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. 

A Call For Action

Not often do I use this blog as a pulpit, but this is an important issue and something that could be avoided if enough anglers speak up. I fear that many Connecticut anglers don't realize what is at risk and by the time they find out, it could already be too late. So here is the skinny...

The Kensington State Fish Hatchery, one of only three CT DEEP hatcheries, will shut down due to budget cuts if we don't voice our opinions to the powers at be. The key is to make the State of Connecticut aware that this decision will ultimately cost us money instead of saving it by hurting fishing license sales and other spending by trout and salmon anglers. Every phone call, email and letter reiterating this message to members of the General Assembly's Appropriations Committee, specifically the Conservation & Development Subcommittee, will help our cause.

In the fine print of the proposed State budget, the eighth bullet down on page 194 recommends reducing the number of state-run hatcheries (read: Kensignton) to the tune of saving $149,910. I realize the State has a spending problem and cuts need to be made somewhere, but should we really be cutting things that generate more money than they cost to run? I would argue that getting rid of everything this hatchery brings to the table could cost us much more than $150K. An uniformed legislator may look at the overall production of our three hatcheries and easily write off Kensington because it's responsible for only 10% of the trout stocked in Connecticut waters. However, this facility is a prime example of quality over quantity and you have to look deeper to find out what freshwater anglers would really lose.

Kensington Hatchery is unique because it is responsible for all of Connecticut's Seeforellen brown trout, which are a German strain of trout that grow very large. The facility in question just so happens to have the only disease-free stock of Seeforellens left in the nation and closing it would mean tossing years of hard work right out the window. The hatchery produces approximately 50,000 catchable size trout and 700 surplus broodstock trout annually that are stocked in our most important trout waters. In addition, 250,000 of its trout fry and parr are used annually in programs to enhance sea run and wild trout populations. Simply put, Kensington fish live longer, grow larger, and are wilder in nature than trout coming from our other hatcheries.

Seeforellen brown trout thrive in Connecticut lakes thanks to Kensington Hatchery.

But this is not just about trout. Approximately 2,000 broodstock Atlantic salmon are produced at Kensington Hatchery and stocked annually into the Naugatuck and Shetucket Rivers, as well as a handful of lakes. The broodstock salmon fishery we have now is quite popular and attracts anglers from around the Northeast. In fact, it is estimated that Connecticut's Atlantic salmon fishery is responsible for 5,000 – 7,000 trips per year and those anglers spend a combined $500,000 doing so. If Kensington closes there will be no more broodstock salmon stocked in our waterways! Furthermore, the Salmon in the Classroom program, known as "Fish Friends," will no longer exist in the 90 Connecticut schools that now receive salmon eggs, and the last of the remaining salmon fry released in our rivers and streams, about 300,000 per year, will also go bye-bye if Kensington closes its doors. 

Chew on these numbers for a minute...

* 251,000 state residents take 5.4 million fishing trips and spend $198 million per year.
* 51,000 non-residents take 457,000 fishing trips and spend $45 million per year in CT.

* Recreational fishing supports over 4,400 jobs in CT. 

* Trout are the most sought after gamefish species in Connecticut attracting approximately 2.1 million fishing trips per year and generating ~$50 million per year in annual expenditures having a net economic impact of $67.5 million per year. 

* Approximately $2.8 million in annual license revenue is generated by trout anglers in Connecticut.

* Approximately 100 lakes and ponds and over 200 rivers and streams are stocked annually with trout.

* The overall benefit to cost ratio for Connecticut’s Trout Program is 25 to 1.

So what exactly is the rational again behind saving $149,910 by closing Kensington Hatchery?
 

Below is the contact information for Connecticut Senators and Representatives who have some say in the editing of the fish hatchery budget line item. Please take a few minutes and reach out. Keep in mind that phone calls have more of an impact than emails, but anything is better than nothing. Thank you!

Sen. Bob Duff (Co-Chair) Duff@senatedems.ct.gov; (860) 240-0414
Rep. Bryan Hurlburt (Co-Chair) Bryan.Hurlburt@cga.ct.gov; (860) 240-8585
Sen. Clark Chapin (Ranking Member) Clark.Chapin@cga.ct.gov; (860) 240-8816
Rep. Craig Miner (Ranking Member) Craig.Miner@housegop.ct.gov; (860) 240-8700
Sen. Beth Bye Email; (860) 240-0428
Rep. Ezequiel Santiago Ezequiel.Santiago@cga.ct.gov; (860) 240-8585
Rep. Charles D. Clemons Charles.D.Clemons@cga.ct.gov; (860) 240-8585
Rep. Peter Tercyak Peter.Tercyak@cga.ct.gov; (860) 240-8585
Rep. Patricia Dillon Patricia.Dillon@cga.ct.gov; (860) 240-8585
Rep. Mitch Bolinsky Mitch.Bolinsky@housegop.ct.gov; (860) 240-8700
Sen. Andrew Maynard Email; (860) 240-0591
Rep. Jay Case Jay.Case@housegop.ct.gov; (860) 240-8700
Rep. Patricia Billie Miller Patricia.Miller@cga.ct.gov; (860) 240-8585
Rep. Melissa Ziobron Melissa.Ziobron@housegop.ct.gov; (860) 240-8700
Rep. Kevin Ryan Kevin.Ryan@cga.ct.gov; (860) 240-8585
Rep. Roberta Willis Roberta.Willis@cga.ct.gov; (860) 240-0271


Connecticut's broodstock Atlantic salmon fishery will be gone for good if Kensington closes.

