Fish and Wildlife officers arrest people using prohibited bait near Calgary

Recent angler compliance checks on the Bow River led to two people being arrested and another being ticketed.

Two people were arrested and one was ticketed after Fish and Wildlife officers found them using prohibited bait while fishing near Calgary.

Officers were conducting angler compliance checks on the Bow River near Bearspaw Dam recently when they found a fisher using a set line – a method often linked with bait fishing.

Upon inspection, officers confirmed he was using worms, a prohibited bait.

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Fish and Wildlife discovered the angler had three outstanding warrants tied to previous fishing offences, including being over-limit and the use of illegal bait.

He was arrested and all his fishing gear was seized as evidence.

Shortly after, officers discovered two more anglers upriver who they say attempted to dump fish from their bags as they saw the officers approach.

A search revealed three brown trout.

Fish and Wildlife says both people were also found to be using prohibited bait.

They were ticketed for fisheries violations, and one of the two was arrested on an unrelated outstanding warrant.

If you spot illegal fishing or poaching activity, you can report it through the 24-hour Report A Poacher line at 1-800-642-3800 or online at: alberta.ca/report-poacher.

Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward.