"The HATCH" -- November 2006 The newsletter of the Southwestern Vermont Chapter of Trout Unlimited Trout Unlimited's mission is the conservation, protection and restoration of North America's trout and salmon fisheries and their watersheds -- using science as our key weapon. ================================================================================ * Contents * State of the 'Kill Where we stand today and where we're heading. Page 1 Upcoming events Mark your calendars and join us for these events. Page 2 2007 Plans Onward and upward. For 2007, we hope to step it up a notch. Page 2 The Luckiest Guy in America Who hasn't dreamed of quitting their job and fishing their way around the country? Page 3 Twin Rivers Farm Project Update Work on phase one was recently completed. Page 4 Odds and Ends Of brook trout, fish books, and the Berkshires. Page 5 Pop-quiz: Why are we here? A refresher course. Page 5 ================================================================================ * Batten Kill Update * Vermont's Draft Management Plan for the Batten Kill Fishery -- particularly the controversy surrounding the stocking element -- has received local, regional and even national press lately. We've kept tabs on the media coverage regarding the issue and our "Keep it Wild!" campaign. See the "Hot Off the Press!" section of the chapter website for all the news that we could find. As you probably know, the VT Fish and Wildlife Department held a public hearing to discuss management of the Batten Kill fishery this past September (9/21/2006). The state gave a very good presentation that was heavily oriented towards the habitat needs of the river, and many examples of what has been done on other rivers (in terms of habitat restoration) were a central part of the presentation. Among the key announcements that the state made at this presentation were : - $250,000 of funding will be made available for habitat work within Bennington county. Presumably a good portion of this will go toward Batten Kill efforts. - The state is in the process if hiring a "Rivers Coordinator" who will be responsible for working with various agencies, non-governmental organizations (TU among them), and the public to effectively address issues on the Batten Kill, Walloomsac, and Hoosic Rivers, all trout waters that Southwestern Vermont TU is responsible for. The discussion by the state provided an excellent lead-in to what turned out to be an overwhelming display of public opinion in favor of genuine river/habitat restoration and very much opposed to stocking as a "band-aid solution". Those in favor of stocking were outnumbered by approximately 4-to-1 based upon those who made public comments. In addition, during the 30-day period of public comment following the hearing, the state received a significant amount of written comment on the management proposal. The nature of the comments have been characterized by the state as "overwhelmingly in opposition to the plan to stock the river and in favor of going the route of restoring the fish habitats." (See "Public weighs in on trout stocking", Mike Gleason's 10/25/06 article in the Bennington Banner - link available on the chapter website.) The public comment period ended 10/21/2006 and the state "trout team" will meet at the end of deer rifle season to develop a management plan that will be forwarded to the Commissioner for his review and approval. That the efforts of TU members and friends of the Batten Kill will have a significant bearing on the final management plan is abundantly clear. We would like to thank all those that took the time to write editorials and letters to state officials, and attended the public hearing to let the state know that our wild trout resources are invaluable. Hats off to all who helped! Thanks again. With that said, TU has gone on record as strong supporters of habitat work on the Batten Kill. Our chapter will be at the vanguard leading efforts to ensure that habitat restoration is commonplace on the 'Kill for the next several years. In the coming months you will be hearing of plans for fundraising initiatives as well as specific projects and you will be asked to help contribute in some way, shape or form. Our "Keep it Wild!" campaign marks the beginning of a long journey toward restoring the river to its rightful place and TU will be leading efforts in that direction. It's an exciting time to be involved in the chapter and our success depends on as many people as possible getting involved. We look forward to working with you. - Doug Lyons (Page 1) -------- (Page 2) * THANKS * 2007 proved to be a great year for our newly-invigorated chapter. Springtime saw a successful pancake breakfast fundraiser held at the Batten Kill Inn, as well as a successful tree-planting along a reach of river behind the Batten Kill Inn. Volunteers from as far away as Essex, VT and the Boston area came to plant more than three dozen trees that will help to stabilize the riverbank for many years to come. The first phase of work on the Twin Rivers Farm Project was completed in September and, by all accounts, looks fantastic and should provide the valuable cover needed by the wild trout in that reach of river. Phase Two is set for 2007. The chapter was also proud to sponsor the presentation by Dr. Bob Bachman in late August. Dr. Bachman's presentation shed light on some