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| Mission Statement: To enhance Bridgeport area trout fisheries through non-profit means for the purpose of preservation while providing an improved angling experience for future generations. |
| May, 2009 Our first facility was constructed in 2005 at Paradise Shores RV park. After completing mandatory testing and proving that the system is disease free we have been able to raise beautiful, healthy trout in a modified tomato bin using re-circulating well water. The second facility was constructed in 2006 at the Virginia Creek Settlement. This facility was also found to be disease free in early 2007 and has allowed our program to increase our capacity to raise trout. This is a flow-through system that gets pure spring water from an Artesian well that will allow us to grow year round. We currently have the capacity to grow 20,000 fish annually for release up to catchable size. Our goals, of course, are to keep our trout right here in Bridgeport. All of our local waters can now benefit from trout rearing efforts that are supported by non-profit donations that we receive through fundraising efforts such as fishing tournaments and letters. As funds become available we will continue to expand this program to improve capacity and to purchase fish to directly plant in Bridgeport area waters. We purchase small fry (500 fish per pound), and our volunteers raise and care for these trout in our tomato bins over a two year period releasing the fish as they outgrow the system. The long term plan is to enhance the local fisheries and improve the angler experience in Bridgeport area waters. We have many to thank for our current success: California Department of Fish & Game, Tim Hansen – High Sierra Brine Shrimp Company, California Inland Fisheries Foundation, Mono County Fisheries Commission, Mono County Tourism and Film Commission, BakeMark, US Foodservice, Bonanza Produce, Gary Cino – Gull Lake Marina, Scott Freeman, Todd & Ally Sceirine - Sceirine Ranch, Andrew Sears, Circle H Guest Ranch, Western Outdoor News, Fishpond, RIO, Smith Optics, Outcast Sporting Gear, Umpqua Feather Merchants, Ken’s Sporting Goods, Ernie’s Tackle Shop, Big 5 Sporting Goods, Will Clayton, Sorensen’s Resort, Outdoor Specialty Products, Simms Fishing Products, Paul Madsen, Kent Rianda, Dr. Wade Yoshi - Troutfitter, Pape Group of Sacramento, Capital Air and Tool of Sacramento, Ditch Witch of Sacramento, Starbucks, Sierra Drifters Guide Service, Larry Carpenter, Pure Fishing, Cabela’s, Sierra Custom Rods, Mattel, Todd Marumoto, Berkeley, Casa Michaela, Paradise Shores, Virginia Creek Settlement, and all of our other great donors & volunteers. We cannot accomplish our goals without help. We need donations from caring people who believe that a small group of people can do big things. Eastern Sierra anglers can no longer rely on state hatchery-raised trout to provide a quality fishing experience. Please visit www.bridgeportfishenhancement.com for more information and be sure to ask the proprietors for a tour of our facility and to feed our fish! |
| June, 2009 The BFEF "All Tackle" Tournament was a great success, we had 57 anglers registered and another handful of folks attended the awards dinner later that evening. The event profited nearly $2000 that will go directly towards raising trout for Bridgeport area waters. We would like to thank all the great sponsors and participants who have helped to make this event a success. The money the BFEF tournaments makes is a great boost to the program each year and it shows in the great fishing in the area throughout the season. |
| Here's the tomato bin hatchery at Paradise Shores on Bridgeport Lake |
| Some nice fish feeding in the bins before being released to local waters |
| A netfull if trout getting transferred to Bridgeport Reservoir |
| Here's a timetable of some of the things the BFEF has done over the years: Aug. 05 - Purchased 250 lbs of Rainbows to test new Paradise Shores facility - Purchased 400 lbs of Rainbows for Bridgeport Reservoir Sept. 05 - Stocked 50 lbs Rainbows in Bridgeport Reservoir (to reduce load on test growing facility Oct. 05 - Purchased 425 lbs Rainbows for Bridgeport Reservoir - Stocked 300 lbs Rainbows from Paradise Shores facility Mar. 06 - Purchased 20,000 Brown trout fry for Paradise Shores facility June 06 - Stocked approximately 1950 3" and 2000 3.5" Browns in Bridgeport Reservoir to reduce load on Paradise Shores facility July 06 - Stocked approximately 4200 4" Browns in Bridgeport Reservoir to reduce load on Paradise Shores facility Aug. 06 - Stocked approximately 2500 4" Browns in Bridgeport Reservoir from Paradise Shores facility Sept. 06 - Stocked approximately 800 5" Browns in Bridgeport Reservoir from Paradise Shores facility - Stocked approximately 2800 fish totalling 175lbs in Bridgeport Reservoir from Paradise Shores facility May 07 - Purchased 250 lbs of Rainbows for Bridgeport Reservoir - Purchased 500 lbs Browns, split between Upper Twin, Lower Twin, Little Virginia and Bridgeport Reservoir - Purchased 1600 5" Browns to grow in Paradise Shores facility and new Virginia Creek Settlement facility Oct. 07 - Stocked approximately 400 lbs of Browns in Robinson Creek, Little Virginia and Bridgeport Reservoir. Remaining Browns kept at Virginia Creek Settlement facility for winter grow-out April 08 - Stocked approximately 600 lbs of winter Browns from Virginia Creek Settlement facility in Upper and Lower Twin and Bridgeport Reservoir prior to opening day May 08 - Purchased 23,000 Brown trout fry for grow-out at Paradise Shores and Virginia Creek Settlement facilities July 08 - 2000 4" Browns transferred to Mono Village for Upper Twin grow-out program - 2000 4" Browns transferred to Twin Lakes Resort for Lower Twin grow-out program Oct. 08 - Stocked remaining Paradise Shores facility Browns (8" to 10") in Bridgeport Reservoir Nov. 08 - Stocked approximately 4000 Browns in Bridgeport Reservoir and Virginia Creek April 09 - Transferred 2000 8" Browns from Virginia Creek Settlement facility to Paradise Shores facility from winter grow-out. - Stocked 1000 8" Browns in Bridgeport Reservoir May 09 - Stocked 2000 9" Browns in Little Virginia Lake from Virginia Creek Settlement facility - Purchased 30,000 Rainbow fry for grow-out at Virginia Creek Settlement facility - Purchased 750 lbs Rainbows (1.5 lbs each) for Virginia Creek and Bridgeport Reservoir June 09 - 5,000 Rainbow fry transferred to Mono Village for grow-out to be planted in Upper Twin July 09 - 3,000 10" to 12" Browns stocked in Virginia Creek and Bridgeport Reservoir from Virginia Creek Settlement facility |
| Sept. 09 Hosted "Skip Baker East Walker Open" Fly Fishing Tournament which netted approximately $2500 for the cause. Oct. 09 Planted 750lbs of Brown Trout into Bridgeport Reservoir from the Paradise Shores facility. All fish went in healthy with no mortality. Dec. 09 The BFEF has begun a partnership with the Conway Ranch Foundation which is run by Tim Alpers, John Frederickson and Steve Brown. This new partnership has been set up to hatch out trout eggs at the ever-expanding Virginia Creek Settlement facility. Over the past few weeks there has been 2 bins set up with a flow through water system and this past week the partnership took delivery of 80,000 trout eggs (40,000 for each partner). This new addition will enable the BFEF to raise its current stocking level from around 20,000 fish per year to possibly as many as 60,000 or 80,000 fish per year. Many of these hatched out fish will need to be planted as sub-catchable fish in local waters but they'll be sure to grow and replenish the natural recruitment in certain waters. Very exciting progress! |
| Here's a couple photos of the new egg-hatching system at the Virginia Creek Settlement Facility. |