Micro Managing

It seems that spring fever has spared no one lately. That became more apparent as I entered a fly shop adjacent to freshly stocked trout stream on Sunday morning. The high volume of anglers with the same idea as me on a bluebird day came as no surprise. Who wouldn't want to be outside in late winter when the thermometer would peak over 70 degrees? I for one was like a kid in a candy store, especially after spending the three previous weekend days cooped up indoors painting. 

The fishing on Connecticut's Farmington River has been as good as can be expected for March. A recent stocking means there are plenty of fresh trout to weed through and the mild winter was a gift to the resident holdover and wild fish. Along with the many brown trout that hold over from year to year, there seems to be a larger than normal number of rainbow trout that fared well. What is also different about this season so far is the river's flow--it is wicked low for this time of year, which is comfortable for getting around but it could spell trout if we don't get significant rainfall in the near future.

My friend Derrick did well on the Farmington just the day before, so we had a pretty good idea of where we wanted to be and wanted we wanted to do. Half expecting to see a deli line of anglers in the chosen run upon arrival, we were excited to find a lone streamer fisherman on the move.  The bug life was strong from the start.  There were winter caddis, stone flies and tiny midge coming off the water.  The goal was to imitate the larval forms of these insects in hopes of fooling trout gorging on them under the surface.  We rigged up light leaders under small yarn indicators and added little split shots and weighted flies to get down to the strike zone.  Below our first fly we experimented with a range of midge, stonefly and mayfly patterns until we found what was working.

After the first half hour of ignored drifts and fly changes, Derrick put us on the board using a minuscule yellow midge pattern.  To find out what else this holdover brown trout was eating, we gently sampled its gullet with a tool that resembles a small turkey baster.  Derrick squeezed the contents into the palm of his hand and we stared at a dozen freshly eaten nymphs that were size #18 and smaller.  It was obvious that trout were feeding right at our feet and it was time to go tiny.  We both tied on micro stonefly and midge imitations and stepped up into the head of the pool where many fine trout have won and lost battles to us in the past. 

Photo credit: Derrick Kirkpatrick

Over the next two hours, we connected with several quality trout that were stacked up and feeding along a current seam of fast and slow water. We tossed our rigs upstream and drifted them right along the seam, setting the hook on the slightest hesitation of our strike indicators.  It's amazing to think how these fish could pinpoint our tiny offerings tumbling through the hydraulics of this run, but they didn't seem to have much trouble.  Derrick and I weeded out a few smaller holdover browns that fought extremely hard from the well-oxygenated water.  The next trout my partner hooked was in a whole different class, however.  The lengthy fight that ensued left both angler and net man shaking with nerves.  She bounced from the head of the pool and dropped downstream; she bulldogged down deep then flailed on the surface; she came in close then screamed back out again.  Finally, right before she slid into the net, the only word that came to mind was wild.  Along with the Tyson-esque fight, the fish was in pristine condition; no marks, no clips, perfect fins, and amazing coloration.  It was a perfect example of what the Farmington River has to offer.  This female brown trout measured exactly twenty inches long and, as we would later find out, was getting up in her years.  The day was already made, but not yet complete. 

After collecting ourselves, I got back into the head of the pool. That wasn't the only horse up there because I tangled with another hell of a trout just a few drifts later. At first it acted as if it didn't really know or care that it was hooked; just pacing around in a patch of slow water. There was a lane of very quick water I had to lead it through to get to the safe zone where we were standing. I took a few steps backward and the fish bolted from the head, cleared the dangerous fast water and was almost within reach before that dreadful feeling of slack line ran through my body. That is just part of the game when planting micro hooks into large maws. There was no question if it was a big brown trout, but just how big nagged at me for a short long time.

After shaking off the lost fish, I climbed back in the driver's seat, though it seemed our short-lived window of success was closing.  There were surely other trout feeding in this section, but our drifts were neglected the rest of our time there.  It was a memorable morning and we both felt a sense of accomplishment akin to solving a puzzle.  Most of the popular pools in the upper Farmington River have top notch trout holding in them, but it's not every outing that you can dial in on exactly what they want and how they want it.  The rest of the day's action was rather anticlimactic, but no one was complaining.  The weather was phenomenal for mid-March.  The thermometer in my Jeep read 79 degrees as we cruised downstream to have lunch and a beer along a favorite stretch of river.  

A toast to an old friend after a good day on the water (photo credit: Tommy Baranowski)

Back at work on Monday morning, after emailing the photos from the trip to Derrick and our friend Aaron who couldn't join us, we learned that it wasn't the first time our crew landed that magnificent stream-born female trout.  Aaron's detective work after scrolling through archives of old photos revealed that I had caught her in April of 2009 and Aaron after that in November of the same year; all three times in the same pool!  In the three years since, she had only grown about a half of an inch in length and hadn't moved much, but it most definitely survived numerous encounters with sharp hooks, probably winning more than a few of those battles.  This fish was 19.5-inches when I caught her three years ago, quite possibly when it was at least three years old.  I think it's pretty cool that the Farmington River is producing trout that are five and six years old and perhaps older.  Check out the unmistakable line of dots behind the trout's right eye in the photos above and below.  Hopefully we'll see her again soon. 

Aaron with the same trout in November of 2009