Recently, two Cody area anglers received prizes for reporting tagged trout caught in local waters.

As part of a research effort underway to study trout populations in Buffalo Bill Reservoir and North Fork of the Shoshone River, Game and Fish hosts an annual raffle for anglers who call in to report the capture of a tagged trout. Anglers are asked to report tag colors and numbers for each fish caught, the date and location where the fish was caught and if the fish was harvested or released.

Marlin Richardson of Cody caught a tagged trout while ice fishing Buffalo Bill Reservoir last winter and Steven Channon of Cody caught a tagged trout while fishing the reservoir this summer. Both were entered into the raffle when they called Game and Fish to report their tagged trout. Richardson won the grand prize of a Traeger grill and Channon won the runner-up prize of a Yeti soft-sided cooler. Prizes were donated by the Adiposse chapter of Trout Unlimited.

By reporting tagged fish, anglers play a crucial part in research that will help fisheries biologists better understand the migratory nature of trout in this unique fishery and better evaluate the effectiveness of current regulations in place to protect migrating fish.

A raffle will be held for the next three years in an effort to promote this important research and as a small token of thanks to anglers willing to report tagged fish. “This is a unique opportunity for anglers to participate in local research that will ultimately benefit this cherished fishery,” Hochhalter said.

Anglers can report tagged fish by calling 307-527-7125. Most fish will have two different tags.  Many anglers have found that taking a close up photo of the tags with their cell phone is an easy way to record and read the tag numbers.

Photo: Steven Channon of Cody with the Yeti cooler he won from a raffle to encourage anglers to report tagged trout.