Fishing Column
By Martin Armstrong
Special Correspondent
Posted: 04/04/2009 07:02:05 PM EDT
On April 14, the DEP Marine Fisheries Division will host a public hearing of the Atlantic State Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) to take public comment on Draft Addendum 1 to the Interstate Fisheries Management Plan for Winter Flounder. The Draft Addendum will propose a suite of management measures to reduce fishing including zero possession limits, commercial trip limits, recreation bag/size and seasonal limits and measures to prevent an influx of effort in state waters.
This action is taken in response to the findings of the 2008 Groundfish Assessment Report Meeting (GARM III), which estimates that the Southern New England winter flounder complex is at 9 percent of the target biomass. It concludes that overfishing of winter flounder is occurring.
Federal management measures designed to significantly reduce fishing mortality in federal waters are pending. Federal waters are defined at those waters located 3 to 200 miles from the coastline.
Copies of the Addendum can be obtained via the Commission's Web site at www.asmfc.org under Breaking News or by contacting the commission at 202-289-6400.
The Connecticut hearing will be held on Thursday, April 14, 2009 at 7 p.m. at the DEP Marine Headquarters, 333 Ferry Road, Old Lyme. Take I-95 to Exit 70, Route 156. Turn right (South) and Ferry Road is on the right. The meeting will be held at the Education Center that is located at the rear of the property.
Fisherman and other
interested groups are encouraged to provide input on the Addendum either by attending the public hearing or by providing written comments. Public comments will be accepted until 5 pm on April 28, 2009. Address your comments to Chris Vonderweidt, Fisheries Management Plan Coordinator, 1444 Eye Street NW, Sixth Floor, Washington D.C. 20005.
You can also fax your comments to 202-289-6051 or by e-mail to comments@asmfc.org. If you use e-mail to send your comments to ASMFC be sure and type 'Winter Flounder' in the subject line.
You can get more information by calling Vonderweidt at 202-289-6400 or contact the DEP Marine Fisheries Division. P.O. Box 719. Old Lyme, CT 06371. You can also call Connecticut DEP Marine Fisheries at 860-434-6043 between the hours of 8:30 am and 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday.
q
Are you concerned by the proposal now making the rounds in Hartford to increase the cost of purchasing a Connecticut freshwater fishing license? Well, so am I.
As far as I am concerned the proposal is ill conceived for a couple of reasons.
First it will probably produce a net loss for the state. Every year the number of anglers actually purchasing a license drops. Why? Simply put, why bother to buy a fishing license when there is only a small likelihood that you will ever run into Conservation Officer while fishing.
Frankly, I can't remember when the last time I was checked. But, like most fishermen I am a moral citizen and I purchase a license every year.
I am not in favor of a rate increase for another reason. Funds raised by the sales of licenses do not directly go to the Department of Environmental Protection. License fees go directly to the General Fund where our Legislators decide where it is spent. I am a firm believer in user pays. If I decide to pay - which I will - I want my money to go directly back to the Fisheries Division.
The folks at Fisherman's World, located at Liberty Square in Norwalk, are collecting signatures on a petition to the legislature asking that if there is to be an increase the funds must go to the DEP.
Stop by Fisherman's World and add your name to the petition.
q
Last week really felt like spring. The weather was warm, fish were biting and there was a big stonefly hatch.
Kevin Miller and Mike Noyes fished the Mianus Trout Management Area last Tuesday. Kevin said that the stonefly hatch was so intense that both he and Mike were practically covered by the thousands of flies landing on them while they fished.
And apparently the fish enjoyed the hatch as they caught and released 13 rainbow, brook and brown trout while fly-fishing with, you guessed it, stoneflies. Kevin caught the largest fish, a 14-inch brown trout.
Scott Atkinson and Anthony Catnavero, both 14-years-old, also fished the Mianus TMA last week. They caught and released several fish including a 14-inch rainbow. They were using single-hook Rooster Tails.
