Not On Our Watch

If this blog post sounds familiar, unfortunately that's because it is. Time and time again in recent years, we as anglers have had to band together to help keep one of three state fish hatcheries from closing. Now, instead of just Kensington State Fish Hatchery on the chopping block, Governor Malloy's new proposed budget would eliminate all three. 

I probably don't need to tell anyone reading this just how ridiculous that sounds. The amount of funding necessary to keep those hatcheries running and their 17 employees working is dwarfed by the revenue they ultimately bring into the State of Connecticut. Millions of dollars are spent every year on freshwater fishing licenses alone, not to mention all the money spent in bait and tackle and fly shops. A large part of that revenue is directly tied to Connecticut's trout and salmon fisheries, which for the most part are dependent on our three state fish hatcheries. Yes, there are wild and native trout populations in our state waters, but not enough to sustain the amount of fishing pressure they will receive if our hatcheries close. 

This is a bad idea and our lawmakers need to hear about it. What can you do? 

• Find your Connecticut legislators and contact them today. Write emails or, better yet, make phone calls. Let them know that you're a constituent, a registered voter and just how important this issue is to you. Here is a fact sheet from CVTU to help craft your message.

• Share your opinion with Governor Malloy. This is where out-of-state anglers who spend time and money chasing trout on the Farmington and Housatonic Rivers or broodstock Atlantic salmon on the Naugatuck and Shetucket Rivers can chime in. These hatchery closures would impact more than just Connecticut anglers! Look no further than the growing number of vehicles with non CT license plates parked along our finest freshwater fisheries. 

• Sign this online petition. It takes two minutes and every signature helps. At the time of this writing, 2,786 supporters had signed on--we can do better than that!

• Spread the word! Tell your fishing buddies about what is going on. If they don't know about the issue, they can't be a part of the solution. 

Just a small sample of what we are at risk of losing. 

Rainy Day Gold

Say what you will about them, but not many fish pull harder than the mighty common carp. In addition to being exceptional fighters, they are not heavily pressured like other fish such as trout or striped bass. Carp also call almost any body of water around here home and can reach crazy proportions. I tried my luck at a new spot yesterday and batted .1000 on the lone run-off. There are endless amounts of baits that can be used for this type of fishing, yet good old canned corn did the trick for my first carp of 2011. It wasn't a very large fish, but it pulled a bit drag and sure was pretty. I hope to put some larger ones on the bank soon.