Lenox Sportsmen’s Club Pistol Team claimed State title

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Last month, the Lenox SC Pistol Team went on a shooting rampage and took 1st place in the Berkshire County pistol competitions which they have won for the last few years, and then competed in the State Finals and won that, too. According to Team Captain David Cimini, that could be the first State title ever for the club and perhaps for a Berkshire team, at least in recent memory.
They scored 4,126 out of 4,500 possible points, beating the 2nd place Merrimac Valley Pistol League by 21 points.
To get to the State finals, the 11 to 15- member pistol team had to win the Berkshire County title. Once that was accomplished, they qualified to represent Berkshire County at the State level.. They had to trim their number of shooters down to 6, selecting their top scorers. Eight teams competed at the State level, representing the different counties.
The rules state that teams must shoot .22 caliber pistols, using open or red dot sights, one handed, at a bull’s eye target at a 50- foot range. The scores entered can only be from the accumulation of the five top scorers. It is called a 900 match. Each shooter has 90 shots at 10 points apiece with a maximum score of 900 points.
The Lenox team shooters were: Team Captain – David Cimini, Co-Captain Ray Scheufler, Peter Kirchner, Tom Greenleaf, Gregg Proctor and James Denault. All are Pittsfield residents except for Proctor who resides in Hinsdale. The top shooter was Denault who scored 834 out of 900 possible points.
According to Cimini, there are some very good shooters at the eastern end of the state, many of them are in weekly leagues, similar to bowling leagues. The Lenox Club only shoots 10 or 12. One of those eastern teams usually takes the State title every year. “This year was our year”, he said, “We worked hard., we practiced hard and we really put a lot into it. And it paid off.” Over the years, they have placed anywhere from 2nd to 8th. Last year, Lenox finished 3rd.
I was hoping to get a picture of these sharpshooters holding the trophy and medals, but the awards are late and have not arrived yet. When they do arrive, I hope to include a picture in a future column.
Congratulations, gents! Mighty fine shooting, mighty fine!
Recent Massachusetts DFW activities now that trout stocking is over
Recently, they completed stocking Quabbin Reservoir with its annual allotment of 10,000 landlocked salmon raised at the Palmer Fish Hatchery. It will take about 3 years for these fish to reach the 15″ minimum size for harvest.

According to Western District supervisor Andrew Madden, they successfully banded bald eagle chicks at Richmond Pond and the Westfield River in Russell.

They are also continuing deployment of black bear GPS radio collars. They added 1 collared female this past spring.

Teachers are tutored on fly fishing

Ronald Wojcik, of Windsor, MA is a teacher at Taconic High School in Pittsfield, coaches the Hoosic Valley Girls’ Basketball Team and also is a superb fly fisherman. So, it makes perfect sense for him to start an after-school fly fishing club for the Taconic High students. About 12 years ago, he did just that and since then about 50 students have taken the course.

The course includes lessons in fly fishing and casting, fly tying (depending on interest), fly fishing equipment, entomology, species of trout, videos, etc. His availability to teach these subjects depends on his basketball coaching schedule for the Hoosic Valley Girls’ Basketball Team.

This past year, Ron had no students available to take his fly fishing course, in spite of sending e-mails and posting fliers about the course. The students were tied up in other sports or had after school jobs. When the teachers saw the flyers, they asked, “What about us? We would like to learn to fly fish, too.” Ron agreed and as a result, 4 Taconic teachers, and the Wahconah High School Girls’ Basketball Coach, Liz Kay, attended the fly fishing lesson. (Ironically, Liz’s team defeated Hoosic Valley in the play-offs last year, but Ron welcomed her anyway). The Taconic teachers were Kris Pearson, Patrice Lattrell and Ana Larkin. Amy Green is a health technician volunteer.