Other anglers traveled out of state to fish last week. Take Gene Barry and his girlfriend, Phyliss, for instance. They went to New Hampshire where they fished the still ice-covered Lake Winnipesaukee. They caught lots of crappies.
When Gene Barry returned he fished Triticus and Muscoot Reservoirs in New York with Joe Horvath. Using flatheads for bait, they caught lots of crappies weighing up to 2-pounds.
Paul McFarlan found success at Kensico Reservoir. He caught lake trout weighing up to 4-pounds using shiners.
Also doing well at Kensico was Chris Miller. He reeled in several lake and brown trout using shiners. His largest fish was a nice 5-pound brown trout.
Frank Wasco also caught some nice lake trout at Kensico. His largest fish tipped the scales at 4-pounds and was taken on a shiner.
Not to be outdone was Pete Miller. He caught a 6-pound and a 4-pound lake trout while fishing at Kensico but that wasn't good enough. He also caught a loon. While tossing a line with a live shiner the loon swooped down and got hooked at the beak. Fortunately the loon was released unharmed.
Scott Loecher took some time off from work at Fisherman's World to fly to the Bahamas with Tom Martin to bonefish with their friend, Colin. Fighting the constant breezes they managed to catch lots of bonefish. Their largest fish was an 8-pounder. They were fly-fishing using "Gotcha" and "Charlie" pattern flies.
On the saltwater scene Hank Weis of Sparky Charters caught the first winter flounder reported this season. On opening day, April 1, he dropped a line while cleaning his boat at the dock in Cos Cob Harbor. Baited with a sandworm, Hank caught a 13-inch flattie.
The winter flounder is not the only fish in Cos Cob Harbor. Unofficially, 7,000 herring have already made it up the Mianus River fish ladder.
It is beginning to look like 2009 is going to be a great year for Connecticut fishermen.
Martin Armstrong is a member of the Fisheries Advisory Council, a lifetime member in Trout Unlimited and a member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America.
By Martin Armstrong
Special Correspondent
Posted: 04/04/2009 07:02:05 PM EDT
On April 14, the DEP Marine Fisheries Division will host a public hearing of the Atlantic State Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) to take public comment on Draft Addendum 1 to the Interstate Fisheries Management Plan for Winter Flounder. The Draft Addendum will propose a suite of management measures to reduce fishing including zero possession limits, commercial trip limits, recreation bag/size and seasonal limits and measures to prevent an influx of effort in state waters.
This action is taken in response to the findings of the 2008 Groundfish Assessment Report Meeting (GARM III), which estimates that the Southern New England winter flounder complex is at 9 percent of the target biomass. It concludes that overfishing of winter flounder is occurring.
Federal management measures designed to significantly reduce fishing mortality in federal waters are pending. Federal waters are defined at those waters located 3 to 200 miles from the coastline.
Copies of the Addendum can be obtained via the Commission's Web site at www.asmfc.org under Breaking News or by contacting the commission at 202-289-6400.
The Connecticut hearing will be held on Thursday, April 14, 2009 at 7 p.m. at the DEP Marine Headquarters, 333 Ferry Road, Old Lyme. Take I-95 to Exit 70, Route 156. Turn right (South) and Ferry Road is on the right. The meeting will be held at the Education Center that is located at the rear of the property.
Fisherman and other
interested groups are encouraged to provide input on the Addendum either by attending the public hearing or by providing written comments. Public comments will be accepted until 5 pm on April 28, 2009. Address your comments to Chris Vonderweidt, Fisheries Management Plan Coordinator, 1444 Eye Street NW, Sixth Floor, Washington D.C. 20005.
You can also fax your comments to 202-289-6051 or by e-mail to comments@asmfc.org. If you use e-mail to send your comments to ASMFC be sure and type 'Winter Flounder' in the subject line.
