Category Archives: Fly Fishing

Timber Rattlesnakes to be reestablished in Massachusetts

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The Timber Rattlesnake, a Massachusetts State Endangered Species, has experienced the greatest modern decline of any native reptile, and humans are considered the greatest threat to them. While killing or disturbing this snake is a serious criminal offense, these acts, combined with road mortality, continue to be major factors that contribute to the rattlesnake’s imperiled status.

Additionally, since 2006, scientists have found Timber Rattlesnakes with a sometimes fatal fungal skin disease. This emerging disease has now been documented in over a dozen species of snakes and is a new threat to them across their range. There is growing reason to fear that this fungal skin disease is a newly emerging threat to the imperiled populations.

Rattlesnakes are a high conservation priority species for the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, and in 2013, was successful in obtaining a $500,000 grant for the endangered species that will continue through 2016. The award will fund studies of this new disease as well as conservation management actions designed to enhance snake survival and increase the viability of imperiled snake populations.

The Division is proposing to establish a small number of them on Mount Zion, a large island closed to the public at the Quabbin Reservoir in central Massachusetts. While rattlesnakes are perfectly good swimmers, this island is large enough that they would have little motivation to swim away.   “This proposal has evolved out of the need to have at least one location in Massachusetts where this native endangered species will avoid people.” said Tom French, MassWildlife’s Assistant Director of Natural Heritage and Endangered Species (NHES).

“As the agency with the legal mandate, responsibility and expertise to conserve both rare and common wildlife, the Division is striving to ensure this imperiled and fascinating snake does not finally disappear almost 400 years after European settlement.”

Snakes used for this project will be offspring of Massachusetts snakes. They will be headstarted in captivity for two winters allowing them to grow large enough so that they will have the best chance of surviving to adulthood.

French says that most modern bites occur as the result of irresponsible (and illegal) activities that involve handling or harassing the animals. The latest antivenin treatments have greatly reduced the danger even if a person is bitten.

Fish & Wildlife officials have stated that funding for the project will come from the above grant and NHES funds, and not from hunting and fishing license fees.*****

The Berkshire Environmental Action Committee (BEAT) has formed a new monthly Wildlife Tracking Club in Berkshire County.  This group will meet twice monthly,  the 1st Wednesday and the 3rd Saturday from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon.   Hikes will be led by local wildlife trackers, birders, and naturalists, of which there is an impressive group in Berkshire County.  The club is open to the public and tracking events will occur in Berkshire County.  There will be an annual membership fee of $15.00.  One-time participants can attend an individual event for $5.00.

It is claimed that Western Massachusetts is part of a larger fabric of forests that constitute the healthiest and most intact broadleaf deciduous biome in the world.  It is a globally impressive system unrivaled in size or importance. The focus of the events will be the iconic wildlife of New England that call our region home, including Black Bear, Moose, Bobcat, Beaver.and other critters.  Contact Elia Del Molino if you are interested in joining the club: elia@thebeatnews.org.

Incidentally, BEAT seeks to work with the public to protect the environment in the Berkshires and beyond.  BEAT educates citizens about the environment and their role in protecting it, keeps the public informed of current local issues that could have an impact on the environment, and helps people work together to take action to protect the environment. *****

 

On Friday evening, March 11, the Taconic Chapter of Trout Unlimited will be hosting an International Fly Fishing Film Festival at the Wahconah Country Club, 20 Orchard Road, Dalton.   Featured will be the best fly-fishing film shorts selected for 2016.  With backdrops ranging from Bolivia to Saskatchewan, Montana to Virginia, Patagonia to the Seychelles, these films feature fresh, dynamic stories amongst some of the best fishing footage that has ever been shot.

 

From the hunt for the world’s largest brook trout to the pursuit of billfish on the fly, gargantuan pike, acrobatic golden dorado and herculean British Columbian steelhead, these films showcase remarkable places, larger than life characters and fish that will haunt your dreams.

Doors open at 6pm and the film will be shown at 6:30pm.  The cost is $16.82 per ticket on- line or $19 at the door. All attendees will receive a free copy of Stonefly Magazine. There will be a 50/50 raffle and a handmade 9’, 4wt fly rod will be given out as a door prize. Orvis rods and reels will be auctioned.    Tickets can be obtained by calling Bill Travis 413-447-9720 or by contacting any Taconic TU Chapter Board member.  On- line tickets can be obtained by going to https://www.eventbright.com/20280747261. *****

 

Avid Sports will be holding a Firearms Safety Course on Wednesday March 16 at 5pm at Avid Sports on West Housatonic Street, Pittsfield. This course allows you to apply for a pistol permit or F.I.D. card.  Call 413-997-3600 for details.

The Lenox Sportsmen’s Club Ham Shoots begin today and run for the next four Sundays.  Tickets go on sale at 12:30pm and shooting begins at 1:00pm.  $3.00 per shot, 22 cal Shoots and Pie Shoots.

 

The Lee Sportsmen’s Association Turkey Shoots take place on March 6, 13 and 20, all running from 12:30 – 3pm.  $2 per round and winners take a choice of turkey, steak, spiral ham or pork loin.  Also, there will be a Money Shoot for $3 a round.

Preliminary results of new bear hunting season are in

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This year is the first year that black bear could be hunted during the two week shotgun deer hunting season which ran from November 30 to December 12.  This is in addition to the two other bear hunting seasons; the first season ran from September 8 to September 26 and the second from November 2 through November 21.  The additional hunting season is the latest tool that the Department of Fisheries & Wildlife (DFW) has employed to try to manage the rapidly growing bear population statewide.

In his December 10 report to the Berkshire County League of Sportsmen, DFW Western District Manager Andrew Madden reported that preliminary harvest numbers of black bear taken during the two week shotgun deer hunting season statewide should be about 45.   They may still have some check stations that haven’t reported in yet, but he doubts that the number is likely to change by more than a few bears.  He predicts that the final number will probably be between 45 and 50.

