Matthew Dickerson, Addison Independent, June 18, 1998
It's that time of year again. Schools are shutting their doors for the summer. And as our local sports teams (many having enjoyed highly successful seasons) pack up their equipment, the popular pen of Ziggy departs for a well-earned vacation. Which means it's time for the subs to come off the bench. Fortunately, fishing season is well under way and there is already plenty to write about. Indeed, I've spent the past several weeks pondering my summer column. (Entering its second run, it is I suppose too early to call it an annual event.) Twelve months ago, I was writing about the unusually late spring, and that good late-spring fishing conditions were likely to last through June and well into July. Which shows how much things can change from year to year. In marked contrast to 1997, spring came as early this year as I've ever seen it. The last week of March saw temperatures soar into the 80s, with the last hard frost in Bristol coming in April. Ice-out on many lakes was a full two weeks early. And I'd never before seen streams running so clear and low on the opening day of trout season. It was bad news for late-season skiers, but good news for early-season fishing.
A call to fish health biologist Barbara Johnston (Fish and Wildlife Department) confirmed what I had suspected: state-wide stocking efforts are ahead of schedule. The state divides its stocking efforts into two categories: maintenance stockings (supporting the fish populations of larger lakes), and put-and-take stockings (fish stocked in streams and smaller ponds which, as the names suggests, are not expected to last the angling season without being caught). Most put-and-take stocking usually happens in May, when water conditions are ideal for trout survival. This year, the conditions in the state's streams and rivers allowed for a much earlier stocking. Some local rivers were stocked as early as April 22. Mad River and Lewis and Otter Creeks had all received brook trout by the end of April. Middlebury and New Haven rivers and Furnace Brook followed shortly after. A second factor allowing for the earlier stream-stocking this season is that beginning in 1998 the state began maintenance stocking of lakes during the winter months. Lake Champlain, for example, received fish (a large number of brown, rainbow and lake trout, and salmon) every month from December to April. This freed the stocking trucks for put-and-take earlier in the year. Though a few streams (such as the lower Otter Creek) still await their annual infusion of hatchery-bred trout, the state was 85% done with its stocking program by the start of June. As for next year, the orders are already in. The state's 10 fisheries biologists put in their orders for their five regions two years in advance. So the state hatcheries are now trying to meet the demand for the year 2000.
Of course the entire put-and-take stocking program is questioned by many
who would prefer to see rivers managed for more wild fisheries--which would
entail, among other things, significantly lower creel limits. But I'll wait
for a later week before addressing anything so controversial. Right now,
I'm just trying to decide where to go tomorrow morning. I'm considering
one of my favorite spots, which is... oops. I'm out of space. I'll have
to write about it in my next column.