I was hesitant to try Willow Springs Fishing Ponds yesterday morning because of the history of contamination. Word is that these ponds in Fountain were the local hotspot until the discovery of percloroethylene (PCE) shut the ponds down from 1997 to 2007. The ponds have been sufficiently rehabilitated to be reopened with a fish consumption advisory. Unless I later develop some type of PCE induced disease or ailment, I would rate the morning as a success. I got a 14” rainbow trout in addition to a half dozen bluegill. I hooked and lost one small bass. My use of a wet fly dropper under a bass popper has now proved effective for trout as well as bass and bluegill.
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4 comments:
Nice Rainbow....I assume you are still catching and releasing so you are not ingesting the pollutents.......remember the three eyed Fish from the polluted lake on the Simpsons? DAD
Having survived the Michigan milk scare that inspired the movie "bitter harvest" Ill quit while I'm ahead on the whole inhesting contaminants thing. Mr rainbow got to swim away...three eyes and all.
One of my rules of fishing....ALWAYS RELEASE A THREE EYED FISH....
DAD
Internet factoids on Willow Springs PCE contamination:
- The Schlage Lock Company is responsible for PCE contamination at the ponds
- The EPA sets a maximum standard of 5 part per billion (ppb) for PCE in drinking water; Willow Springs registered 3ppb PCE when it was shut down in 1997
- PCE concentrations in suckers exceeded 20ppb in 1996'; State of Colorado standard for edible fish is 8ppb
- Advisory does not apply to recreation acticities such as fishing, swimming, or wading in the lake; it's a fish consumption advisory which doesn't apply to trout
Analysis: if you are eating sucker fish you are probably at risk for more than PCE contamination
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