We probably shouldn’t expect such high numbers every year.  This year’s warm weather was undoubtedly a factor in the harvest totals.  The bears were probably still actively foraging for food and had not yet settled into their dens for their long winter sleeps.

The final numbers for the September and November bear hunting seasons have not yet been released by DFW for either the state or western district.  The total statewide bear harvest for 2014 was 240 with 78 of them coming from Berkshire County. *****

In his report, Madden also stated that a preliminary look at Western District check stations indicated a good first week of shotgun deer season with numbers up slightly from last year and good quality deer being checked.  This is in spite of the lack of snow which usually affords better tracking conditions.

The following are some of the larger deer taken in the Western District.  Included are  the hunters’ last names, dressed out deer weights and towns where the bucks were taken:  Wright – 196 lbs, Cheshire; Salvatore – 187 lbs, West Stockbridge; Majchrowski – 182 lbs, Dalton; Turner – 190 lbs, Hancock; Voudren – 190 lbs, Russell; Thomas – 194 lbs, Blandford and Gaudette – 202 lbs, Sandisfield.  Gaudette’s deer was a 10 pointer.

The live weights of all of the above deer were undoubtedly over 200 lbs.  Although not a true scientific measurement, if you apply the formula of field dressed weight x 1.25 you should come up with an approximate live weight of a deer.  If one applies that formula to Gaudette’s deer, then the live weight was probably about 250 lbs.

While we are on the subject of deer weights, let’s carry it a step further and try to figure out the realistic venison yield.  How many times have we heard of people accuse the deer processor of not giving back all the meat.  Well, consider the following.

One adult bucks weighing over 160 lbs, one must deduct 9% of its weight which represents the hide; 11.7% is bone and some percentage representing the blood. Then one must consider the part of the meat that has been damaged by the bullet or improper field dressing.  A neck shot has very little ideal meat ruined, whereas a deer shot in the loin or hind quarter area has more of the ideal meat ruined.

According to University of Wisconsin research, a mature buck weighing 165 pounds field-dressed would ideally yield 83.08 pounds of boneless meat and realistically yield about 58 pounds of good meat.  Information came from http://www.butcher– packer.com and http://askthemeatman.com websites.. *****

Looking for a new project for your man cave this winter?  Have you thought about taking up fly tying but didn’t know where to start?  Well the Taconic Chapter of Trout Unlimited is once again hosting a fly-tying event this afternoon.  The event is free and open to all TU members and their friends.  It will be an informal gathering with members bringing in their own vises and tying materials. They expect to have a few extra sets available for those just curious about tying. This is a great opportunity to learn about fly tying and to exchange patterns and ideas.  They will gather in the lounge at the Wahconah Country Club on 20 Orchard Road, Dalton from 2:00 to 6:00 PM.  Refreshments can be purchased at the Club.   If interested contact Henry Sweren at hsweren8@aol.com. *****

 

The Stockbridge Sportsmen’s Club will have youth archery sign ups Saturday, January 2, 2016 in the archery range from 8:00 to 10:00 AM.   You can also download applications from their website www.stockbridgesportsmansclub.org. The cost is $40 per child and you do not have to be a member of the club.  They will shoot the following 10 Saturday mornings.  For more information, call Mike Buffoni at 413-323-7703. *****

On Sunday, January 17, Avid Sport on 1201 West Housatonic Street, Pittsfield will be holding a Firearms Safety Course which allows you to apply for your FID card or Pistol Permit.   The class is usually limited to 9 and you are required to prepay to lock in a seat.  The cost is $100.  For more information, call 413-997-3600.

If you live in Northern Berkshires, there is another firearms safety course on the same day in North Adams.  Dan Peck, NRA and Massachusetts State Police Certified Instructor will be teaching that course.  For location, hours and more information, call 413-663-4896. *****

The DFW Western District office has a new biologist.  His name is Nate Buckhout from East Hampton, MA.   An Air Force veteran, Nate received his BA from the United States Air Force Academy and his Masters degree in Wildlife Conservation from UMASS Amherst.  He filled Tony Gola’s position who retired earlier this year.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays.

Questions/comments:  Berkwoodsandwaters@roadrunner.com.   Phone/fax:  (413) 637-1818

Time running out to apply for antlerless deer permit

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To harvest an antlerless deer in Massachusetts, hunters must possess a valid hunting or sporting license as well as an Antlerless Deer Permit (permit) for the Wildlife Management Zone (WMZ) in which they intend to hunt. The permit allows the harvest of one antlerless deer in the specified zone during any deer hunting season. Hunters must have a permit in their possession while hunting.

 

If you have not applied for a permit yet, you must do so by July 16.  There is no fee to apply but a $5 fee is charged if you are awarded a permit during the Instant Award period.   You may apply  by visiting the MassFishHunt web site, a MassWildlife office, or a license vendor.  Then, during the Instant Award Period, from August 1 through December 31, you can try to win a permit.

 

MassWildlife reminds citizens that the female segment of the deer population is used for population management since with each female deer harvested, not only is the individual removed from the population but so too is that deer’s future reproductive potential.  Therefore, in regions of the state where there are high numbers of deer per square mile, a large number of permits are made available.  Conversely, in regions where there are relatively fewer deer (sometimes resulting from poor habitat quality), fewer permits are allocated for hunters.

 

Each year MassWildlife determines the number of permits to issue for each of its fifteen WMZ’s.  Any surplus permits are made available in October. Although no official announcement has been made yet, MassWildlife anticipates that there will be no changes in the permit allocations this year – they will be the same as last year.  The Fish & Wildlife Board endorsed this at its May meeting. *****

 

Incidentally, the Worthington Rod and Gun Club at 458 Dingle Road, Rte. 112 will be having a Basic Hunter Education Course on July 20, 21, 23 and 24 from 5:30 to 9:00 PM.  To enroll, call (508)389.7830.

