Evaluation of the contribution of supplemental plantings of brown trout Salmo trutta (L.) to a self‐sustaining fishery in the Sydenham River, Ontario, Canada

Abstract

An autumn planting of 4000 tagged yearling brown trout Salmo trutta (L.) in 1969 resulted in an over‐winter survival of 26%, an angler recovery the following year of 8·1 % and made up 22 % of the March, 1970 standing population of the species. August standing populations of brown trout increased from 142 trout/ha (17·6 kg/ha) in 1969 to 360 trout/ha (39·3 kg/ha in 1970 while angler harvest of the species increased from 61 trout/ha (12·7 kg/ha) at a rate of 0·26 fish/h to 89 trout/ha (18·5 kg/ha) at a rate of 0·34/h. Using angler recovery and standing population as criteria the planting contributed substantially to the fishery. Actual contribution of stocked trout however, is questioned after detailed analysis of resident population structure and the potential of natural recruitment. It is suggested that the true benefit of stocked trout may be measured by the presence of those stocked fish in excess of the number of resident trout of that size predictable from a normal length distribution curve in waters with self‐sustaining populations. Complexities in evaluating the merits of supplemental plantings of hatchery‐reared brown trout to existing stream fisheries are examined.