AVID FISHERMEN AND WOMEN -- THIS NEXT STORY IS FOR YOU.
IF THE FISH AREN'T BITING AT YOUR LOCAL FISHING HOLE, YOU
MIGHT WANT TO TURN TO THE INTERNET FOR HELP.
THE MASS WILDLIFE DIVISION OF FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE SITE TO
BE SPECIFIC.
EVERY YEAR MASS WILDLIFE OVERSEES A COORDINATED EFFORT TO
RAISE AND RELEASE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF FISH INTO ROUGHLY
500 RIVERS, STREAMS, LAKES AND PONDS.
YOU CAN TRACK WHAT WATERWAYS HAVE BEEN STOCKED BY VISITING
THEIR WEB SITE.
THE SITE WON'T TELL YOU WHERE THEY ARE GOING -- THAT WOULDN'T
BE FAIR -- BUT IT WILL TELL YOU WHERE THEY'VE BEEN.
PRODUCER DAVE FRASER “HOOKED” UP WITH THE TROUT STOCKING CREW
FROM THE CONNECTICUT VALLEY DISTRICT RECENTLY, AND SHARES
THIS STORY.
>> WHAT MIGHT LOOK A LITTLE ODD AT FIRST IS ACTUALLY A CAREFULLY
ORCHESTRATED PROGRAM CONDUCTED EVERY SPRING BY MASS WILDLIFE'S
DIVISION OF FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE.
IT'S CALLED TROUT STOCKING.
AFTER THE WINTER SNOW AND ICE HAVE MELTED AND THE WATER
CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE, CREWS FROM 5 DIFFERENT DISTRICTS
ACROSS THE STATE LOAD UP THEIR TRUCKS AND HEAD TO PREDETERMINED
WATERWAYS TO STOCK THEM WITH BROOK, BROWN, RAINBOW AND TIGER
TROUT.
>> THE MAXIMUM TIME OF THE YEAR IN THE SPRING WE MAY HAVE AS
MANY AS A QUARTER OF A MILLION FISH ON STATION.
400 RAINBOWS AND 400 BROWNS AND WE STOCK OUT 150,000
APPROXIMATELY EVERY SPRING AND MAYBE ANOTHER 10 OR,000 IN THE
FALL.
>> THE DAY BEGINS AT THE FISH HATCHERY IN SUND JERLAND.
THE 45-ACRE FACILITY HAS A NUMBER OF RECTANGULAR PONDS
CALLED RACEWAYS EACHED COVERED WITH NEITHER TO PROTECT THEM
FROM PREDATORS.
>> THERE'S A GOOD 18,300.
SO THIS IS A TIME WE'RE GETTING NEW YOUNG OF THE YEAR FISH WE
CALL FINGERLINGS 1 TO 2 INCHES AND WE FUNCTION AS A REARING
FACILITY WHERE WE GROW THEM OUT FROM THE 1 TO 2 INCHES LONG TO 2
POUNDS BIG AND WE CAN DO SO IN JUST ABOUT 2 YEARS.
THERE'S SOME 15, 16 INCHES UP EASILY.
>> THE TRUCKS HAVE INDIVIDUAL TANKS WHICH HELP SORT THE FISH
BASED ON SPECIES AND WHAT WATER SUPPLY THEY ARE GOING TO.
>> WE TRY TO MAKE IT AS STRESS-FREE AS POSSIBLE AND IN
DOING SO WHEN THEY'RE IN A TANK THEY'RE IN A DARK ENVIRONMENT
AND THEY CALM DOWN.
WE ADD OXYGEN TO THE WATER AND WE HAVE BOTTLED OXYGEN ON WATER
SO WE TRY TO OPTIMIZE THE CONDITIONS AND REDUCE THE STRESS
ON OUR FISH DURING THE RIDE TO WHEREVER THEY'RE GOING AS MUCH
POSSIBLE.
>> PERFECT.
>> ON THIS DAY, CONNECTICUT BALI DISTRICT BIOLOGIST RYAN KELE HER
AND TECHNICIAN CHRIS CONNERS LOADED A MIX OF 14-INCH BROWN
TROUT AND 12-INCH RAINBOWS.
THEY THEN HEADED OUT TO 4 LOCATIONS.
PEPPER MILLPOND IN BELCHER TOWN, FOREST LAKE IN WEIR AND TWO
STOPS ALONG THE WEIR RIVER.
>> SO I'M ONE OF 5 DISTRICT BIOLOGISTS.
I COVER ONE OF THE 5 WILDLIFE DISTRICTS.
THIS IS CONNECTICUT WILDLIFE DISTRICT WE STOCK 100,000 FISH.
WE PUT 800 TODAY.
>> YOU CAN TRACK BY LOGGING ON MASS WILDLIFE WEBSITE.
THERE THEY CAN FIND A LIST OF WATERWAYS IN THE DISTRICT TO SEE
IF THEY HAVE BEEN STOCKED YET OR NOT.
KELLER HER SAYS IT'S IMPORTANT NOT TO BE TOO FORTHCOMING WITH
THE LOCATIONS THEY ARE VISIT.
>> WE'RE NOT TECHNICAL THE TRUCK FOLLOWING IF THEY LEAVE AND
WE'LL BE FOLLOWED WE'RE GREETED USUALLY WITH HAPPY FACES, HAPPY
PEOPLE, GIVING THUMB'S UP ON THE HIGHWAY.
>> THE TIME SPENT AT EACH LOCATION IS RELATIVELY QUICK.
THE FISH ARE SCOOPED OUT OF THE TANK BY NET AND QUICKLY RUN DOWN
TO THE WATER'S EDGE AND LITERALLY TOSSED IN.
IT'S AS SIMPLE AS THAT.
>> WE TRY TO GO AS QUICKLY AND THERE'S NO WATER IN THE NET AND
THE FISH CAN'T BREATHE SO WE TRY TO GO QUICKLY WITH THE SAFETY OF
THE FISH.
>> BOTH RAINBOW AND BROWN TROUT ARE NOT NATIVE TO MASSACHUSETTS
AND SO THE HOPE THAT WAS FISH WILL SPAWN OR GROW IS NOT THE
INTENT.
THE GOAL IS TO PROVIDE RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES TO
THE THOUSANDS OF ANGULARS WHO ENJOY THE SPORT OF FISHING.
>> EVERY YEAR WE REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO THIS.
WE'VE DONE A LOT OF HARD WORK TO TRY TO GET THE FISH TO THIS
POINT.
IT'S SOMETHING BOTH YOUNG AND OLD CAN ENJOY AND PARTICIPATE
IN, AND SO WHEN THEY'RE GETTING EXCITED, WE'RE GETTING EXCITED.
IT'S A GOOD TIME TO GET OUT THERE AND SO THIS WAS A
RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITY THAT'S BEEN CREATED OVER 100 YEARS AGO
FOR THE PUBLIC TO GET OUT AND ENJOY AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT THAT'S OUT THERE, AND SO IT'S DONE
PRIMARILY FOR RECREATIONAL PURPOSES.
WE HAVE FOLKS THAT COME OUT JUST LIKE TO CATCH AND RELEASE THEM
AND LET OF THEM GOME.
SOME TAKE THEM HOME TO EAT THEY'RE REALLY DELICIOUS BUT
IT'S REALLY TO GET THEM OUT THERE.
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