 

This course is mandatory and designed for first-time hunters.  In order to purchase a hunting license, a hunter must have successfully completed a Basic Hunter Education course from any US state, Canada, or Mexico.   Funding for the program is derived from the sale of hunting and sporting licenses and from federal excise taxes on firearms and archery equipment.  All courses are conducted free of charge. *****

 

Staying with the subject of hunting, there have been some changes made in the regulations governing black bear hunting this year.   Black bear hunting is now permitted in all zones throughout the Commonwealth.  (Previously, bear hunting was only allowed  in Zones 1 through Zone 9).

 

Also, in an effort to get the bear population to a manageable level, bear hunting is now permitted during shotgun deer hunting season.  Hunters already afield during the shotgun deer season can now take a bear anywhere in Massachusetts  provided they have a $5 Bear Permit and use:  1.) shotgun not larger than ten gauge, including shotguns with a rifled bore, slugs only; 2.) muzzle-loading firearm fired from the shoulder, .44 to .775 caliber; or 3.) bow and arrow.

 

During the shotgun deer season, all deer hunting regulations apply.  Hunters must wear 500 square inches of blaze orange on their chest, back, and head.  Only hunting implements that may be used for hunting deer may be used for hunting bear; no rifles or handguns are allowed.

So, to recap the black bear hunting season dates this year, they are as follows:  First Season: September 8 through September 26, Second Season: November 2 through November 21 and Shotgun Season: November 30 through December 12.  Hunting is prohibited on Sundays*****

 

Congratulations to MassWildlife for recently receiving a $720,000 North American Wetlands Conservation Act grant award to support habitat restoration and conservation projects that benefit wetland and upland habitats and over 160 bird species at several locations in the Great Marsh. The Great Marsh consists of more than 20,000 acres of marsh, barrier beach, tidal river, estuary, mudflat, and upland islands from Gloucester to Salisbury.  The Great Marsh is the largest contiguous saltmarsh in New England. This was the tenth NAWCA grant focused on wildlife conservation efforts in the Great Marsh in the past twenty years.

This grant will protect more than 1,140 acres, restore 202 acres, and enhance 80 acres of habitat, which include saltmarsh, mudflats, coastal islands, maritime forests, and shrub. The area’s outstanding habitats support healthy populations of wildlife which are in need of special conservation action, including American Black Duck, Woodcock, New England Cottontail, Bobolinks, and Saltmarsh Sparrow—the only endemic breeding bird (doesn’t nest anywhere else) in the northeastern United States.

“This is the largest and most complex wildlife conservation grant award the Division has received,” said Jack Buckley, Director of the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. *****

Last Saturday, I had the opportunity to attend the free fly fishing demonstration which was sponsored by the Hoosic River Water Association and put on by fly fishing guide Chris Jackson on the Hoosic River at Cole Field in Williamstown.   He is an excellent fly caster and fisherman and I picked up some good pointers from him and learned a new location in which to fish the river.    Jackson can be reached at www.flyfishthedeerfield.com.   Allow yourself some time for the site is packed with useful information and excellent fly tying videos. *****

 

The Lee Sportsmen’s Association is running a Basic Pistol Course on the Monday evenings of July 13 and July 20 from 5:30 to 9:30 PM.  The course cost is $100.00.  To sign up, contact Larry Karlquist at (413) 442-7807. *****

 

The Berkshire Hatchery Foundation is holding another free kid’s trout fishing derby at their lower pond in Hartsville next Saturday, July 11 from 9 to 10:30 AM.

Focus: Youth fishing

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Readers may recall that last week I mentioned the schools that have trout rearing and stocking programs.  This program is enthusiastically received by the parents, teachers and students.  But, there are also youths who like to catch them, too.  Recently, I attended two events where the focus was on youth fishing.

 

One of them took place on Reynolds Pond in Cheshire.  The event, called the Youth Outreach Fishing Derby, is sponsored by the Berkshire County League of Sportsmen.  The League purchased the trout, the food, the bait and fishing outfits for each kid.  The Adams Outdoor for Youth and the Cheshire Rod & Gun Club set up the equipment, helped teach the kids how to bait the hooks, to catch and land fish.  They also did the cooking and fish cleaning.  All of the officers of the County League were there to give support.  Members of the East Mountain Sportsmen’s Club, Taconic Chapter of Trout Unlimited, Pittsfield Sportsmen’s Club, Lenox Sportsmen’s Club and others also pitched in to make sure the kids had a very enjoyable and memorable day.  They deserved it.

 

So who were the kids who were so lavishly treated?  Most of them (16) were kids who typically don’t have parents who could take them fishing because they didn’t have fishing poles and wherewithal and because it wasn’t in their experience.   Because of where they are on the socio-economic scale they were kids that may tend to be truants or a little problematic in school.  They never had the opportunity to experience outdoor fishing type activities.   Alex Daugherty, Probation Officer from the Juvenile Probation District of Northern Berkshires brought them.  His connection with them was through the Northern Berkshire Coalition.

 

Bill Gates, Chief of Juvenile Courts in Berkshire County brought along another 4 kids from the Key Shelter in Pittsfield.  The Key Shelter is a clinical house, a place where kids, because of their situations at home, needed a change in environment.  The court system is involved and placed them there not because they are delinquent but for diagnostic emphasis.  The kids are troubled for reasons beyond their control and need to be helped outside of the home to work things out.

 

For most, this was the first time they had ever gone fishing.   But with the help of the mentors it didn’t take long for them to figure out how to cast and catch fish.   Every kid caught at least one fish and most went home with bags of brook trout to eat.

