The Haliburton Highlands Outdoor Association is dedicated to ensuring local anglers and visiting tourists enjoy the best fishing opportunities possible. That’s why, on a clear, sunny Saturday morning, members of the group gathered recently to collect the eggs of a species of fish found only in Haliburton County, to ensure their survival by raising the fish at the hatchery.
The species of trout, the Haliburton Gold, is what’s known as a relic fish, meaning it was trapped in the area by glaciers during the last Ice Age. The annual egg collection is a partnership between the Ministry of Natural Resources and hatchery volunteers and gives the fish a far better chance for survival. They have a 90 per cent survival rate when raised at the hatchery, compared to only one per cent if spawned in lakes.
