The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-05-31
Hunting and Fisliing
 By VALLoN GENE

NOW IT CAN BE TOLD - The thunder has ceaSed-the waters of Quassy are now calm and peaceful. Oh yes, they are also officially ac- knowledged to be deep and cold; per last Tuesday nights Hunting and Fishing program and our guest Dr. Russell P. Hunter. Supt. of the State Board of Fish & Game.
 We felt obliged to get Dr. Hunter down here last Tuesday night. With petitions being circulated and signed; newspaper articles with views and quotations underlined; and all with a different purpose or solution in mind; it seemed that the only way to get an answer or to find a way out of this general mess, was to get the person sup posedly responsible down here and talk it over. That's what we did. Yes and the same results that petitions and news-stories were ex- pe0ted to bring about were al- ready accomplished during a fifteen minute broadcast; and 1t was as easy as pie. Ask someone who tuned in.
 First, let's talk about Quassy and the petitions regarding 1t. Most of the forms being circulated and signed want either more bass or more trout--or more of each. Good idea. Your writer is all out for more of any of the piscatorial species in any legal size, color, shape, or forIn-and in any of our inland waters Quassy or otherwise. True enough we go out for the sport. and don't expect to feed the neighbor- hood with our full creel. on our return. But we like to see some thing that looks like fiSh-thus offering an incentive to stay there lat least for the fresh air"
 In many spots in our state, we don't even get this incentive. But why single out Lake Quassapaugp ? How about the Mad River and Hancock Brook and so forth? By complaining only about Quassy, do the sportsmen mean to imply that fishing everywhere else is fine? Let's hope not.
 Well, as a point of information, plans to stock Quassy with Bass and Trout will already have been undertaken by the State before the petitions arrive in Hartford. But how much will that help? The State still has only 25O,0OO trout to cover this season - so, what Quassy gets in trout, some other spot will do without. Then it turns out to be the same old story next year or the year after, No fish more petitions"
 Before we make our suggestion, let's take another glance at Quassy.
 According to biological survey taken by the board, under the di- rection of Aquatic Biologist Lyle Thorpe, Quassy at the present time has as many bass as 1t can natural ly feed. Why very few if any, are biting, is not known. But this lake Is more suitable for bass than for trout. Yet, good fishing cannot be afforded with both bass and trout in this same lake.
 In spite o6 this, the State has stocked Quassy with rainbows on various occasions in the past, to suit the demands of sportsmen. pr. Hunter admitted that the lake was not stocked regularly or systematic ally. This was because of the man. power shortage during the war, but this condition does not exist at the present and 1t is expected that the lake will be under regular check and care in the future. But the fact still remains that the lake will never furnish good fishing for both bass and trout at the same time. It will have to be only bass, pickerel and perch, or only rainbows. You name it.
 Now our suggestion. There defi- nitely is nothing wrong with petiti- ons, especially when you want something you have paid for in h- cense fees and haven't received. But it is your writer's opinion the ones circulating at the present are too conservative. Yes conservative not radical
 If all the enthusiasm, publicity, and concern given to Quassy during the past week was focused on bet tering the state as a whole, by pe- titioning the State Legislature for more funds, good Hunting and Fishing would be here to stay. Yes, it can be done.
 Group meetings of sportsmen and club representatives were instigated by your writer last year with this ultimate purpose in mind. Do you know what happened? We started of fine. Fifty at the first meet ing-"f1ve" at the next-and the next meeting shouldn't have been planned because poor Jim Little john had the Scovill meeting-room heated for nothing. They say the Hunting Season started the day af- ter the first meeting.
 Would you like to take another
 V? They say sportsmen with an
 tanization behind them speak
 Nh louder and more effectively
 Ne General Assembly than a
 on on the superintendent's
 ,-sk. Contact your writer or Otis
 Jaouette, president of the Water s ,11Irv rish Hy Gana prntpntiUa ASS'T