 

Around noon, they took a break and were treated to burgers, hot dogs, chips, cookies and refreshments.  They all were well mannered kids who, at least on that day, had a ball and left any problems they had behind. It probably costs the League $1,000 to put this on but there is never any hesitation from the delegates.   League VP Mike Kruszyna often refers to this day as the best, most rewarding day of the year.  Amen to that.  *****

 

Staying with youths and fishing, Taconic High School teacher Ron Wojcik has been teaching an after school fly fishing class for a number of years.  In his course, he teaches fly casting, how to tie fishing knots, equipment and safety, and when time permits stream entomology.  He is looking to expand the program in the future to include some fly tying and work on some fly fishing trips to local waters. Most of these kids do not have their own equipment so Trout Unlimited members who help out allow them to borrow theirs.  Wojcik is also looking into possible future funding to get the kids some beginning equipment such as fly rods, flies, fly boxes, waders and vests. (Incidentally, if Wojcik’s name sounds familiar, he is also the coach of the Hoosic Valley Regional High School girls’ basketball team.  You know, the team that usually wins.)

 

At the end of the fly fishing course, Ron invites them to an undisclosed private fishing spot and, with the help of several Taconic TU mentors, puts them to work casting and catching trout. But not before they had their fill of pizza and brownies made by his wife Diane.

 

This year, he had 5 students:  Mike Boc, Alex Stevens, Troy Phelps, Alex Kent and Lexi Henderson in his class.  It was the first class that he had a lady flyfisher (Lexi) and she not only caught the most fish but also the largest one, a nice sized rainbow trout.

 

Since beginning the course, Ron has had over 50 students go through and participate over the years. He receives assistance from fellow teachers and TU members Dave Boyce and Steve Smith. *****

 

The Mass. Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) has designated July 4 and 5 as Free Saltwater Fishing Days.  No permit is required to fish recreationally in the Commonwealth’s marine waters, out to three miles. (Saltwater anglers over the age of 15 are usually required to have a Massachusetts Recreational Saltwater Fishing Permit.) Anglers looking for a spot to drop a line from shore, or a boat ramp to put in a kayak, canoe, or larger vessel, should check out the Office of Fishing and Boating Access’ Directory of Access Sites. *****

 

The Stockbridge Sportsmen’s Club 2015 Youth Rifle League will begin on July 8 with safety night.  On the next seven Wednesdays, from 5 PM to 7PM, they will be shooting on the range. The last night of the league will be August 26 with some fun shooting and a cookout.  Cost is $40 per child.

 

Brook trout released into local streams by students

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Three local schools are involved with raising and releasing brook trout here in the Berkshires.   They originally started out raising Atlantic Salmon in the ASERP (Atlantic Salmon Egg Rearing Program, but, the Connecticut River Salmon Restoration program ended two years ago.  Both the US Fish & Wildlife Service and wildlife agencies of MA, VT and NH will no longer support it.   The schools then started raising brook trout from eggs that came from the Roger Reed Salmon Hatchery in Palmer, Ma.    Students actively take part monitoring water quality on a daily basis and assisting in the trout’s husbandry needs.  By the time they were released in May or early June, they are nearly 2 inches long.

At the Becket-Washington School, the 3rd and 4th graders participated in the program.  Over 100 brook trout were raised from eggs and the survival rate was great with only 4 dying while in the aquarium.  They were released on June 3 at the outdoor classroom along Yokum Brook in Becket.  Teachers Mary Kay McCloskey and Patty Robbie headed up the program there with assistance from Karen Karlberg.

Approximately 75 Taconic High School students participated, releasing their trout into Windsor Brook in Windsor on May 27.   They had some equipment problems but still managed a 60% success ratio.  One student came into school over break to care for the fish to ensure they were properly fed and their water quality was on par.  Teachers who participated were Tanya Michaud, Michell Potash and Ron Wojcik.  According to Michaud, this is their second year rearing brook trout in the classroom and their release site shows evidence that the fish are healthy and thriving.  There were 3 fish that were about a year old swimming in an eddy and it is suspected that they are from their cohort of trout released last year around the same time

At Mt Everett Regional High School in Sheffield, some 140 students were involved and had a 100% survival.  They not only raise and release fingerlings, but some trout are retained for the Aquacultural Class where they grow them larger and release them at the 8 to 12 inch size (for better survival) into the Konkapot River and Umpachini Falls.  Teachers involved there are Steve Antil, Tim Schwartz, Daniel Weston and Asha Von Rudin.  Von Rudin heads up the Aquaculture program where they really get into water ecology monitoring, macro-invertibrate studies, etc.   *****

Don’t you know, it always happens, lots of neat things going on all on the same day.

On Saturday, June 27, from 9 AM to noon, Steve McMahon, President of the Hoosic River Watershed Association (HOORWA) invites you to join fly fisherman Chris Jackson for a fly fishing demonstration on the Hoosic River at Cole Field in Williamstown, MA. It’s an opportunity to witness and learn the basic techniques of casting a fly into moving water and see what happens next.   Jackson, a respected angler, will demonstrate the importance of softly delivering a fly on the surface of the water.  Wear old sneakers in order to wade in and bring a fly rod if you own one.   If you plan to attend, meet at the soccer gate at Cole Field by 9 AM.  Contact the leader Elayne Murphy at 413-458-2947 or at emurphy@williams.edu for details and preregistration. The rain date will be June 28.

On the same day, from 10 AM to 2 PM, the Trustees of Reservation invites you to a free workshop entitled Dragonflies Above And Below The Water.  Join Entomologist Dr. Kirsten Martin as she explores Glendale Falls Brook on Clark Wright Road in nearby Middlefield, MA, marveling at the exquisite world of dragon and damselflies.  Flyfishermen know only too well that trout relish dragonfly and damselfly nymphs.   To register call Project Coordinator Meredyth Babcock at 623-2070 or volunteer@wildscenicwestfieldriver.org.

By the way, have you ever visited Glendale Falls?   It is truly a special place.   Fed by more than five square miles of watershed, wild and rocky Glendale Falls is one of the longest and most powerful waterfall runs in Massachusetts.  In spring, the waters of Glendale Brook roar over steep rock ledges to join the Middle Branch of the Westfield River, a federally designated Wild and Scenic River.

