Fishing is one of the most popular pastimes in the province, both for those who live here and for all the tourists that frequent Manitoba's waters.
There's a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes that keeps the sport going.
Manitoba's Regional Fisheries Manager Maxime LeGal shares some of the details and dedication that goes into keeping the waters of Manitoba known far and wide as some of the best fishing around.
"The hatchery system overall produced about 34 million walleye fry and so these are allocated to different water bodies in the province, about 55 different lakes across the province."
Walleye is by far one of the most popular fish that many anglers want to see on their line, but the hatcheries in the province are always looking to create diverse populations.
"Our Whiteshell hatchery also produces different trout species such as rainbow trout, brown trout, brook trout, and splake, and those are stocked through different lakes across the province as well."
LeGal detailed the critical importance of the work he and his teams do, as many of the bodies of water are considered "put-and-take" fisheries, where the annual stocking is the only thing keeping the number of walleye and trout sustained.
With the millions of fish going into the dozens of lakes, you'd think more people would spot the hatchery trucks driving around, but LeGal jests that the massive work that gets done can feel more like a covert operation at times.
"I joke around sometimes that we do this under the cover of darkness and depending on where we're stocking and how far we're traveling, sometimes we are literally stocking at night and in the dark. If you're lucky enough to see the hatchery truck going by then maybe you catch a glimpse and you know, but for most people its something that happens that no one is even aware of"
If you are out on the water, or casting from the shore, be sure to think of and thank the hard work of the people like Maxime LeGal and everyone with Manitoba's fisheries.
To reel this story in, LeGal said it best; "If you're wanting to go out fishing, good luck and tight lines".
Happy fishing!
