Aerial trout planting returns to the high Sierra

With terrain around the lakes one can’t get right near the surface, then the lakes are kinda small. I’d expect maybe some to end up on the rocks, possibly the video isn’t an accurate portrayal of events. Of course much easier than ATV’ing the fish up.

Just hitting the surface at 100 mph could be a little ‘stunning’.
 
I can see John Goodman sitting by a lake running a aerial fish bombing school… BWAHAHAHA
 
sourdough44 said:
...Just hitting the surface at 100 mph could be a little ‘stunning’.
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I'd guess those little, wiggly fingerlings have a terminal velocity closer to 30 mph.
Any aeronautical engineers care to do the math?
 
They do this in NY, or at least they used to, but they use a helicopter. A big stainless steel tank in the middle of the cargo area, with a chute plumbed out the back. Normally they hover and drop, but once in a while they put them in as a fly over because the area is too small to safely hover. I rode along on one of these once, they fly in the fall and it's beautiful up in the Adirondacks at that time of year. Always thought it was weird that the fish would be ok on the fly overs, but that Huey was going way slower than a twin.
 
A quick look on the web shows survival rates 85-99%. There are a few mentions of fish in the rocks. Kinda like dropping an unguided bomb, sometimes they miss the mark.
 
sourdough44 said:
With terrain around the lakes one can’t get right near the surface, then the lakes are kinda small. I’d expect maybe some to end up on the rocks, possibly the video isn’t an accurate portrayal of events. Of course much easier than ATV’ing the fish up.

Just hitting the surface at 100 mph could be a little ‘stunning’.
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Not to worry - the FAA has required each hatchling to have a parachute.
 
luvflyin said:
Cool. I’d have guessed they’d have used smaller planes for that.
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that was my initial thought too, followed by some "tax dollar" snark. BUT, thinking about it more.. I'm not sure there's anything smaller that (A) has the useful load for it and (B) has the power to maneuver at very high density altitudes. The Sierras are high... several of the lakes I've camped by are located at 10K or higher with surrounding peaks in the 12K-14K range. I think King Air is the only real option tbh
 
Around my part of the world they use trucks to plant trout. The ''lakes'' in the mountains are about the size of my house. And surrounded by real trees. I am gonna say planting by plane would end up with more little fishies up in the trees than in the water.
 
I think the Colorado DOW uses a 185. High mountain lakes dine by air have no roads to them. Only way is horse or airplane.
 
Wagondriver said:
I think the Colorado DOW uses a 185. High mountain lakes dine by air have no roads to them. Only way is horse or airplane.
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Yep, NY similar. They uses trucks where they can. I don't think NY DEC has horses. Snowmobiles, atv's, boats and air boats? Yes. Most of the state aviation is done by NYSP, including the fish stocking.
 
In Alaska, we planted saplings from a Cherokee 6 with the doors off.

Those baby trees were in a biodegradable cardboard dart and we threw them out by the hundreds into the sides of mountains that were too difficult to access by foot.

We used the same airplane for tracking deer and bears. The critters had transmitter collars and we had directional antennas. That was fun!
 
I want to see the follow-up to this:
Aerial trout fishing
 
IK04 said:
In Alaska, we planted saplings from a Cherokee 6 with the doors off.

Those baby trees were in a biodegradable cardboard dart and we threw them out by the hundreds into the sides of mountains that were too difficult to access by foot.

We used the same airplane for tracking deer and bears. The critters had transmitter collars and we had directional antennas. That was fun!
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Boring. :D

In Scotland many years ago, the forested mountains with cannons. The cannon projectile was hollow and filled with seeds and a bursting charge. :D
 
The Scott’s have always had a thing about throwing trees A69815D4-318D-4E1F-BF93-A49230124B9E.jpeg
 
Let's not forget Idaho's (remarkably successful) experiment with parachuting beavers into the backcountry. After numerous practice jumps by one beaver named 'Geronimo', a total of 76 were dropped into the backcountry (75 survived and established breeding populations).

https://time.com/4084997/parachuting-beavers-history/ (with video)
https://www.boisestatepublicradio.o...nto-idahos-wilderness-yes-it-really-happened\
https://blogs.scientificamerican.co...to-skydive-into-the-idaho-wilderness-in-1948/
 
I have no words ……
 
GaryM said:
Let's not forget Idaho's (remarkably successful) experiment with parachuting beavers into the backcountry. After numerous practice jumps by one beaver named 'Geronimo', a total of 76 were dropped into the backcountry (75 survived and established breeding populations).

https://time.com/4084997/parachuting-beavers-history/ (with video)
https://www.boisestatepublicradio.o...nto-idahos-wilderness-yes-it-really-happened\
https://blogs.scientificamerican.co...to-skydive-into-the-idaho-wilderness-in-1948/
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So let me see if I get this. A farming state trains amphibious rodents as paratroopers, with a 98% success rate. Meanwhile, city schools give participation trophies to children who simply manage to show up part of the time.
 
Albany Tom said:
Meanwhile, city schools give participation trophies to children who simply manage to show up part of the time.
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Sadly a lot of truth here. Those are the requirements to be passed on to the next grade here in NM.
 
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