The first of the year (17026304570)

Description:

Description: This handsome Arctic grayling specimen was the first collected in our 2015 fish trapping efforts. It is being released upstream of the trap to continue its spawning migration. Arctic grayling in Montana are a State Species of Special Concern. The US Fish and Wildlife Service's Montana Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office has been assisting with monitoring this unique population of Arctic grayling for nearly 2 decades. Our trap, located on Red Rock Creek, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Montana, is one of the sampling and monitoring methods utilized by Montana Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office personnel to assess fish population trends. Photo: Andrew Gilham / USFWS. Date: 20 April 2015, 09:51. Source: The first of the year. Author: USFWS Mountain-Prairie.