Calhoun, Georgia - Anglers looking to land trophy trout in the 15-mile stretch of the Toccoa River between Blue Ridge Dam and the Tennessee state line now also have a chance to hunt and fish in Georgia for life for free.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources' Wildlife Resources Division is asking anglers who catch a tagged trout from the Toccoa River to report the catch to the Calhoun Fisheries office by calling (706) 624-1161. Once the angler provides needed data, they will be instructed on where to mail the tag.
Each tag reported and returned will be eligible for a drawing to win a lifetime sportsman's license, sponsored by the Blue Ridge Mountain Chapter of Trout Unlimited. One angler will be chosen at random in the spring of 2010. Anglers may report and return multiple tags, increasing their odds of winning.
The Fisheries Section of the Wildlife Resources Division stocked roughly 600 tagged rainbow trout from the division's Summerville Hatchery into the Toccoa River in March as part of a study of trout population dynamics. By reporting these tags, anglers will help biologists learn more about survival, growth and movement of stocked trout in the Toccoa River.
These small, green tags, each with a unique number, were attached to the fish just below the dorsal fin. Division Fisheries biologists will continue stocking roughly the same number of tagged trout each month now through late summer 2009.
What anglers should do if they catch a tagged trout while fishing the Toccoa River:
1. Remove the tag by cutting it with a knife, scissors, nippers, etc. as close as possible to the fish's body (if you plan to release the fish do not pull the tag out, as this is likely to severely injure the fish).
2. Keep or release the fish as normal in accordance with the 2009 Georgia Sport Fishing Regulations.
3. Call the Calhoun Fisheries office at (706) 624-1161 to report the tag and tag number.
4. Mail the tag to the specified address. (Only tags physically received by the office will be eligible for the drawing for the lifetime sportsman's license.)
For additional information regarding the Toccoa River trout study, contact Fisheries Biologist John Damer at john.damer@dnr.state.ga.us or (706) 624-1161.