On the evening of June 19, Ron invited the teachers up to his house to learn to fly fish for trout in his private pond, a body of water of about ¾ acre. Also invited were 5 members of the Taconic Chapter of Trout Unlimited to do the one-on-one tutoring. They were Stephen Smith, William Travis, Marc Hoechstetter, Paul Knauth and me. After dining on pizza, we got down to the business of casting for and catching trout.

The teachers were a mix of novice anglers and those with some experience. The teacher that I was mentoring, Kris Pearson, had never fly fished before, and on her second cast, a large trout hammered her black wooly bugger fly and went deep to the bottom and put up a fierce fight.

You should see the excitement that ensued with Ron rushing over joining me with instructions. I think Kris was a little intimidated and tried to hand the rod over to me. But it was it was her fish to catch or lose. It was a brute, probably one of Ron’s rainbow trout that he stocked in the 6 to 10- inch range 4 or 5 years ago and now weighed around 5 lbs. After swimming around the pond, it finally got off. Liz immediately became sold on fly fishing and now wants to buy a starter fly fishing outfit.

About halfway through the fishing lesson, Ron’s wife Diane Wojcik brought down to the pond some freshly made and still warm cookies. Their labra-doodle dog, Hershey, checked on all of the lady fly fishers, too. And then they went back to fishing.

Ron made sure that all of the fish that were caught were resuscitated and swam away to fight another day.

So, did these teachers pass or fail? They passed with flying colors. By the end of the session, all of them were decent fly casters and all either caught trout or had them on. They appeared to be having a great time, as did the mentors.

There was no need to send them home with bad report cards. They can now advance to the next phase, that of catching fish out of our local lakes and rivers and enjoying all of the beautiful sights that our Berkshires have to offer. Also, they can go on summer vacation now!