of the possible impacts of stocked trout on wild trout. It went a long way to inform and educate folks on the behavior of wild trout and stocked trout and the interactions between them as they might impact the Batten Kill and our other home waters. Of course, the main challenge we faced this year was the Vermont F&W Department's proposal to stock the Batten Kill with 1000 rainbow trout. Through a concerted effort by many, many TU members and non-TU members alike, we were able to speak to Vermont F&W with one voice and focus our argument against the proposal with science on our side. There are far too many people to thank individually. But it was certainly a job well done by all and could not have been successful without all the great ideas and the implementation of those ideas by all. Ken Cox, VT Fisheries Biologist, recently went on record in the Bennington Banner following the end of the public comment period to say that the public responseÊ was "overwhelmingly opposed to the proposal." So thank you all very much for a job well done in making our voice heard. We look forward to future successes and many more projects in 2007. - Eric Rickstad * Upcoming Meetings * The Chapter will hold a general meeting on Monday, November 13th at the American Museum of Fly Fishing, in Manchester, VT, at 7PM. This meeting will largely be a social gathering for conservationists and anglers to talk about this past season and an opportunity for all to share in a collective pat on the back for a job well done with the "Keep It Wild!" campaign. We'll attend to a few business items and hear a fund raising proposal for the Batten Kill by chapter Vice President Doug Lyons. Please join us on Mon. 11/13 at 7PM. * Annual Meeting * We will hold the chapter's Annual Meeting on Tuesday, December 12, 2006, at 7PM at the American Museum of Fly Fishing. The primary purpose of this meeting will be to elect a new slate of chapter officers and Board of Directors. It is imperative that we get a good turn-out of the membership at this meeting in order to elect a solid slate of dedicated individuals who will be willing and committed to working together to move the chapter forward in 2007. If you feel you or a chapter member you know would make a good officer in the chapter, join us for this important meeting on Tuesday, December 12, 2006 at 7PM. * Plans for 2007 * We've made some good solid strides in 2006 and for 2007 we're hoping to up the ante and build on our successes. The chapter is considering a busy schedule of activities for 2007. Some of the possible activities being discussed for next year are: - Second Annual Opening Day Pancake Breakfast (fund-raiser) - A small scale habitat project - A tree planting project - Regular work-days - A river clean-up day to coincide with Green Up Vermont Day - A chapter BBQ to follow a work-day (late summer) - Meetings with guest speakers - A possible chapter fishing trip - A Fall Banquet or Casino Night Again, these are just a few of the items that have been discussed. If you have any other thoughts or ideas as to how to make the chapter more inviting, please come along and share your ideas with us. Our goal for 2007 is to get the chapter moving forward on a number of fronts and the active participation of the membership is integral to our success. * Writers, artists, fly-tiers and photographers... We want you! * If you can compose a few sentences, draw a cartoon, shoot a decent digital picture, or create a masterpiece at the vise, come on, share the goods! We need your assistance in keeping the content for our chapter website and newsletter interesting, entertaining, informative, educational, and current! We'd love to be able to post a regular 'tie of the month' column on either our web site and/or include it in the newsletter, but alas, it seems we just don't have any talented tiers out there.... * Thanks again Dr. Bob* In case you missed Dr. Bachman's lecture this past August, we have good news. We received the good doctor's permission to copy and redistribute his research and findings from his study on Spruce Creek. We'll post a copy to the chapter website, but if you'd like a hard-copy, let us know and we'll bring one for you to the next chapter meeting. * Help Us Keep in Touch * As the mercury falls, while you're cleaning and stashing your gear for next season, we'll tackle the task of updating our chapter membership information/records. This means you can except a phone call from us as we bring our database up to date with current details. Just in case you didn't realize it, you can log in to the TU national website and update your own personal membership information (including mailing address, phone number, email address, etc.) This is the same membership database that we use, but you can do us the huge favor of logging in with your TU membership number, and verify/update your own personal information so that we'll have an easier time getting a hold of you while you're busy tying flies. (Page 2) -------- (Page 3) * TU's official blogger visits Southwestern Vermont * Luca Adelfio's business card actually reads "Luckiest Guy in America". And who are we to argue? After all, who else gets paid to angle their way around the country sampling some amazing trout waters. Here's a taste of his Ôblog entry on his recent visit to SWVT. September 29, 2006 The Batten Kill: Past, Present, and Future by Luca Adelfio Manchester, Vermont is ensconced in trout angling history. The quaint town is home to Orvis, the American Museum of Fly Fishing, and the renowned Batten Kill. Unfortunately, the Batten Kill's celebrated wild brown trout population has declined severely. Restoration efforts are in the works, but the state's plan to stock the river threatens these efforts and the health of the fishery. I made a pilgrimage to the Batten Kill to meet with the local TUers, learn about the recovery plan, and try my luck in the famous riverÉ The Batten Kill has clean and cold water. Ample spawning gravels and healthy tributaries ensure successful trout reproduction. Strong populations of aquatic insects and forage fish provide a buffet line for the native brook trout and wild brown trout. The Batten Kill has every component of a world class wild trout stream except for one. If I were running for mayor in Manchester, my motto would be, "It's the habitat, stupid." A comprehensive study of every aspect of the river revealed that the Batten Kill lacks the in-stream structures (such as logs, undercut banks, and deep pools) essential for trout survival. As a result, Vermont Fish and Wildlife biologist Ken Cox has found that the trout population is "bottlenecked" and few trout survive past the 6-12" mark. The lack of in-stream habitat is a result of 150 years of human disturbance. The river has been straightened, channelized, and cleared of logs and other "obstructions." Still today, canoeists and even a few anglers remove woody debris to make floating the river easier. As Cox describes it, the lack of habitat is a chronic situation that reached a tipping point in the mid 90s. The population of adult brown trout crashed. Of course, the solution is obvious. Restore the in-stream habitat.... ...Two Southwestern Vermont Chapter TUers took me fishing and I can report that the river offers a fine angling experience. The bucolic setting is reason enough to wade in the Batten Kill. Covered bridges and old farmhouses complement the clear water and vibrant foliage. The fall colors were just starting to turn during my visit and the green hillsides had a faint glint of red, reminding me of the color of a ripening apple. The trout were rising during the middle of the day to tricos and small blue-winged olive emergers. I'm sure the last sentence excited some of you and caused others to shudder. I love fishing tricos and we had a blast giving the river's brook trout sore lips.... Excerpted from Luca's blog entry on the TU.org website. You can read the rest of this entry, find the photos that he took, and read about all of the other cold-waters he visited on his journey around the states, online at http://www.TU.org. A link directly to his SWVT blog entry can be found on the chapter website, under "Past Newsworthy Items". Again, many to thanks to Luca for joining us at the public hearing, fishing some of our waters with us, and for giving us some great coverage on his web log. Thanks again, Luca. Hope to see you back here soon. (Page 3) -------- (Page 4) * "R" is for Restoration * The work completed so far is the result of the cooperative efforts of many organizations, including National Fish & Wildlife, USFS, Green Mountain National Forest, VT ANR, Fish & Wildlife, The Batten Kill Watershed Alliance, Trout Unlimited and others. Twin Rivers Farm Restoration Project Update The first phase of the Twin Rivers Farm Habitat Restoration project was completed in 5 days in early September. A total of 28 habitat structures and numerous large rocks were placed along approximately one-quarter mile of river upstream of the junction of the Green River Pool. Anyone who has checked out the structures has come away excited about the quality of the work completed and has been able to see first hand what great possibility restoration efforts such as this promise. There have been two years of population estimates taken in this stretch of river and population monitoring will continue for the next several years to measure the success of the project. All involved are very enthusiastic about seeing how the trout will respond. More than a few anglers are equally excited to give this section of river a try come next spring. We haven't seen proposed drawings of what phase two of the project will entail on the next stretch of river, but if it's anything like what we've seen in person and in these photos, we can be sure that we're putting the needs of the river first in an effort to be better stewards of the river. (Page 4) -------- (Page 5) * Miscellany * The Eastern Brook Trout Report, a new book on Vermont's native fishes by a familiar name, and our neighbors to the south in the Berkshires. Eastern Brook Trout: Status and Threats If you haven't yet seen the report produced by Trout Unlimited for the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture (EBTJV), the nation's first pilot project under the national Fish Habitat Initiative, find out more online at TU's "Back the Brookie" website: http:// www.brookie.org or the EBTJV's official site: http:// www.easternbrooktrout.org and download a copy of the report today. And in case you missed them, two articles in TU's Spring 2006 issue of TROUT magazine also dealt with the EBTJV and the technology used to create this important report. * Fishes of Vermont: A