You can get more information by calling Vonderweidt at 202-289-6400 or contact the DEP Marine Fisheries Division. P.O. Box 719. Old Lyme, CT 06371. You can also call Connecticut DEP Marine Fisheries at 860-434-6043 between the hours of 8:30 am and 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday.
q
Are you concerned by the proposal now making the rounds in Hartford to increase the cost of purchasing a Connecticut freshwater fishing license? Well, so am I.
As far as I am concerned the proposal is ill conceived for a couple of reasons.
First it will probably produce a net loss for the state. Every year the number of anglers actually purchasing a license drops. Why? Simply put, why bother to buy a fishing license when there is only a small likelihood that you will ever run into Conservation Officer while fishing.
Frankly, I can't remember when the last time I was checked. But, like most fishermen I am a moral citizen and I purchase a license every year.
I am not in favor of a rate increase for another reason. Funds raised by the sales of licenses do not directly go to the Department of Environmental Protection. License fees go directly to the General Fund where our Legislators decide where it is spent. I am a firm believer in user pays. If I decide to pay - which I will - I want my money to go directly back to the Fisheries Division.
The folks at Fisherman's World, located at Liberty Square in Norwalk, are collecting signatures on a petition to the legislature asking that if there is to be an increase the funds must go to the DEP.
Stop by Fisherman's World and add your name to the petition.
q
Last week really felt like spring. The weather was warm, fish were biting and there was a big stonefly hatch.
Kevin Miller and Mike Noyes fished the Mianus Trout Management Area last Tuesday. Kevin said that the stonefly hatch was so intense that both he and Mike were practically covered by the thousands of flies landing on them while they fished.
And apparently the fish enjoyed the hatch as they caught and released 13 rainbow, brook and brown trout while fly-fishing with, you guessed it, stoneflies. Kevin caught the largest fish, a 14-inch brown trout.
Scott Atkinson and Anthony Catnavero, both 14-years-old, also fished the Mianus TMA last week. They caught and released several fish including a 14-inch rainbow. They were using single-hook Rooster Tails.
Other anglers traveled out of state to fish last week. Take Gene Barry and his girlfriend, Phyliss, for instance. They went to New Hampshire where they fished the still ice-covered Lake Winnipesaukee. They caught lots of crappies.
When Gene Barry returned he fished Triticus and Muscoot Reservoirs in New York with Joe Horvath. Using flatheads for bait, they caught lots of crappies weighing up to 2-pounds.
Paul McFarlan found success at Kensico Reservoir. He caught lake trout weighing up to 4-pounds using shiners.
Also doing well at Kensico was Chris Miller. He reeled in several lake and brown trout using shiners. His largest fish was a nice 5-pound brown trout.
Frank Wasco also caught some nice lake trout at Kensico. His largest fish tipped the scales at 4-pounds and was taken on a shiner.
Not to be outdone was Pete Miller. He caught a 6-pound and a 4-pound lake trout while fishing at Kensico but that wasn't good enough. He also caught a loon. While tossing a line with a live shiner the loon swooped down and got hooked at the beak. Fortunately the loon was released unharmed.
Scott Loecher took some time off from work at Fisherman's World to fly to the Bahamas with Tom Martin to bonefish with their friend, Colin. Fighting the constant breezes they managed to catch lots of bonefish. Their largest fish was an 8-pounder. They were fly-fishing using "Gotcha" and "Charlie" pattern flies.
On the saltwater scene Hank Weis of Sparky Charters caught the first winter flounder reported this season. On opening day, April 1, he dropped a line while cleaning his boat at the dock in Cos Cob Harbor. Baited with a sandworm, Hank caught a 13-inch flattie.
The winter flounder is not the only fish in Cos Cob Harbor. Unofficially, 7,000 herring have already made it up the Mianus River fish ladder.
It is beginning to look like 2009 is going to be a great year for Connecticut fishermen.
Martin Armstrong is a member of the Fisheries Advisory Council, a lifetime member in Trout Unlimited and a member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America.