Also on the same day, June 27, Tom Wessels, ecologist and Professor Emeritus at Antioch University New England will have a special workshop at the Bidwell House Museum in Monterey, MA.  From 10:00 – 11:30 AM – Talk and Slideshow, 11:30 – 12:30 PM – Lunch and Discussion and 12:30 – 2:30 PM – Explore the Bidwell House Forest with Tom Wessels

Based on Tom’s book, Reading the Forested Landscape: A Natural History of New England, this workshop introduces approaches used to interpret a forest’s history.  Using evidence such as the shapes of trees, scars on their trunks, the pattern of decay in stumps, the construction of stone walls, and the lay of the land, it is possible to unravel complex stories etched into our forested landscape.  This process could easily be called forest forensics, since it is quite similar to interpreting a crime scene.

Participants will gain a better understanding of cultural and natural disturbances on the land in general, specifically the 192 acre Bidwell House property, and how they have shaped our use and enjoyment of our woods and fields; learn methods and skills to identify and understand these cultural and natural historical events in order to apply this knowledge to your own land or on any walk in the woods.

Tom also wrote The Granite Landscape, Untamed Vermont, The Myth of Progress, and Forest Forensics: A Field Guide to Reading the Forested Landscape. He has conducted landscape ecology and sustainability workshops throughout the country for over 30 years. Click onto http://bidwellhousemuseum.org/ for more information.

Half a million trout to be stocked this spring

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According to Mass DFW, close to 500,000 brook, brown, rainbow and tiger trout will be stocked by them this spring. The fish will come from their five hatcheries located in Sandwich, Palmer, Belchertown, Sunderland, and Montague.  The Western District should get about 100,000 of them. They reported that it has been another challenging year for the hatcheries given the extremely cold, icy, and snowy conditions that have prevailed this past winter.

Nevertheless, they report that the close to 500,000 trout being stocked this spring, coupled with the more than 67,000 twelve plus inch trout stocked last fall should provide some excellent fishing in the coming months.  Due to the heavy snow and thick ice that remains on lakes and ponds across the state, trout stocking likely will not begin until the first week in April, beginning with the eastern region of the state moving westward as the ice and snow melts.

Here are some 2015 trout stocking facts provided by Mass DFW:  45% of the trout average over 14 inches, 72% of them average over 12 inches, 218,000 rainbows will average over 14 inches, 46,500 rainbows will average over 12 inches, 10,000 rainbows will average between 9 and 12 inches, 750 brown trout will be over 18 inches, 46,600 brown trout will average over 12 inches, 79,400 brown trout average between 9 and 12 inches, 1,350 brook trout will average over 15 inches, 37,600 brook trout will average over 12 inches, 47,000 brook trout between 9 and 12 inches and 2,500 tiger trout that will average over 14 inches.

Anglers are encouraged to check the trout stocking schedule for the district near them, or contact individual district offices for the latest stocking information. Trout stocking schedules will be updated every Friday between the end of March and Memorial Day.

There is a Tags ‘N Trout program which is a cooperative venture between MassWildlife and participating clubs, businesses and other groups.  A certain number of trout are tagged and stocked into selected water bodies in each MassWildlife District.  The tagged trout in each water body are sponsored by a local sportsmen’s club, business, or other entity.   Any angler who catches a trout with a bright pink tag will receive a prize from the local cooperator in the Tags ‘N Trout Program.

In the Western District, tagged trout will be stocked in the following waters:  Ashfield Lake, Westfield River, Upper Highland Lake, Deerfield River and Littleville Lake.   If you catch one, contact the sponsor for your prize.   A listing of the sponsors is available on the MassWildlife web site. *****

The Onota Boat Livery’s 2015 Ice Fishing Contest ended on March 15.  Congratulations to the following winners who won $50 store prizes:  Largest pike – 23 lbs 8 oz, 42 inch out of Onota Lake, caught by John Kozlowski of  Pittsfield,  Largemouth Bass – 4 lbs 1oz, 21 inch out of Pontoosuc Lake caught by Austin Dufur of Adams; Smallmouth Bass – 3 lbs 15 oz out of Long Pond by Ed Vidal of  Pittsfield; Perch – 1 lb 2 oz out of Pontoosuc Lake by Bubby Carofiles of Stephentown, NY;  Crappie – 1 lb 5 oz out of Onota Lake  by Bruce McCauley of Hinsdale; Pickerel – 3 lbs 7 oz out of Onota Lake, by Corie Tremont of  Pittsfield and Trout – 1 lb 10 oz, 17 inch, out of Laurel Lake caught by Joe Chague of Pittsfield.  Congratulations to all.

 

Vicki and Cliff White will be teaching basic pistol classes in the near future at two sportsmen’s clubs.   The Lenox Sportsmen’s Club is offering a course at its club house in Lenox on the evenings of April 14 and April 17 beginning at 5:00PM.  The Lee Sportsmen’s Association will be offering one on Saturday, April 11 from 8:00AM to 6PM at its clubhouse in Lee. These classes provide great opportunities to learn the skills, knowledge and attitude to be a responsible gun owner.  Information on these classes can be obtained from the clubs’ web pages or at  cliffxring@gmail.com *****

 

Congratulations to 7 year old Emma Ranzoni of Lee for catching the above pictured 5 lb 2 oz, 20 ½ inch largemouth bass out of Buckley-Dunton Lake in Becket last Saturday.   According to her dad Matt, the fish made a long run, the tip-up spooled out, the line knotted up at times and all sorts of maladies happened before finally landing the fish.  She will receive a bronze pin under the MA Freshwater Sportfishing Awards program.  Her dad, who does some taxidermy, will mount it for her.

 

What a wonderful story to wrap up the 2015 ice fishing season.