A classic fishing trip to the Adirondacks

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Fishing buddy Paul Knauth of Hinsdale and I recently returned from a 4-day fly fishing trip to New York’s Adirondacks region. Our intent was to fish the AuSable River in Wilmington, NY, a small town near Lake Placid. We were hoping for good weather, good fishing and no mosquitos or blackflies. (We should have also hoped for no “no-see-ums”).
On the way up the Northway, I was wondering if anything would happen on this trip which would warrant mentioning in this column. Hopefully, whatever happens would be positive.
Every time I fish there, thoughts of the late Francis Betters surface. For 47 years, as the owner of the Adirondack Sports Shop and renowned fishing expert, he was at his desk tying up flies and offering advice to customers and fellow fishermen. He once told me that he tied and sold nearly 30,000 flies a year. He is credited for creating several great trout flies, most notably the AuSable Wulff (my favorite fly), the Haystack, the Usual and several others. The AuSable Wulff was named one of the top 10 trout flies of all time by Field and Stream magazine, along with the Haystack. Fran also wrote several fly-fishing and fly-tying books. He was inducted into the Catskill Fly Fishing Hall of Fame in 2008 and passed beyond the riverbend in 2009.
Shortly after arriving and checking into our cabin (Wilderness Inn) Paul and I headed out to fish the river. Paul chose to head upstream and fish down to the car while I chose to go downstream and fish back. The river was on the low side this year so I kept walking downstream until I found good looking water, albeit on the wild and turbulent side.
Thinking of Francis, I chose to fish with one of his Haystacks. In fact, I believe it was one that he tied up for it was much better than the ones I tie. On the 3rd cast, the heavy current swung the fly immediately to the outlet rim of the hole and got snagged onto a rock ….or so I thought. When I tried to work it off of the rock, there was a serious pull that indicated that a big trout was on the other end of the line. After a serious battle, I was able to bring the fish to my feet and discovered that it was a beautiful brown trout of about 18 inches long.
Hoping to get a picture of it, I reached for my smart phone. Of course, it was in my pants pocket, way down deep in the chest waders. While the fish was resting at my feet in about 6 inches of water, I finally got the phone out to take a picture. I decided to lay the reel and rod next to the fish so that one could get a rough idea of the its size. But doing that caused the fish to dart away and snap the leader. It didn’t know it was free and lingered a while, allowing me to take pictures of it. After it swam away, I distinctly remember saying, “Here’s your fly back, Francis”.
Perhaps that’s the story for this column.
The following night, Paul was fishing with a Blue Winged Olive emerger fly when he hooked into a lunker. After a lengthy battle, with the fish swimming all around that pool, he finally landed it. It also was an 18-inch brown trout. Unfortunately, we didn’t have a camera with us, but I can attest to its size. It fought so hard that I thought I would have to step out of the pool so that it wouldn’t swim near and wrap the line around me. An 18-inch wild brown trout doesn’t come by frequently. In fact, I can probably count the number of them caught in my lifetime on one hand.
Perhaps that would be the story for this column.
On this trip, Paul and I decided to explore the North Branch of the Saranac River to see what the fishing was like there. Neither of us had ever fished the stretch near Clayburg, NY. We spent a day and a half there catching mainly small wild brook and brown trout.
On the second day there, we stopped for a lunch break in a fishing access area. While there, a young girl, approximately 13 years old rode by on a bike, and she had a fishing pole. After lunch, Paul and I separated, this time he headed downstream and I went upstream to a bridge. While approaching it, I saw a bike along the side of the road. It was that girl’s bike and she was fishing where I wanted to go.
From the bridge, I could see that she was fishing with an inexpensive spinning rod and a Zebco reel. After saying “hi” to her and finding out which direction she was going to fish (she was going to fish there under the bridge), I went downstream about 120 feet to give her space. What enfolded then was a scene reminiscent of an old Ed Zern caricature.
All of a sudden, I heard a terrific splash and looking toward the sound, saw the girl fighting a large brown trout which once again jumped a foot in the air. Her inexpensive rod was seriously bent, but she fought and subsequently beached that trout like a pro. I shouted congratulations and commended her for the great job of landing it. “What is it, about 15 inches?” I asked. “I don’t know,” she said “It’s the biggest fish I ever caught”. Oh, how I wished I had the camera there.
Here I was fishing out in the middle of the river with thousands of dollars worth of equipment consisting of an expensive fly rod, reel, chest waders, wading staff, wooden net, a fishing vest with several hundred trout flies in it and a myriad of other gadgets hanging from it, and catching nothing. And there was this young girl who arrived by bicycle, dressed in shorts and sneakers, fishing from the bank with an inexpensive fishing pole, reel and worms and catching that big fish. How classic is that?
The girl showed up again later that day, this time with her boyfriend who also arrived by bike, a lad of about 14 years old. When Paul saw them, he conceded his fishing spot to them and commented on how she was now famous in the area, having caught that big brown trout (which ultimately measured out to be 14 ½ inches). She was beaming from ear to ear.
After lauding her great accomplishment, I commented to the boy that he was going to have to work hard to catch a bigger trout than her’s. “Well”, he said, “I taught her how to fish!” Paul, picked up on the lad’s wounded pride, immediately said, “You sure did a great job of teaching!
This true story is classic and deserves to be in this week’s column. Wouldn’t you agree?
Questions/comments: Berkwoodsandwaters@roadrunner.com. Phone: (413) 637-1818

 

