Angler caught with ‘severe’ over limit of trout on lake north of Enderby

GARDOM LAKE – A local conservation officer is hoping the story of a man being slapped with an $1,100 fine will open the eyes of a few anglers in B.C.

Eric Tyukodi says a concerned fisher called B.C. Conservation Officer Service this weekend after spotting what appeared to be a trio of men overfishing on Gardom Lake, in between Enderby and Salmon Arm.

Officers attended and spotted the group fishing before approaching them, Tyukodi says. Gardom Lake has a limit of two trout per individual, but Tyukodi says the three men were caught with 19 fish.

One man, who has now been fined $1,100, claimed that 15 of the trout were his, meaning he was 13 rainbow trout over the limit.

The Conservation Officer Service did not involve Crown so there won't be any charges, but Tyukodi says this should be a reminder to anyone who enjoys fishing in B.C. that there are rules and regulations that need to be folowed.

"It’s very important that the public hear that a normal person called it in," he says. "If we’re not hearing about stuff like this, essentially we have a much more difficult time doing our job."

He says fishing in B.C. is a privilege not a right, and it's up to anglers to educate themselves on the proper restrictions for any area they fish in, adding that restrictions are in place for the good of the environment.

"It’s no one else's responsibility but yours to understand what the limits are and what the regulations are," he says.

If you see any possible violations in B.C., call the B.C. Conservation Officer Service's 24-hour line at 1 877-952-7277.

Tyukodi says anyone who calls the line will never have their identity publicized.

Yesterday, near Salmon Arm, BC an individual catches a severe over limit of trout, but then nets $1,100 in fines thanks to a concerned angler who called in the tip to the BCCOS 24 hr violation report line of 1-877-952-RAPP. pic.twitter.com/h9c6bL3XNq

— BC CO Service (@_BCCOS) November 20, 2017

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