N.H. WEEKLY FISHING REPORT -- April 14, 2005
The fortunetellers of weather say we've got another superb, sunny
early-spring weekend on the way. How lucky is that for us fishing fanatics!
Today's fishing report includes the first stocking report of the
season, and some insider information on activities at New Hampshire's fish
hatcheries or "fish culture facilities" from the hatchery supervisor
himself, Bob Fawcett.
Buy your fishing license, salmon permit or moose lottery application
online, any time! Visit http://www.nhfishandgame.com.
Know someone who might like to sign up for the Fishing Report? Send
them to http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Inside_FandG/join_mail_list.htm.
Fish stocking started last week and the trucks are rollin' out!
Last week's stocking locations (April 4 - 8) -- by county and town:
CHESHIRE, CHESTERFIELD, SPOFFORD LAKE
CHESHIRE, JAFFREY, GILMORE POND
CHESHIRE, SWANZEY, CALIFORNIA BROOK
CHESHIRE, TROY, SHAKER BROOK
HILLSBOROUGH, BENNINGTON, WHITTEMORE LAKE
HILLSBOROUGH, BROOKLINE, NISSITISSIT RIVER
HILLSBOROUGH, BROOKLINE, SPAULDING BROOK
HILLSBOROUGH, GREENVILLE-AMHERST, SOUHEGAN RIVER
HILLSBOROUGH, HANCOCK, HUNTS POND
HILLSBOROUGH, LYNDEBOROUGH-WILTON, STONEY BROOK
HILLSBOROUGH, MERRIMACK, BABOOSIC BROOK
HILLSBOROUGH, MERRIMACK, SOUHEGAN RIVER
HILLSBOROUGH, MILFORD, SOUHEGAN RIVER
HILLSBOROUGH, NEW BOSTON, PISCATAQUOG RIVER, SOUTH BRANCH
HILLSBOROUGH, PETERBOROUGH, OTTER BROOK
HILLSBOROUGH, WILTON, SOUHEGAN RIVER
Fish New Hampshire and relax... We have what you're looking for.
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GROW THE FISH, TRANSPORT THE FISH, STOCK THE FISH... THEN, FISH!
By Robert Fawcett, Hatchery Supervisor
What are the hatchery staff up to these days? The Berlin Hatchery Fish
Culturists recently brought one of their stocking trucks down south to
the Concord headquarters garage, where they could get it inside and
rewire the four aeration motors on their Peterson live fish transport
system with new solenoid switches. And, Milford fish culturists discovered
that one of their motors had frozen up on their large tank truck, so
they borrowed a replacement from Powder Mill Hatchery, since Milford did
not have one of the large-size aerators on hand. All hatcheries were
contacted to find out their status for back-up aerators, and a
requisition was filled out for four Fresh-Flo aerators to replace the back-up
aerators we used to get our stocking trucks ready to roll.
Whether or not you have a clue what I am talking about, it boils down
to this: We've been hard at work all year to raise literally tons of
trout -- now it's time for us to stock them and you to enjoy!
The trout stocking trucks started to roll out of Milford and Powder
Mill hatcheries a week and a half ago now.
Our MASTER PLAN for the season is to stock designated numbers of
catchable-size trout (below) into selected waters managed for trout using
hatchery-raised fish. (Surplus fish, not included in the table, are
stocked according to the best professional judgment of regional biologists.)
The target calls for 869,815 of these "put-and-take" fish.
Streams Ponds Total
Eastern brook trout ------- ------- -------
Yearlings 255,140 189,935 445,075
2 year olds 5,740 9,850 15,590
3+ year olds 630 1,130 1,760
Rainbow trout yearlings 111,735 166,155 277,890
Brown trout yearlings 89,240 40,260 129,500
Tiger trout 5,000 5,000
Fifty-three percent of the trout will be released into rivers and
streams. Forty-seven percent will be released into lakes and ponds. There
are usually surplus fish, because fish culturists want to make sure we
err on the positive side, rather than be short of the production target,
and because we have brood fish populations we manage for Eastern brook
trout and brown trout egg needs. Rainbow trout eggs are imported. Brood
fish become surplus to our needs when they have passed their prime age
for eggs, or sperm: females usually after their second or third
spawning, and males after their first spawning, to conserve on space. We use
cross-generational paired mating (younger males and older females).
Other, smaller fish are stocked, too, and allowed to grow to catchable size
in New Hampshire's waterbodies.
The fish are not fed prior to being transported to keep them from
getting "car-sick" -- they travel better when they have not been fed.
In other hatchery news, we're carefully watching and managing the feed
that we give the trout. The U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), recently tested our high-quality
Canadian 4mm Vigor Grower Fish Feed as part of a widespread testing
program for bovine spongiform encephalopathy -- BSE or "mad cow" disease.