There is now an innovative website for citizen science

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According to MassWildlife, just under 7 million people share roughly 7 million acres of land and water with wildlife in Massachusetts. Roadways crisscross much of the landscape, impacting both people and wildlife. The most obvious impacts are vehicle collisions. Less obvious—but perhaps more influential to wildlife populations—is habitat fragmentation and degradation caused by roads.
MassWildlife and MassDOT have partnered since 2008 to provide safe passages for both wildlife and people, and to address the conservation needs of vulnerable species listed under the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act. This partnership helps incorporate the needs of fish, wildlife, and plants that might have been ignored otherwise during the planning process and maintenance of roadways.
The partnership also has a website where you can report animals you see on the road. If you see roadkill, or a turtle or amphibian crossing the road, consider visiting linkinglandscapes.info to submit information. To submit your findings, click the major project that best fits what you see: reducing turtle roadkill, mapping amphibian crossings, or mapping wildlife roadkill. Fill out the short survey, with detailed location information. There is a Google Map at the bottom of the survey that can be zoomed in and panned to a specific location. The information provided on the website helps MassWildlife and MassDOT determine priority areas to mitigate wildlife-human interactions and how best to manage them.
The agencies suggest that there is another way you can help wildlife on the road and that is to be an alert driver. If you see a turtle crossing a road—and if it’s safe to assist—move the turtle in the direction it’s going. Don’t put it where you think it should go. Slow down if you see a moose or deer on the side of the road or crossing the road. If the animal is crossing the road, don’t swerve around it. Wait patiently for it to cross.
DFW Western District Land Acquisition
MassWildlife recently acquired 150 acres along East Washington Road in Hinsdale. This parcel connects the Hinsdale Flats Wildlife Management Area to the Tracy Pond Wildlife Management Area. It has fields, young forest, old orchards and mature woods, good habitat for most of our wildlife.
All lands acquired by the DFW are open to hunting, fishing, trapping, bird watching, hiking and other forms of passive recreation. The use of motorized vehicles is not permitted.
New Catch & Release State Record Walleye caught
Congratulations to Mike Taylor who recently caught a 29.5″ walleye out of the Connecticut River. Mike is now the catch & release state record holder for walleye.
According to Mass DFW, in the past, they made an extensive yet unsuccessful effort to stock walleye in dozens of waterbodies across the state, but survival rates were low and there was little, if any, natural reproduction. (They even tried stocking them in Stockbridge Bowl in the 1930’s or 1940’s with no reproduction success).
The DFW says that if you’re looking for places to catch walleye in the State, the Connecticut and Chicopee Rivers, as well as the Lakeville system in the southeast, provide good opportunities.
Basic Hunter Education Course

There will be a Basic Hunter Education course held at the Worthington Rod & Gun Club, 458 Dingle Road, Worthingon, MA on July 23, 24, 26 and 27. All four sessions are from 5:30 to 9:00 pm.

You must attend all class dates and times to successfully complete the course. If you are interested in this course and wish to enroll, call (508) 389-7830 immediately; students are enrolled first-come, first-served, and courses fill quickly.

Get those kids outside. Please!
Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s are certainly doing their share. Recently, they announced that they will be donating some 50,000 rods and reels nationwide this summer in an effort to get kids outside. Recently, Masswildlife accepted a generous donation of 400 rods to its Angler Education Program at the Massachusetts Cabela’s.

They are EPOs, but I still call them game wardens
What this column needs is a good game warden story every now and then. Game wardens (now called Environmental Police Officers in Massachusetts) are very important and are an integral part of our hunting and fishing lore. When I think of the old-time game wardens, I conger up visions of him in his Smokey the Bear Hat, sneaking through the woods and peeking through some pines observing a person fishing right next to a “No Fishing” sign. I am partial to game wardens as my father was once a deputy game warden in the 1920’s and he used to relate some interesting stories to my brothers and me which I hope to pass on in future columns.
In the meantime, let’s start off with this one from nearby New York. Three hunters charged with illegally killing eight bucks in Columbia County, NY, last December have been fined a total of $16,300, according to New York Police Benevolent Association (PBA), the union that represents the officers who made the arrests.
As reported in the Times Union, Environmental Conservation Officer Jeff Cox received an anonymous tip last Dec. 16 that a poacher had illegally shot a buck after dark on Friday evening. Cox and his partner, Officer James Davey, went to the alleged poacher’s home to investigate and found 19-year-old Hunter Ordway of Chatham preparing several antlered deer for processing and display. During an interview, Ordway admitted he had shot the two larger deer that Friday night and did not tag a third he’d also killed, the PBA said in a statement. Ordway named 41-year-old Jeremy Schemerhorn of Chatham and 24-year-old Ryan Bishop of Niverville as accomplices.
Schemerhorn and Bishop “eventually implicated each other in a variety of illegal hunting activities” in subsequent interviews the PBA said.
The officers seized eight bucks in total: one 10-point trophy, three 8-pointers, one 6-pointer, two 5-pointers and one spike. The meat was donated to the Columbia County Hunters for the Hungry Program.
The deer were killed by hunters who baited, stalked and shot the animals after dark with the aid of a light and night vision eyewear, the union said. The three men were ticketed for various offenses and also charged with a total of 10 misdemeanors, the police union said.
Ordway pleaded guilty on April 25 to six misdemeanor counts involving the illegal taking of deer and was sentenced on May 23 to $12,400 in fines and court costs.
Schemerhorn pleaded guilty on March 5 to three misdemeanors involving the illegal take of deer and paid a total of $3,225 in fines and court surcharges.
Bishop pleaded guilty on Feb. 28 to four violations: hunting deer over bait, failure to tag a deer, failure to possess an archery license and failure to wear backtag. He paid $675 in fines and court surcharges.

