Tom Flanagan; image by Frances Oates

Tom Flanagan, a graduate student in the Cooperative Fisheries Research Unit at Tennessee Tech University, will speak Thursday, Oct. 10, at a free, public meeting of the Clinch River Chapter, Trout Unlimited, on his study of “young-of-the-year” trout in the Clinch.

Sampling of trout in the Clinch began in August and will continue to October 2020, measuring length and weight of the fish and noting whether they are stocked fish or naturally reproduced. Adipose fins are clipped on all fingerling trout stocked in the Clinch, so they can be identified as hatchery fish.

Flanagan’s research will indicate whether trout are successfully spawning in the tailwater below Norris Dam; it will also assess and compare growth rates of both stocked and naturally reproducing rainbow trout in the Clinch. As Flanagan is working in cooperation with Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency, TWRA biologist Jim Habera will also be at the program. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. in the parish hall at St. Francis Episcopal Church, 158 W. Norris Road, Norris.

The Clinch River Chapter’s mission is to conserve and enhance the Clinch River tailwater trout fishery and its watershed, through conservation projects and through education of children and adults in aquatic natural resources. Meetings are held the second Thursday of the month at St. Francis Episcopal Church, Norris, except when outdoor activities are scheduled. For more information, visit crctu.org.