 

Cub Scouts take to the ice

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Last weekend, Joe Chague of Pittsfield had his second annual ice fishing class on Laurel Lake for Sacred Heart Church Pack #20 Cub Scouts.  He was assisted by friend Mark Markham also of Pittsfield.  Some 15 scouts, siblings and friends showed up for the class.  They were taught how to cut holes through the ice, sound the holes, set up and bait tip-ups, jig for fish, etc.  Midway through the class, they stopped for cups of hot chocolate and hot dogs.

 

They had a great time and were unaffected by a couple of snow squalls that passed through.   Although none of them caught fish of their own, they got to see and handle some nice white and yellow perch caught by Mark.  He caught them using a jigging stick as well as on tip-ups.

 

Some parents had a thrill, too, and perhaps learned a thing or two about ice fishing.  Joe had several different types of tip-ups on display; from very old to new Y2K compliant.   I set up a tip up that was probably made in the 1930’s.  It was a single piece tip-up with no reel, the kind that I learned to ice fish with when I was a kid.  You can well imagine the thrill when that flag went up and I caught a pickerel. Never thought I would ever catch another fish on such a tip-up again.

 

As the picture indicates, these kids really got into this sport. Did you ever see 15 excited kids racing to respond to a tip- up?  Well, don’t get in their way.

 

Such events as this and the R.O.P.E.S. (Respect Other People Encouraging Self-esteem) ice fishing derby are wonderful ways to get kids (and parents) outdoors and interested in ice fishing. *****

 

Some 46 coyotes were entered into Dave’s Sporting Goods Coyote Contest this year, and the winners were as follows:  Carl Dolle of North Adams bagged the most coyotes with a tally of 22.  He also got the heaviest one which weighed 46 ½ lbs.   Cliff Briggs of Great Barrington won the random raffle.  If Carl’s name sounds familiar, it is because he bagged the largest coyote in last year’s contest, one weighing 50 lbs.  In the 2013 contest, Carl got the most coyotes with a tally of 24, and in 2012, he bagged the most coyotes with a tally of 16.  Do you think that maybe he knows what he is doing?  *****

Governor Baker recently appointed former State Representative George Peterson, from Grafton, as Commissioner of the Department of Fish & Game.  Peterson served 10 terms in the House before deciding to not run again in 2014.   Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton, who served with Peterson in the House, also appointed Mary-Lee King deputy commissioner of Fish and Game.  This announcement came as great news to sportsmen statewide.

 

“As an avid outdoorsman and former commercial fisherman, George will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience as well as a unique understanding of the issues most important to sportsmen and commercial fishermen across the Commonwealth,” said Beaton. “I am honored to lead the DFG, and look forward to upholding the Department’s ongoing commitment to the protection of the Commonwealth’s wildlife, open space, and outdoors educational programs,” said Peterson.  King previously held the title of Legislative Director for the DFG, and worked as a chief policy advisor for former Gov. William Weld and chief of staff to then-Sen. Paul Cellucci. *****

 

Getting that urge to go fly fishing?  Well, this Friday evening, the Taconic Chapter of Trout Unlimited is hosting an International Fly Fishing Film Festival at the Berkshire Hills Country Club, 500 Benedict Road, Pittsfield.   You are invited to see some of best rated fly fishing videos of 2014 taken from around the world.  You are encouraged to bring the whole family.

 

Doors open at 6:30 PM and the film will be shown at 7 PM.  The cost is $12 for advanced tickets or $15 at the door.  The first 45 attendees will receive a free copy of Stonefly Magazine.  There will be a 50/50 raffle and a handmade 9’ 4wt fly rod will be given out as a door prize.  Refreshments will be available.  Tickets can be obtained by calling Bill Travis 413-447-9720, by contacting any Taconic TU Chapter Board member, (listed on its website  http://www.taconictroutunlimited.org, under “Members”) or on-line at: www.THEF3T.com and search for the date.

 

Questions/comments:  Berkwoodsandwaters@roadrunner.com.   Phone/fax:  (413) 637-1818

 

 

What a brutal winter! Good time to head for the man-cave.

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Winter is a wonderful time of year for the ice fishermen, rabbit/coyote hunters, and other cold weather enthusiasts.  But this year the weather conditions have been so miserable that many of these sports have been curtailed. Many of us have been practically house bound.  So what do we do during those long cold winter days and nights?

Head for the man-cave, of course.   The inviting atmosphere, especially on a cold, winter evening, provides a good place to take on various projects. Hunters can be found there cleaning and oiling their hunting guns, reloading shells or sharpening their knives.  Hikers may be there waterproofing their boots, the skiers waxing their skis, etc.  Fishermen will be there lubricating their fishing reels and putting new lines on them.  Fly fishermen are there tying up a batch of trout flies or building a new fishing rod for next spring’s season.

I love it in my man-cave.   The fly tying vise is all set up on the desk ready to begin tying on a whim.   I am surrounded by bags and boxes of all kinds of fly tying materials, hooks, etc.   I love to spend a comfortable, undisturbed evening there.  Only I do the vacuuming there, lest a valuable wood duck or jungle cock feather be sucked up.  Our beagle, Jacques, loves it in there, too, what with the smells of all kinds of furs, feathers, gun oil, etc.  With tail excitedly wagging, he is probably hoping to kick up a rabbit out of there.  Now that my wife Jan bought me a little TV to watch while I tie flies, I see no reason whatsoever to come out for days on end.  (Just kidding!!)

What’s your man-cave like? Is it a heated garage, wood-working shop, studio, computer room or is it just a comfortable place to sit and listen to music or read a good book.  It seems that we all need such solace and enjoyable diversions.

Outdoors sportsmen are always creating something in them.  Some make their own fishing rods, tie flies, make wooden bass plugs, reload shells, carve duck decoys, make wooden bows and arrows, etc.   Perhaps its a throw-back to the days when the early hunters/fishermen had to make their own gear, in order to survive.  There is something very gratifying when you make stuff with your own hands.   Ask any sculptor, wood worker, knitter or seamstress.

 

Incidentally, there is nothing that prevents a woman from having a woman-cave.

