|
A new chapter for the Hoosic River
Counting both the north and south branch, the Hoosic river flows for 29 miles in Massachusetts to the Vermont border. The south branch starts at Cheshire Lake and flows north through the towns of Cheshire, Adams, and North Adams.
|
...Continued
from top
Their tackle boxes and rods at the ready, these anglers pull in behind a truck to form a small parade of vehicles, bound for a body of water that's on the day's stocking list.
As the truck crew pulls up, hops out and begins to toss the rainbow, brown, brook and tiger (a brown/brook hybrid) trout into the water, the followers are right there, "sportsmen" out to enjoy some "fishing."
Officialy, MassWildlife frowns on such activity. Ask a veteran fish-truck driver such as Bob Chapin, and he'll admit it can drive you nuts.
"Some people . . ." Chapin said, shaking his head and letting his words drift off.
But suddenly he's back on the subject, like a fish on a fly.
"Some guys can get pretty tricky, but so can I; you just have to out-sneak 'em," he said with a chuckle.
"When vulturous anglers follow in their vehicles," Chapin said, "there's really not much you can do about it."
But sometimes, you can.
The state wildlife agency's fish hatcheries are located in Belchertown, by the Quabbin Reservoir in central Massachusetts; in Sandwich on Cape Cod; in Sunderland, at the Connecticut River; and in the southern Berkshires town of Montague.
While the sites are spread across the commonwealth, each hatchery services the entire state (the spring stocking schedule wraps up this weekend.)
One time, Chapin recalled, "I loaded up at Belchertown and this guy followed me right from the hatchery. So I hopped up on the Mass. Pike., and speeded up. He may have thought I was just trying to shake him. But I was on my way to Milford.
"I kinda wished he followed me all the way," the driver said wistfully.
Some years ago, this reporter was with a tank truck that picked up several vehicles which turned wherever we did, until we arrived at the banks of the Squannacook River.
The cars pulled in right behind and one of the drivers emerged immediately, fishing rod at the ready. When asked if tossing a line in just as fish were being introduced to the stream was not a bit unsporting, the angler grew defensive and drove away.
But such scenarios are becoming less common, wildlife officials said.
"Nowadays, most people are pretty respectful of what we're trying to do," said state fish ecologist Ken Simmons. "Plus, we put all our stocking information up on the Web site, and that means everybody can get the same information."
(Go to .org for updates.)
Most important, most anglers are critical of those who chase the trucks.
Jim Theve of Northboro, who fishes the Assabet River regularly, has no use for such activity.
"I throw everything back," he said. "I'd rather find the fish on my own, anyway."
Two teen anglers participating in a Hudson High School environmental science project on the Assabet agreed.
"It's not really sporting," Alex Latzka said.
But classmate Keith Duplisea uttered the ultimate putdown.
"What those fishermen do," he said, "is just lame."
Caption: Wildlife official Ken Simmons talks to a fisherman.
Caption: A Mass. Wildlife truck stocks Northboro waterways.
Caption: Trout are dropped from a net by Mass. Wildlife fish stockers in Northboro.
Caption: SAY `WORM': Hudson High School student Sara Crossman snaps a picture of a trout before it enters the water.
STAFF PHOTOS BY MARK GARFINKEL
|