Biologist for a Day!

Friends of FVTU will recognize “BFAD” as one of our silent auction items the past few years at our annual banquet. The winning bidder gets to spend a day with two of the Flathead Valley’s most experienced fisheries experts, Leo Rosenthal, FWP Region 1 biologist, and Wade Fredenberg, retired USFWS fisheries biologist and current FVTU Secretary/Treasurer. For a variety of reasons we only recently were able to connect with the 2022 winner, TU member Ashley Edens of Saint Ignatius, who wanted her son Drake Finley to experience the day.

On Wednesday, June 14th, Drake joined Leo, Wade, and another FWP Region 1 fisheries biologist, Kenny Breidinger, for a day of experimental gillnetting on Tally Lake west of Kalispell. Tally Lake is the deepest natural lake in Montana, with a depth of 492 feet and is home to a wide variety of fish.

Despite a somewhat gnarly, wet and windy weather day, the group successfully pulled 6 nets and then returned to the FWP office to process the catch. The purpose of an experimental netting operation like this one is to get a glimpse of the cross section of what fish are present. Small perch and pumpkinseeds dominated the haul but there were quite a few suckers too, and just a couple each of kokanee, rainbow, lake trout and pike. It was a successful and fun day for everyone in spite of the weather.

Per Wade, “Drake, a coming Senior at Ronan High School, is a delightful young man whose interest in Fisheries was sparked when he got a box of flies as an 8th grade graduation gift in 2020. It was exciting for myself, Leo and Kenny to spend the day with a student who’s passion for fish and fishing is just beginning.” Perhaps Drake will be inspired to turn Biologist for a Day into Biologist for a Lifetime?

A huge FVTU thanks to Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks, Leo and Kenny for making this opportunity possible and, by extension, helping us to raise funds from generous supporters like Ashley to further enhance and continue the FVTU mission to save native trout in the Flathead Valley for future generations to enjoy.