 

I never knew anyone who made their own snowshoes. But I suspect that is about to change, for Brian J. and Edmond Theriault, master traditional snowshoe makers from Fort Kent Mills, Maine, have written a book on how to make them.  Entitled “Leaving Tracks, “A Maine Tradition”, this book shows and explains everything you need to know on how to make wooden snowshoes. Edmond Theriault, taught his son Brian how to both make and repair them when Brian was a young man.  Now, Brian has been making them for over 50 years himself.

 

Admittedly, this was the first book on snowshoe making I have ever read and it is so complete, there is little need to read another.   I liked the fact that it not only shows readers how to make snowshoes, but also how to select the right tree/wood, process cow hides, shape the woods into frames and build snowshoe molds.  It describes the necessary tools and shows diagrams with measurements on how to weave traditional snowshoes.  All of this was done in an easy to understand format.   I also liked the fact that information was given on how to care for the snowshoes and bindings, how to repair them and what to look for when buying a pair.

 

Obviously, the Theriaults take pride in the snowshoes they make and they clearly convey their knowledge onto the reader.  They call their snowshoes “usable art”.  It is no wonder that the Maine Arts Commission named traditional snowshoe maker, Brian Theriault one of its 2015 Individual Artist Fellowship award winners.

The book is available in Kindle ($9.99), hard cover ($44.52) and soft cover ($21.28).  My soft cover copy has 206 pages   The Publisher is Theriault Snowshoes. *****

The sporting community was recently saddened by the loss of two well known local sportsmen, Ernest “Ernie” LeClaire, formerly of Williamstown, and Lambert “Mickey” McGinty, of Dalton. LeClaire was a founding member of the Hoosac River Watershed Association and an officer and director of the Hoosac Chapter of Trout Unlimited.  He was the recipient of one of TU’s highest national awards, the Silver Trout Award.  McGinty was a director and past president of the Berkshire Beagle Club and the recipient of the 2003 Berkshire County League of Sportsmen Sportsman’s Achievement Award.    Both will be missed. *****

 

Congratulations to Miss P for winning the Westminister Kennel Club Dog Show recently.  She is a 4 year old, Canadian born, 15-inch beagle and the grandniece of Uno, the first beagle to ever win the big show in 2008.   There was no “aawroooo” from her when she was announced the winner, unlike Uno.  Instead, she just pushed her way through a bunch of dangling ribbons, perhaps biting a couple of them on the way to receive ribbon.   What a handsome dog she is. *****

 

For fly fishermen who fish the Deerfield River, the Deerfield Fly Shop is opening at 8A Elm Street, South Deerfield, just a few minutes from the lower stretches of the river.  An all day grand opening celebration is scheduled for March 7. Check out deerfieldflyshop.com for a listing of events, raffles, speakers, guides, river reports, operating hours, etc.  *****

 

The Stockbridge Sportsmen’s Club is having its wild game dinner next Saturday at 6PM.  Call 413-298-3277 for more information.

 

Questions/comments:  Berkwoodsandwaters@roadrunner.com.   Phone/fax:  (413) 637-1818

 

Fishing trip turns into un-bear-able event

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Following up on my recent articles about our fishing trip north to Quebec to fish in Lake Ternay,  Attorney Mike Shepard and I flew out on Tuesday, September 2 and the other guys: Mike and son Darren Miller, Carl Racie and Gary Hebert stayed to fish through Sunday, September 7.

 

Gary and Mike tell what happened next:

 

Gary said the remainder of the trip continued to be the “trip from Hell”. “Bad weather made for some nasty white knuckle boat rides.  Not afraid to say this old Navy vet was a bit nervous in some of those three foot swells wearing a half ton of fishing clothes.  My life jackets (plural) never left my hand.  We did manage some decent sized brookies up at the North Rapids one day.

 

We had a fly-out on Friday to a remote lake but it came with a huge price.   The day started off beautiful and we flew two at a time to remote lake where we took two canoes to some rapids.   In the afternoon we ventured to the other end of the lake and fished those rapids.  Mike landed an 8+ pound brookie, but that’s where the fun ended.

 

Weather was starting to look iffy, and we headed back to the boat.  That’s when Mike fell down and got soaked.   We make it back to the plane and the weather started to really turn bad.  Carl and I were first on the return trip but we had to abort it because of a wind change and an overweight alarm. We took the boat motor off the plane to get the weight down.

 

After a tree-top second take-off and subsequent landing on very rough water on Lake Ternay, we made it back to the lodge.  That’s when Joe (outfitter) said we would have to leave Mike and Darren in the Bush.  The weather turned absolutely nasty.  Heavy rain and forty mph wind kept the plane grounded.  Did I mention Mike and Darren had zero emergency gear?   And Mike was soaked with the potential for hypothermia.

 

None of us slept a wink that night and we never fished again.   To add insult to injury when I asked Joe about any contingency plan if something happened in the Bush, he had none.  Nobody would have had a clue where to even start looking for us.  Very interesting trip and we even paid for it.”

 

Mike Miller said:  “When we realize that the plane wasn’t coming back we started to make shelter.  We had fly rods, flies, wading sticks and Darren’s pocket knife.  We found a “porta-boat”, assembled it and stuck it upside down between 2 trees.  We broke off spruce branches and piled them between us and the wind to give us a little relief.  The night was extremely long but we got through it okay.   Our biggest concern was for bears coming into the shelter.  I changed into 2 lightweight shirts I carry in a dry bag for situations like this and we ran around the beach every hour to keep warm.  The waders and rain jackets really helped to keep us warm.

 

A bear showed up around 6 AM working the shore eating blueberries.  When he was about 75 yards away we yelled to get his attention and he just laid down on a rock for about 5 minutes then got up and started coming in our direction.  He did this 2 or 3 times until he was around 20 yards from us at the edge of the beach.  We puffed ourselves up to look big and charged him but he didn’t move.   Again he started in our direction and we charged and threw rocks at him.  He finally stopped, turned around and walked off.   He had no idea what we were.

