Volunteers have release thousands of hatchery born lake trout into the wild.
The “Haliburton Gold” trout were brought in via large tanks and flown in by helicopter to remote lakes in Haliburton County on Tuesday.
The chopper flies low over the water before opening a hatch and releasing their payload.
“This year we are doing about thirty three thousand fish and that’s going to about 24 different lakes,” says Randy Charter, hatchery manager for the Haliburton Highlands Outdoors Association.
This stocking operation is a partnership between the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters and the Halliburton Highlands Outdoors Association.
“It’s run totally by volunteers seven days a week; cleaning, maintenance, everything,” says Rusty Rustenburg, volunteer. “We've got an amazing crew here.”
The public is welcome to visit the hatchery, which offers free tours every Saturday during the months of July and August.
