Also posted to the Conservation BB under the subject: “Wild Trout Stream (mis)Management”
Consider a stream that has demonstrated the ability to support a naturally reproducing population of wild brook & brown trout. (In fact, it’s ‘Class A’ trout water in some stretches.)
Add to that the fact that the stream is lacking significant in-stream cover, as determined by 5 years of state-sponsored Fish & Wildlife research.
If you were charged with managing this as one of your state’s only 5 remaining Wild Trout Streams, and you thought significant real river restoration work (as planned to begin this summer/fall) could help the wild trout population begin to tick upward and rebuild, would you jeapordize the past 5 years worth of scientific research (and who knows how much taxpayer $) and add a previously unaccounted for wild-card into the mix? Wouldn’t you be concerned that the findings of your research would be somehow skewed by this new variable?
Would you be willing to throw some hatchery raised rainbows into the mix just to appease some of the vocal locals who say ‘Enough of this science *&%$, I want to catch some fish in my backyard!’?
What if that stream held a special place in American fly fishing history?
The Battenkill for instance.
That’s what we’re up against right now.
– [Southwestern Vermont Chapter of Trout Unlimited[/url:d3d63]
Please help us make our point to the VT F&W folks. Visit our site for more details, contact info & an online petition supporting real river restoration, without the stocking part… Thanks in advance for your support.
BTW – There are now more big, beautifulwild browns in the BK (thanks to a 5 year test period of no-kill regs) despite the reputation it has justifiably earned as being a tough river to fish. For evidence, check out some of the photos in our gallery, and on Mike_D’s site: http://battenkill.tripod.com](http://www.TUSWVT.org:d3d63)!
no. stocking solves no problem. Instead, restore the stream and the stream bank habitat and the wild fish will return. THe pellethead folks have plenty of places to go.
I would favor stocking with hatchery trout. It would make catching easier for the people who come up from NYC and want to catch a fish on their first effort. Orvis would be able to make more money. I could catch a nice hatchery trout and have a pellet tasting fish which is much better than those silly bugs that “your” fish eat. Think of the excellent opportunities you would have to open up a McDonalds right on the river and sell “burgers on the fly”. Right next to it we could put the Super 8 motel and life would be grand. Then if the TU crowd wanted to fish they could just go elsewhere. We could have jobs for our kids. They could guide the river. All they would need is a boat and a bag of pellets for chum. One fly, the pellet fly would be all you would need to know how to tie. :roll:
I’m not an expert on trout stream ecology but I am convinced it’s far better to have wild self sustaining populations than to depend on stocking programs. If I am not mistaken the spread of Whirling disease out west is directly traced to infected hatchery trout being stocked in rivers.
The only justification to stock fish is to be create a fishery with marginal habitat that likely won’t support a sustainable population or to re-introduce trout into a stream where they have been eliminated to restore the population.
If you you have a healthy population of wild or native trout in the stream, stocking should not be considered. Instead, think of stream improvement for areas of the stream that can be improved, allowing more quality habituate for the fish to spread to.
Most State Department of Natural Resources, have programs to help local Trout Organizations, to help keep the cost down. Who better know the stream than the locals? It is better to take time and do something right, that will last many lifetimes, than go for a quick fix.
If there is a problem because of property rights, I suggest that the locals talk with the owners, and explain how allowing the rehabilitation of the stream will be an improvement to the property as well as the stream, by allowing designated lanes of access across their property, and a margin along stream-side for anglers to travel, up and down stream.
That is how it is done in Minnesota, with the money raised from Minnesota Trout Stamp Revenue.
Were’nt brown trout imported from Europe and stocked over here? If I’m right in my thinking, then this wouldn’t really be a “wild” population, or at least not a native one. Still, it would be a shame to see a great fishery get ruined just so some bait chucker can take his/her limit. There’s this little cutthroat stream (see my “Blueberries” story next week) here facing the same dilemma- it’s being stocked with rainbows/cutbows, and I’m worried they’ll make their way upstream and outcompete the native cutts.
IMHO, I think that the browns (with a few exceptions) after 5 years of a no stocking program can be considered wild fish. That is born and bred in the river, not a hatchery. They are not native or indigenous but they are wild.
