Bombs Away! It’s Trout Air Drop Time in Colorado
By Tom Chandler on Sep 4, 2007 in Underground Entertainment
Sure, those early rising bastards at MidCurrent already got this one, but damnit, this one’s too cool to miss.
It’s time for Colorado’s annual Trout Air Drop into remote, backcountry lakes — that airsickness-inducing event where 325,000 tiny trout (native cutthroats, which we think is cool) skydive their way into high country lakes that might normally not hold fish.
According to Ed Dentry, over the next couple weeks Colorado’s Division of Wildlife will be dropping 2″ trout out of Cessnas — swooping to less than 150 feet off the water (so the trout don’t dry out on the way down), and — we’re just making this part up — yelling “Bombs Away!” when they throw the switch.
At least we would.
According to Dentry:
In some tight spots, the real trick is for the pilot to climb out in one piece.
This fish mission can be a hair-raising experience. The rugged landscape, tight spots and erratic mountain wind currents can be unforgiving.
Imagine how the trout feel. Good luck to the pilots and their finny cargo, and we advise all of Colorado’s backcountry campers to duck when the planes swoop in (just in case they miss).
[tags]fly fishing, trout, cutthroat trout, greenback trout, rio grande trout, colorado river cutthroat, colorado, air stocking [/tags]
Bastard Mike | Sep 4, 2007 | Reply
And just think that Navy seals think a 30/30 (30 foot drop at 30 knots) is dangerous!
Of course I realise that the teeny baby trout aren’t carrying packs of gear, M-16’s, etc when dropped. Maybe that makes the difference?
Bastard (I ain’t jumping out of no plane) Mike
kbarton10 | Sep 4, 2007 | Reply
So a 2″ trout traveling at 150MPH makes like a paintball on the water’s surface? Are they planting or chumming? Where’s the physics data, or can I jump off the Golden Gate bridge with no Bungee cord attached?
Tom Chandler | Sep 4, 2007 | Reply
kbarton10: I think you could jump off the GG bridge without a bungee, provided a 25% survival rate was OK with you.
They’ve been dropping trout into lakes for decades now, and it seems to work, so rather than analyze it, I’ll just move along. It sure sounds like fun.
Ian Durham | Sep 4, 2007 | Reply
As it just so happens, I am a physicist and was wondering the same thing, especially since trout are such sensitive fish. I’d think the shock of being dropped 150 feet would be enough to kill them, let alone the impact with the water. As for you jumping off the GG, your survival rate all depends upon your orientation when you hit the water and things like your bone density (I wouldn’t recommend trying it if you have osteoporosis). Healthy human bone has a tremendously high yield stress in compression (higher than concrete).
Graham | Sep 5, 2007 | Reply
Hmmmm, those apparently weren’t greenbacks (like they were supposed to have been)!
http://journalwatch.conservationmagazine.org/2007/09/03/some-fins-wrong/
Interesting…
Graham
Carrollton, TX
Tom Chandler | Sep 5, 2007 | Reply
Yeah, that’s gotta sting. Instead of greenbacks, they’ve been mistakenly stocking colorado cutthroats. Oops.