfitters, or Jimmy’s All Seasons Angler by the end of today.
