Big Spring Creek, the FWP and PCBs

In the Great Falls Tribune I read a story about Big Spring Creek in Lewistown, Montana. The state has released warnings of PCB contaminants in the stream from, of all places, the Montana State Fish Hatchery on the Big Spring stream. The PCBs are coming from paint flakes in the hatchery pools and have increased contaminant levels to the point where the state has determined the trout to be unfit for consumption.

This hasn't deterred catch and release fly fisherman, but has raised the hackles of local bait fisherman who have eaten trout from the stream for years. Some even suggest that the No Eat regulation put on the stream is a ploy to keep bait fisherman out.