Trout Unlimited recently announced that the Deerfield River Watershed’s Trout Unlimited chapter has been named the top chapter in the United States by its national organization.
This recognition is in the form of the “Golden Trout Award.” It is the highest honor a local chapter can receive from Trout Unlimited.
TU is a national, nonprofit conservation agency headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. The Deerfield River TU Chapter 349 was selected from among 420 chapters nationwide with more than 300,000 members who share a desire to make a difference in the cold-water habitat needed by trout. This award recognizes the work of the chapter which, over the last year, took initiative to advance TU’s overall conservation mission.
“Trout Unlimited’s philosophy is simple and powerful: Take care of the fish and the fishing will take care of itself,” said Chris Wood, president and chief executive officer of Trout Unlimited. “We are a community that cares deeply about our local rivers, and we’re willing to roll up our sleeves to ensure those rivers are in better shape for our children and grandchildren. The Deerfield River chapter exemplifies these ideals and is a shining example”.
“The dedication of our board and membership has really driven our little chapter to do things that we never imagined when we first got started back in 2010,” said Kevin Parsons, chapter president for DRWTU and a founding member. “It’s really our people, and all the other groups and agencies we’ve partnered with that really brought this recognition. The Deerfield River is an incredible natural resource, and enhancing its fishery and protecting its ecology is a sound investment for its future.”
DRWTU is among the smallest TU chapters in the United States, and its boundaries encompass the most rural region in Massachusetts. The 70-mile Deerfield River, with its headwaters in Vermont and with 10 hydro-electric dams, is considered a premier cold-water trout fishery in Massachusetts.
The Deerfield chapter has been actively participating in FERC’s relicensing of the Brookfield Power hydro-electric facilities located in Monroe and Rowe. As part of that ongoing process, they conducted a first-of-its-kind in Massachusetts trout spawning study. Prior to this study, it was widely believed any significant trout spawning was occurring in the Deerfield’s tributaries, not the main stem.
Last year’s spawning study not only proved that significant trout spawning was happening in the main stem, but that current hydro-electric operations were adversely impacting that effort. In addition, Mass Wildlife has since begun significant study work on the Deerfield to further assess wild trout.
A second, more expansive trout spawning study will commence this fall. DRWTU has joined forces with MassWildlife, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the USGS Silvio O. Conte Anadromous Fish Research Center to further assess impacts of Brookfield’s operations (Fife Brook Dam — 10 Megawatts and Bear Swamp Water Pump Storage Facility — 600 Megawatts) on trout spawning. DRWTU and its partners believe better flows from Brookfield Power’s daily operations will result in greater spawning success, higher numbers of wild fish and an overall improvement of the river’s ecology.
Wild brown, rainbow and brook trout are present in the Deerfield, however, their numbers are small. MassWildlife stocks the river with trout each year.
The Deerfield River Chapter believes a robust wild trout fishery in the Deerfield River will expand economic opportunity and tourism, as even more anglers from outside the region will be attracted by the lure of catching wild fish.
Trout Unlimited is a conservation organization whose mission is to enhance, conserve and protect cold-water fisheries for the benefit of wild trout and salmon. The Golden Trout Award was presented at Trout Unlimited’s annual meeting in Redding, California, on Sept. 21.
Fall trout stocking by MassWildlife will be underway soon, when water temperatures cool. That will make for great fall fishing, and you can check the MassWildlife website to get the latest stocking information.
This writer is thinking upland hunting, and thanks Pat Perry at Hedgerow Kennel and Hunt Club for his help in getting my two French Brittanys ready. He is an outstanding trainer and has everything needed to train pointing dogs, flushing dogs or retrievers.
Grouse season in northern New York opens Sept. 20. Thanks to Pat, the girls will be ready as soon as we can get out there to check it out. There is a question as to whether my shooting eye will be up to snuff. There has not been much clays shooting, and earlier this week there was some really bad shooting during training. Hopefully, that will all be history when we get the Ruger Red Label 28 gauge over/under back this weekend. A gunsmith in New York has had the gun and refinished the metal and wood for me. That shotgun is my “meat gun,” and it fits me well. Or, maybe, my shooting will identify me as a “conservationist.” Reports are that the nesting season was very good, so there should be opportunities.