 

The weather was pretty good when light broke (4:30AM) so we were confident that the plane would be coming shortly.  Around 9AM the plane hadn’t shown up even though our weather was still clear and we became concerned that something had happened.   At 11AM we decided there was a good chance the plane went down or was damaged so we put together a 5-day survival plan (we knew there was a 3 day front coming through with cold weather and snow from the forecast received the day before).  We fortified our shelter with logs and branches and caught some trout for lunch which we ate raw.  We positioned a canoe half way in the water to allow us escape if a bear showed up.  The smell of fish would probably draw one into our area.

 

We made the best shelter we could and decided we needed to get some sleep.  Our outlook at this point was bleak.  There were no other options except for being picked up by the float plane.  We left messages on our cell phones for our wives and kids in case we didn’t make it.

 

About 2PM we heard a plane and then it went away.  It later came back and flew over us and we saw that it was Joe’s plane.

 

Interestingly, the weather at Ternay was blowing and raining all morning but the weather 15 miles away was clear.  We even had the sun out at one point.  Prime example of what can happen with the fickle weather up there.

 

Joe did the right thing by leaving us.  There wasn’t any way he could have made another flight that day because he would have crashed the plane trying.  Afterwards he told us this is the first time in 38 years he had ever left anybody in the bush.”

 

What a story Mike and Darren Miller have to tell their children and grandchildren.  I’ll bet it will be part of their family lore for generations to come.

 

Unwelcomed guest arrives at fishing camp

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Following up on my recent articles about 5 of us fishermen heading north to Quebec to fish in Lake Ternay:  Attorney Mike Shepard (Mike S) and me from the Berkshires, Mike Miller and Carl Racie from Athol, MA and Gary Hebert from Richmond, NH (guys from the east).

 

One evening, shortly after dinner, our guide Steve came storming into the lodge shouting “There’s a bear out there!”  He grabbed outfitter Joe Stefanski’s 30:06 scoped rifle and ran back outside.  Some of us didn’t take him too seriously for, as mentioned in a previous column, he had a drinking problem and could have been hallucinating.  Things livened up at the table shortly thereafter when we heard a gunshot from outside.  Several rushed outside to see if there really was a bear and if Steve shot it.  Apparently, he missed.

 

We had just returned to the dinner table when there was another shot and once again fellows scurried out to see what was what.  He missed again.  This scene repeated itself one more time.   There was no way I was going out with a guy running around in the dark shooting a gun.  The bear got away again.

 

We were beginning to suspect that there was no bear at all when Claude, the handyman, came back in saying he shined a flashlight on the bear but no one was with him to shoot it.  Later on, Steve came in holding a hip boot that was all chewed up.  (Bears apparently like to chew on boots and waders.)

 

Mike S and I headed back to our cabin because he had left his waders on a clothes line to dry and he wanted to get them inside.  As long as we were there, we called it a night and went to bed. I slept with one eye open that night.  Our cabin was not that secure, with parts of the door rotted out and a very poor latch.  The wind actually blew it open a couple of times earlier during the week.

 

Around 5 AM, I heard a scratching sound on the outside wall near my feet and thought the guys in the next cabin were clowning around, trying to scare us.  It wasn’t until I heard a piece of plywood being torn off the outside wall that I bounded up to look out the window.   I saw nothing there, listened next to our door and heard nothing and looked out another window.  There I saw a black bear walking down the boardwalk heading away from our cabin and toward the lodge.   I woke Mike S up and told him about it and we both peered out the window but we couldn’t see it any more.  Mike went back to bed and as I was getting dressed we heard 3 gunshots come from the area near the lodge.

 

Gary Hebert and I walked toward the big house and saw Joe standing there in his underwear holding his rifle.  The first words out of his mouth were “What’s a guy have to do around here to get a night’s sleep?”   The animal had awakened him while rummaging nearby and he shot it.

 

Shortly thereafter, Claude joined us from the guide’s cottage and showed us the damages the bear did there.  During the night, it scratched at their door trying to get it.  It destroyed Steve’s backpack, scattered his fishing lures, chewed up a beer can, chewed up his sun glasses and punctured an aerosol can of OFF insect repellant (that’s possibly when it chewed up the camp water hose, probably to gargle). Sometime during the night, it also chewed up a couple of jerry cans near the boats.  It tore off a chunk of plywood from our cottage and left it lying on the ground.

 

After bears had previously broken into one of Joe’s camps and totally destroyed his lodge kitchen, stove, refrigerator, etc, costing him thousands of dollars in damages, he doesn’t fool around with them anymore.  From that day on, no fishing cleaning is allowed on the island or anything that will attract bears.  He flies out the garbage when he goes for provisions.

 

Unlike the bears around here with frequent contact with humans, bears up there are hundreds of miles away from civilization.  They never see humans and probably consider us another animal to kill and eat.  I hated to see the bear being killed, but if not that day, then sometime in the future it would have caused someone serious trouble.

 

Joe had to get the dead bear off the island lest the carcass attract other bears.   It was rolled down the hill to the water’s edge, attached by rope to a boat and towed out to a nearby small island which he calls Bear Island.    He left it there where it will eventually be eaten by other bears or scavengers.

 

Later on, we kiddingly asked Joe what the proper attire was for bear hunting up there.  “Fruit of the Loom”, he replied.

 

In some ways, Mike S and I were glad to leave because of the slow fishing, drunken guide, dangerous, slippery rivers, white knuckled boat rides through white caps, and marauding bears.  On the other hand, the sights of the Northern Lights were remarkable as were the sights and sounds of the loons and, of course the occasional catching of big beautiful brookies.

 

As our plane approached, Mike Miller confided in us that he wished he was leaving, too.   But he had to stay because his son Darren was flying in on that plane to fish with him and the other guys for the next several days.  Did he have a premonition?  Find out next week.