(We have an approved import permit because our vendor uses no beef or
beef products in their feed, so we do not consider it to be a risk
situation.) The feed must be held intact until the FDA gives us the green
light, so we were scrambling to get one month's worth of feed
special-ordered, and moving feed on hand around the state to where it was needed
in the meantime. We usually order feed based on near-future needs -- for
efficiency and because it has a shelf life of only 90 days. We simply
cannot hold feed for a month, unless we have other feed to use for the
trout... the trout have this habit of eating regularly most every
day!
If you're weak of stomach, you might want to skip this next item, which
is very interesting but is basically about fish waste. The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency is in the process of reissuing National
Pollution Discharge Elimination System Permits for our six fish hatcheries.
Discharge of cleaning water solids from our hatcheries is not permitted.
Hatchery supervisors have studied, taken examination, and obtained
Wastewater Treatment Operator Certification. We are now using our new red
NUHN vacuum pump trailer systems (see the online version of this report
for a picture), which arrived in mid-winter, to vacuum out the waste
from our fish rearing containers, and storing it until we can land-apply
the fish manure on agricultural land. Each discharge pipe must be
permitted, sampled and tested, so we are consolidating pipes to reduce the
number of discharge points for monitoring. New Hampton Hatchery and
Powder Mill Hatchery will be sites of mini "big digs" for pipe work t
his July, after spring trout stocking is completed in the southern
part of the state. The pH limit is 6.5 to 8.0, which we are violating
because of naturally occurring pH, so we must conduct a study for a year to
have our limit adjusted to meet naturally occurring pH ranges.
Obviously, raising fish is a highly technical task, and it's becoming
more and more regulated and difficult. But we have resilient and
hard-working people getting it done, in spite of obstacles.
(For more behind-the-scenes hatchery information, visit last year's
hatchery report at
http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Fishing/Fishing_Reports/Fishing_Reports
_2004/fishing_report_041504.htm.)
I think there is still a lot of ice yet to melt in some ponds. I could
hardly believe how much ice there was on Silver Lake just a few weeks
ago, when I was ice fishing there for lake trout. It was thicker than
the handle on my skimmer was long. From watching other people's ice
augers, I'd guess it was between two and three feet thick.
I caught a laker. It was not as big as I thought, it just got caught
aft of mid body and felt bigger than it was. I also saw a beautiful
dark-colored Milford Hatchery rainbow, and a wonderful smallmouth bass. I
remembered to use sunscreen, but I did not wear sunglasses to protect my
eyes, so they got pretty sore. I was plenty relaxed by the time I got
home. A wild turkey was gobbling around dawn, when I got there, and
there was a good view of Mount Monadnock in the distance. Spring is really
here, and only a little more than a week before the season begins on
trout ponds....
Bob
><> VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR SALMON FRY STOCKING IN APRIL AND MAY <><
NORTHERN NH/Upper Connecticut River watershed:
May 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 16.
Contact Andrew Schafermeyer, Fisheries Biologist, (603) 788-3164 or
aschafermeyer@nhfgd.org.
INFO:
http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Newsroom/News_2005/News_2005_Q2/Salmon_
Stock_North_040705.htm
CENTRAL NH/Merrimack River watershed:
April 19, 20, 21; and May 4, 10,17, 19, 24, 25.
Contact Vikki at Fish and Game headquarters in Concord, (603) 271-2501
or fish@wildlife.state.nh.us.
INFO:
http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Newsroom/News_2005/News_2005_Q2/Salmon_
Stock_Merrimack_040705.htm
><> JONES POND NOTE <><
Jones Pond, a fly-fishing-only pond located within the Jones Brook
Wildlife Management Area in Middleton, will not be stocked with trout
during the 2005 season because of serious structural integrity issues with
the pond's earthen outlet dam, the New Hampshire Fish and Game
Department reported today.
INFO:
http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Newsroom/News_2005/News_2005_Q2/Jones_Pond_
041305.htm
><> BROOD STOCK SALMON FLY-FISHING EXPO MAY 7 <><
Fly anglers: improve your skills at a free Brood Stock Salmon Fishing
Expo on Concord, Saturday, May 7.
INFO:
http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Newsroom/News_2005/News_2005_Q2/Brood_
Stock_Expo_041205.htm
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FEDERAL AID IN SPORT FISH AND WILDLIFE RESTORATION
A User-Pay, User-Benefit Program
Researching and managing fisheries and teaching people about aquatic
ecosystems are funded by your license dollars and by the Federal Aid in
Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program. Your purchases of fishing
equipment and motorboat fuels make a difference to New Hampshire's
fisheries. To learn more, visit
http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/SFWR_program/sfwr_program.htm.
--
Copyright 2005 New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, 11 Hazen Drive,
Concord, NH 03301. Comments or questions concerning this list should
be directed to lpoinier@wildlife.state.nh.us.
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