Stocking Trout Is An Icy Business This Year

Fishermen hooking trout on opening day April 19 will have no idea what it took to make that possible. The ice this year was so thick, chainsaws were needed to cut though and open holes for trout stocking in Connecticut waters. Tim Barry, who heads the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection's trout stocking program, said, "In my 30 years with the department, I've never seen conditions like this." "All the lakes were stocked through the ice," Barry added. "It was very difficut Some mornings were so frigid, stocking had to be suspended for fear the fish would suffer cold shock and die. Because of delays caused by the prolonged cold, Barry said, it will take a "herculean effort" to reach the DEEP's goal of stocking 100 lakes and ponds and 200 rivers and streams before lines hit the water next month. "I think we'll get all of the lakes done and the big rivers – like the Farmington and the Salmon – but I'm not sure if we'll get to all of the streams," Barry said. He said he was putting in a request to allow stocking crews to work weekends in advance of opening day. The department is also short two trucks, which could mean additional delays. The DEEP begins spring trout stocking at the end of February, releasing 650,000 fish into state waters. In this two-stage process, fish are released prior to opening day, and "in season" from opening day until the end of May. The three species of trout -- brown, brook and rainbow -- come from state hatcheries in Kensington and Burlington and the Quinebaug State Hatchery in Plainville. To stock lakes when the water is open, trucks just back up and release the trout. However, when the water is iced over, the fish have to be transferred into holding tanks and hauled onto the frozen surface. Then, crews with power augurs and chainsaws open holes for release. This extra work has delayed stream stocking, Barry said. Also, stocking had to be suspended some days because of the intense cold. "Some mornings it was hovering around zero degrees, and because of safety concerns, we made a decision not to go out," he said. http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-trout-stocking-in-ice-20140324,0,4814134.story