Jed, I always looked at them as native fish, not indigenous. That is to say, if they were born in a perticular stream, they are native to that stream but there ancestors came from elsewhere, and thus are not indigenous to that stream.
As to stocking the Battenkill, I would say i’m against it. There are still fish there and if the habitat is improved, the populations will improve as well. The bait-chuckers have plenty of other streams to molest.
I have a Koi pond on our farm. I stocked it with 1" store bought gold fish and after several years, they have grown and multiplied. Does that mean the off-spring are wild fish? Couldn’t you say the same of origional stocked trout offspring? In my opinion, it is the blood line that earmarks a true wild fish. I suppose you could use DNA to verify if a fish was a true offspring…that is if you could find a taxidermist mounted fish from early days on your river, the ones where they actually used the skin over plaster type. It would be interesting to look into.
I believe the generally accepted definition of ‘wild’ fish are those that are born in the river. ‘Native’ is defined as fish that originally were in the river. Browns are not native in any of our waters. They were imported. Therefore, browns are not ‘native’ but they may be ‘wild’. Same token, brookies that are stocked from a hatchery are native but not wild.
Now however, you write, “It would make catching easier for the people who come up from NYC and want to catch a fish on their first effort.” That’s brilliant As if NYers are the only fly fishers that travel to the Battenkill. I think you should look closer into the backyard of Mass or eastern VT or even upstate NY. People come to catch fish (as you put it) from all over.
Back to the original question: If water can sustain wild trout in decent numbers, NO! The water should be regulated in such a way as to keep it capable of sustaining the wild trout population. Stocking should not be done and good luck keeping the Battenkill a wild trout fishery.
PKB laid it out very well. If I can sense the general opinion here , it sounds like we can all agree that this is a bone headed idea.
Fortunately the plan is in the “Public input” stage. Strangely your input on this carries more weight than mine. YOU represent the tourist dollar, and the tourist dollar speaks with great volume at the VT F&G.
This is one of those times where the common sportsman can make a giant impact on public policy.
Please , go to the link on PKB’s post, sign the petition and even better, shoot off a quick e-Mail to Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Wayne Laroche— wayne.laroche@state.vt.us
I promise you , a few moments of your time will have a tremendous impact.
Thank you
AgMD
Montana figured this out years ago. There is NO stocking of rivers and streams. I believe they still stock some lakes…but they have found with proper limits and catch and release the stock will further itself.
It is too bad the New York side of the Battenkill has gone so far down hill. Funny with the report of all the reasons for it, not one mention of the sometimes hundred of tubers and paddle banging canoers per hour that go through this shallow river tossing garbage as they go. Not just weekends either. Of course the people who rent them are on the boards of the two groups that protect “our” river. The public picnic area leads to numerous launches…Let em float the Mohawk ! If they didn’t stock the New York side there wouldn’t be any fish in it to speak of. Folks who keep fish pretty much clean them out between stockings…Too bad they don’t at least have a delayed harvest to let the fish spread out a bit and get acclimated to natural food…Sure wish we would have a native fish only on our side of the line. You would need a 2 year hiatus from all fishing to let them get established.,…oh, if only I were King!
Wild trout streams should be left that way. But even more devastating in many streams, like the Battenkill where I fished a lot years ago, is the proliferation of canoe rental businesses and their removal of obstacles from the stream that bother them. The small fish need the cover desperately.
Wild trout streams should be left that way. But even more devastating in many streams, like the Battenkill where I fished a lot years ago, is the proliferation of canoe rental businesses and their removal of obstacles from the stream that bother them. The small fish need the cover desperately.
I have had the good fortune in years past to fly into or boat upto creeks and streams in Alaska that probably only see a fisheman once or twice in a year. It is an amazing day of fishing, when they will hit almost anything presented to them (even a bare gold hook). They have no concept of man and his hardware. I imagine it doesn’t take long for them to become weary and change their habits should man start to flog up the water and be in abundance… I count myself very fortune to experience this kind of encounter. The closest I have come to this in the lower 48 is Salt Water fly fishing on remote beaches. But even there, one must present something imitating their diet for them to take a fly. Fly fishing is ever changing and that’s why I like it.
As if NYers are the only fly fishers that travel to the Battenkill. I think you should look closer into the backyard of Mass or eastern VT or even upstate NY. People come to catch fish (as you put it) from all over.