field guide to the fish species of Vermont * By Ken Cox, Mark Ferguson, and Richard Langdon. Soon to be released. "Fishes of Vermont" investigates the factors and forces that determine fish distribution. It also presents a VT specific identification key, describes the life histories of all 92 species and maps their distribution. $26.45 Place your order today by calling the VT Fish & Wildlife Department (800) 515-2475. Additional information available on the chapter website. * South of the Border * In case you haven't noticed, our angling friends in the Berkshires have been busy lately. They've established a flourishing organization called the Berkshire Fly Fishers and have set up quite an impressive website at http:// www.berkshireflyfishing.org Most recently, they've resurrected the Hoosuck TU chapter and are working on getting that back up and running (http:// www.HoosuckTU.org.) They were very helpful in assisting us get the message out regarding our "Keep It Wild!" campaign for the Batten Kill and we owe them a debt of gratitude. We're look forward to pitching in and returning the favor for them in the future! Thanks again guys! * A Refresher: TU's Mission & History * MISSION Trout Unlimited's mission is to conserve, protect and restore North America's trout and salmon fisheries and their watersheds. TU accomplishes this mission on local, state and national levels with an extensive and dedicated volunteer network. TU's national office, based just outside of Washington, D.C., and its regional offices employ professionals who testify before Congress, publish a quarterly magazine, intervene in federal legal proceedings, and work with the organization's 152,000 volunteers inÊ450 chapters nationwide to keep them active and involved in conservation issues. HISTORY July 2009 will mark the 50th anniversary of TU's founding, on the banks of the Au Sable River near Grayling, Michigan. The 16 fishermen who gathered at the home of George Griffith were united by their love of trout fishing, and by their growing disgust with the state's practice of stocking its waters with "cookie cutter trout"Ñcatchable-sized hatchery fish. Convinced that Michigan's trout streams could turn out a far superior fish if left to their own devices, the anglers formed a new organization: Trout, Unlimited (the comma was dropped a few years later). From the beginning, TU was guided by the principle that if we "take care of the fish, then the fishing will take care of itself." And that principle was grounded in science. "One of our most important objectives is to develop programs and recommendations based on the very best information and thinking available," said TU's first president, Dr. Casey E. Westell Jr. "In all matters of trout management, we want to know that we are substantially correct, both morally and biologically." In 1962-63, TU prepared its first policy statement on wild trout, and persuaded the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to discard "put-and-take" trout stocking and start managing for wild trout and healthy habitat. On the heels of that success, anglers quickly founded TU chapters in Illinois, Wisconsin, New York, and Pennsylvania. What does TU do? TU focuses its trout and salmon conservation efforts on several fronts. From local on-the-ground habitat protection to lobbying at the highest levels of government, TU uses science as its key weapon in the fight to conserve, protect and restore North America's trout and salmon fisheries and their watersheds. These efforts generally target one or more of the so-called "Four Hs" of fisheries conservation Ð habitat, hydropower, harvest and hatcheries. Excerpted from the Trout Unlimited website:Êhttp://www.tu.org * Chapter Officers * - Eric Rickstad - President (President TUSWVT org) - Doug Lyons - Vice President (VP TUSWVT org) - Frank Nelson - Treasurer (Treasurer TUSWVT org) - Peter Bellamy - Secretary (Secretary TUSWVT org) Directors: David Carmona, Bill Bullock, Steve Hemkens, Scott McEnaney * Chapter Contact Information * Southwestern Vermont Chapter of Trout Unlimited URL: http://www.TUSWVT.org General Email: info TUSWVT org Mail: PO Box 88 Manchester Center, VT 05254 (Page 5) -------- (Page 6) * Twin Rivers Farm Habitat Restoration Project * The first phase of work on the Twin Rivers Farm Habitat Restoration project was completed this past September. See inside for more details on what is in the Ôdone' column and what can be expected for phase two. Below are a photos of a few of the large woody debris structures installed just upstream of the confluence with the Green River in West Arlington. These and many more photos are available as high resolution images on the chapter website. * Regarding the newsletter * Let us know what you think of the new look. It's a work in progress, and we're hoping to have the newsletter design and layout completely synchronized with the chapter website by the time the next issue rolls around. Submit your comments or share your ideas: Info TUSWVT org. Don't forget that you can sign up on the chapter website (http://www.TUSWVT.org) to receive "The HATCH" via email and save the chapter the cost of postage and printing. Whenever we publish a new edition, we'll send you a plain text version of the news, along with a link to download the fully formatted version as a .PDF file. (Page 6) -------- 11/6/2006