Many streams in the region may not receive their first allocation of trout ahead of opening day.
The season opens on Sunday, and anglers may have to do a little hunting ahead of their fishing. Last week’s weather pushed some schedules out because of poor road conditions. Some Dutchess County streams will receive fish prior to the opener, other will have to wait.
Ken Rose coordinates stocking activity with the Department of Environmental Conservation. He said that even though all the streams will not get stocked by Sunday, they are all in good shape.He recorded water temperatures in the low 40s in the streams that have received fish. He noted that they are well within their banks and they are running fairly clear. Just remember that you may not see as many fish as usual.
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Eventually, all of the streams that have been allocated fish, will receive them.
The trout are trucked in from the Catskill Hatchery in Sullivan County. This year, Dutchess County will receive approximately 53,000 trout, about the same as last year. About 10 percent of them will be 2-year-olds, between 12- and 15-inches long. Most will be 1-year-olds of about 8-9 inches.
Rose coordinates several teams of volunteers who distribute fish in five-gallon buckets. They try to see that at least some of the fish are dumped in areas of the streams away from the roadside and bridges. The process takes from several hours to most of the day for each of the watersheds. Several dozen volunteers are involved.
If conditions stay as they are right now it should be a great season. The weather forecasters are predicting above-freezing temps for Sunday morning and a high Sunday morning of 55 degrees by 2 p.m.So, whether you plan to flyfish, spinfish or dunk worms, you will be able to do it in relative comfort.
Make sure you have a current fishing license. If you have yet to purchase one, remember that it will be valid for one year from the date of purchase.
You should also know the regulations for any waters you plan to fish. The state-wide trout regulations are a five-fish-daily creel limit and no-size limit, but there are exceptions. You can expect to see Environmental Conservation Officers out there checking to see that everyone is playing by the rules.
The Fishing Regulations Guide is available from license issuing agents or you can read it online at www.dec.ny.gov
Think your catch is a trophy? Check with DEC
Two New State Record-Breaking Catches were registered last season. In 2017, Eric Scordo caught a 35-pound, 3-ouncechannel catfish from Lake Ontario (Jefferson County) on April 29, and Jason Bair caught a 36-pound freshwater drum from Oneida Lake (Oneida County) on June 16.
Angler Achievement Awards recognize anglers that catch freshwater fish that meet specific qualifying criteria. In addition to the official recognition of their catch, anglers receive a lapel pin to commemorate their achievement.
There were other impressive catches last year, also, includinga 39-inch lake trout caught and released from Lake Erie (Chautauqua County), a 7-pound, 10-ounce largemouth bass caught from Loch Sheldrake Lake (Sullivan County), and a 58-inch muskellunge caught and released from the St. Lawrence River (Jefferson County).
The program's three categories are Catch & Release, Annual Award (kept fish), and State Record. With 43 eligible fish species, the possibilities for anglers of all skill levels to participate are endless. In addition to providing deserved recognition to those anglers catching trophy fish, the program provides a useful snapshot of the quality of the state's freshwater fishery.
Further information on DEC's Angler Achievement Awards Program, including a downloadable application form, can be found on DEC's website. Full program details and an entry form can also be found in DEC's Freshwater Fishing Regulations Guide. For additional information on the Angler Achievement Awards Program contact (518) 402-8891 or email fwfish@dec.ny.gov.
Slowing sales push Remington into Chapter 11
We’ve been watching Remington Outdoor Company struggle for several years now. Facing mounting debt and slumping sales, the company filed for bankruptcy protection this past weekend; the move was expected.
Remington was founded here in New York in 1816, but it is now headquartered in North Carolina. When Gov. Cuomo signed the SAFE Act into law, the company announced that it was opening a new facility in Huntsville, Alabama. Sales were booming at the time that the decision was made.
Since then sales started sliding and the Remington plant in Ilion — Herkimer County — has reduced its workforce even further.
The company was acquired in 2007 by the private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management. Cerberus bundled Remington up with other gun manufacturers, into a conglomerate called Freedom Group.
Following the Cerberus acquisition, Remington’s sales boomed. In 2012, nearly 8.6 million guns were made in the United States, up from about 3.3 million in 2002.
Following the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, in December 2012, some investors divested from the company, forcing Remington to borrow heavily at that time to buy out investors who wanted to leave. Sales surged again in 2013 to $1.3 billion when a resurgence of a call for tougher gun laws broke out across the country.
But the roller coaster ride continued. Sales started slumping with the election of Donald Trump in 2016.
In February, Remington announced a deal that cut its debt by $700 million and allowed lenders to have an ownership stake in the company.
Bill Conners of the Federation of Fish and Game Clubs writes on outdoors issues in Players. Email: conners@billconners.net
