That's Why They Call It.....

Yes, yes, everybody knows - fishing. Yes, I drove more miles to catch no fish than I ever have before in my life, over 1,000 miles in fact. But you know what? I'd do it over again. The plan was to head to upstate New York to fish the lower Niagara River for big browns, steelhead and lake trout. This is the time of year when the crowds begin to thin, the temperatures drop, and the fishing really heats up. My brother had hooked me up with accommodations thanks to his supply of hotel points, but wouldn't be joining me as he was stuck somewhere in the remote south west of New Zealand in Fox Glacier, but that's another story all together. The plan was for my son Danny and I to drive up to Niagara Falls, NY Friday evening, fish Saturday with Capt. Mark “Sparky”McGranahan, make our own way along the river around Art Park on Sunday, and maybe hit up a few of the tribs on the way back Monday. We were prepped for an epic father/son weekend of non-stop fishing!

Capt. Sparky called Thursday before our departure with news that the Niagara was in bad shape, and it would be pointless fishing Saturday. He didn't want us to make the long drive, only to be disappointed by a boat ride. I respect that in a captain or guide. I told him we had the free accommodation and would make the trip regardless, with flexibility through Monday should conditions improve, and he promised to keep us updated. The trip up took nine hours, as we ran into the first snow storm of the winter. It was early Saturday morning by the time we hit the bed.

We woke to clearing skies and 45+ mph winds. Fishing the Niagara was completely out of the question, and neither Danny nor myself felt like driving over an hour back the way we came to hit some smaller, more protected locations. Instead, we went sight seeing at the falls and up to Ft. Niagara. It was pretty cool visiting the fort on a cold, wind swept day, Lake Ontario pounding up against the break walls and the place all but deserted. A British regular of the 8th Kings Foot Regiment and a ten year veteran at Ft. Niagara (with the US Park Service) gave all 5-6 of us a tour and weapons demonstration. He apparently works this job year round, and I could only imagine him standing out in the freezing rain and snow during the winter months, dressed in a full 18th century period uniform, struggling to fire a flint lock musket for the 1-2 visitors that might arrive. From there, it's not that great a leap to what a real twenty year posting must have been like in the 1760s, or for the French before them. As a history teacher, I loved it, and Danny said it was the best thing he's done in Niagara. On the way to the Brickyard Pub & BBQ  (Lewistown - great place, recommended), Sparky called to let us know Sunday was going to be a no go as well.

I was bound and determined to at least say we'd fished the Niagara, come hell or brown, chocolaty water! Sunday morning, we fished Art Park along the banks of the mighty Niagara. We knew it was loaded with fish, because despite the 4-6" maximum visibility, they would surface quite regularly. We fished float rigs, cast all the flies in my arsenal, egg sacks and a variety of junk flies with absolutely no success. For the entire morning through mid-afternoon I only saw two fish on, and none landed. It was a valiant but ultimately futile effort. Danny hung in like a trooper. He doesn't whine or complain when the fish don't cooperate. He's landed more than a few nice fish by just gritting it out on really slow days. I finally yielded and we called it a day with no fish what-so-ever. Sparky texted that he was canceling all trips through at least Tuesday. To try and purge the whiff of the skunking, we drove down to Buffalo and the Anchor Bar on Main St., home of the original buffalo wing. Wings and beer (Diet Coke for Danny) cure a lot. I'd also add that Buffalo is experiencing an urban renaissance and is a pretty incredible city for architecture.

Monday started with an early departure from Niagara, with a quick stop by Johnson's Creek and Oak Orchard. The Oak was pretty busy, though the first light, great bite had died down. All of the most productive waters were elbow to elbow, and as late arrivals, we had to take what we could get. I managed to hook into a nice, big brown before too long, which I handed off to Danny. Danny's brought in some nice steelhead on the fly, was fighting this fish well for quite a bit and appeared to be getting the upper hand until it made a quick final run and broke off. We fished for another 30-40 minutes without any further bites. Now, I'm stubborn enough to fish to the last dying light, sleep in the truck and start again in the morning, but facing 6-1/2 hours more of driving and a kid that needed to be in school the next day, I was forced to accept the ultimate defeat.   

The fishing sucked, the catching was non-existant, the driving was long and tiring, and thoughts of returning to work the next day were depressing. Danny and I have been on tons of trips far more successful than this. Still, I got to get away with my boy, and that makes up for everything else!         

A Call for Action

The following is re-posted with permission from Kierran Broatch and The Connecticut Yankee blog. 

Thursday, March 7, 2013

A Call For Action

It's not often that 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 don't know what's at risk and by the time they find out, it could already be too late. So here's the skinny...

One of only three CT DEEP hatcheries, the Kensington State Fish Hatchery, will close 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 lose us money instead of save it by hurting fishing license sales and other spending from trout and salmon anglers. Every phone call and email/letter reiterating this message to members of the General Assembly's Appropriations Committee, specifically the Conservation & Development Subcommittee, can help our cause.

In the fine print of this section of the proposed State budget, the 8th 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 an 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's 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 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 it's not just about trout. Approximately 2,000 broodstock Atlantic salmon are produced at Kensington Hatchery and stocked annually into the Naugatuck and Shetucket Rivers and a few lakes. These fisheries are quite popular now and attract anglers from around the Northeast. In fact, it's estimated that Connecticut's Atlantic salmon fishery attracts 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 shop.

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