The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1922-02-09
BROWN TROUT
FOR COUNTY
RIVER AND POND
$4,000 Fingerlings Will Be
Planted Early In the
Spring

H. Dinsmore of the National hat
cherry and the Caledonia Forest
and Stream club Maj H. p. Shei-
don, the State Fish and Game COM
missioner, has endorsed an appli-
cation for 10000 brown trout ing
erling for Caledonia county waters.
These will arrive at the St. Johns
bury hatchery early in the spring
and after being fed for few
weeks will be distributed into
their new homes. 1t is the plan
of the club to have the most of
the trout planted in the Passump-
sic river with few in Stiles
pond. As the brown trout might
destroy their smaller cousins, the
brook trout, the fingerlings will
be planted in Passumpic river
below the streams that are stock
ed with brook trout. None of
the fingerlinps will be planted be-
low above the dam at Pierce's
mills at st. Johnsburv Center and
it is not expected that the fish can
get into the Water Andric brook
at Barnet because Of the steep
falls just at the mouth.
English waters, particularly near
the great cities, have been stocked
for many years with brown trout
and this has made fishermen of
many city folks who never dream
ed before of handling rod. Many
of the river and streams near the
manufacturing cities are held rig
orously private and strictly pre-
served. but. most of the English
men obtain their sport in the lakes
and artificial reservoirs of the
municipalities which have been
stocked with brown trout. IN
Blagdon lake, which supplies the
municipality of Bristol with its
water, the records of the catch
read like the wildet dream of an
angler, Here the average weight
Of trout taken makes the lake
record lake for brown trout. The
average weight per fish of Il
days catch runs for successive OPP
en- seasons: five pounds, six
ounces, three oounds three
ounces, two pounds, eioht ounces,
and running up again to two
pounds eleven ounces. One fish
erman took out twenty and one
half pounds, his largest fish weigh
ing about nine pounds. Another
in one days fishing caught TWEEN
ty-four pounds. 1t is said that
from forty to fifty pounds weight
per day fell regularly to sinole
expert fisherman. Up to the be-
ginning of the last war 40 Eng
lish municipalities had their water
supplies stocked with brown trouJ
and open to the fishing public at
d slight rental. 1t was found that
not only did this give an on"ort-
unity for indoor workers to enjoy
one Of the most hcalthful of sum-
mcr sports, but it actually was
found to bring a fair profit to the
cities, and "a profit aside from the
food value Of the fish caught by
the fishermen.
Based on the success Of the Eng
lish municipalities the city of Neu
York has placed at the disposal
of the angling public the Esopus
river which has been magnificently
stocked with brown trout. and has
been open to the public for some
years. Non-residents must take
out license, but to New Workers
the privilege of fishing is free
InaSmuch as Stiles pond and the
Passumpsic river will soon be
planted with these fish it is inter-
csting to note some Of the char
acteristic5 of the fish. In the first
place they do not render the water
foul, but purify the water. The
reason are easily understood. Fish
even trout, are kind Of scaven-
ger, Frog and frog spawn will
pollute the reservoirs. grasshop-
pers, beetles and other forms of
life are washed into municipal res
ervoirs and the fish will promptly
dispose of them. Scientists also
claim that the agitation of the
breathing of the fish tends to in
crease the pulit'- of the water.
The brown trout can stand
much higher temperature than
the brook trout and hence it is
believed they will thrive and mul-
tiply in the Passumpsic river. A.
they grow larger than the brook
trout it is nat expected they will
find their way into the Caledonia
county streams already stocked
with brook trout, but will confne
their habitat t. the Passumnisc /
river and when grown up fill fur
nish a lot of sport for local fish +,
crmen.
Three specimens of this fish have
been caught in water at st. Johns
bury Center and Lyndonville in
recent years. just how they came
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