Fair weather adds to fishing derby joys

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Saturday morning, June 2, was a beautiful day. It was sunny and warm with a mild breeze, a perfect day to go fishing. And a lot of anglers did just that. That was the first day that some youngsters ever held a fishing pole and cast a worm out to catch a fish.
Such was the case on Reynolds Pond in Cheshire. It was all made possible by the Berkshire County League of Sportsmen (BCLS) which had its annual Youth Outreach Fishing Derby. Due to a variety of issues, kids who normally would not have an opportunity to fish were invited.
This year, Deacon Robert Sams brought 15 kids from the First Baptist Church in Pittsfield and Alex Doherty brought 13 kids from the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition. Most of the kids, ages 6 to 14 years old had never fished before
Thanks to the BCLS who provided the mentors, fishing poles, line, reels, and the MassWildlife Angler Education Program which donated bait and tackle they had a great opportunity to catch some of the 200 brook trout which had been purchased from the Berkshire Fish Hatchery and recently stocked into the pond. As luck would have it, the beautiful brookies were hungry and aggressively seeking out the tasty worms that were cast out.
Every kid caught trout, many of which were about a foot long. Any angler can tell you that catching a brookie of that size is rare indeed. Some of the kids were afraid to touch them, but they couldn’t wait to cast out to catch another. The trout were placed in plastic bags and brought to Joe Miraglia, Attorney Jim Loughman and others for cleaning. You should see these fish, nice pink meat in them. Gosh, they looked tasty.
Around noon, the fishing was halted for a while so that the kids could have a lunch, which included grilled burgers and dogs along with something to drink and chips. Then back at the pond.
Who says that little boys are devils? Look what appeared in the picture of that youngster as I took the picture. Is that a halo over his head? No, probably not, it was probably a fish or something that splashed in the water behind him just as I snapped the picture. It wasn’t an apparition…..or was it. The fish decided to jump out of Robert’s hands at that instant, too.
When the day was over, the kids took the fish home to be cooked up. They brought home with them brand new fishing outfits and many smiles. For many of the volunteers, this is the best day of the year for it is such a joy to see the excited kids and their beaming smiles.
Volunteers came from the Lenox Sportsmen’s Club, Pittsfield Sportsmen’s Club, Taconic Chapter of Trout Unlimited, Cheshire Rod & Gun Club, Adams Outdoor for Youth, East Mountain Sportsmen’s Club, Greylock Bass Club, Ashfield Rod & Gun Club and the Berkshire Beagle Club. A couple of guys from the Berkshire Lodge of Masons did the cooking. Thanks to those volunteers and those who support the BCLS so that they have the funds to put on this annual event.
For others, June 2 was the day that they were destined to catch a nice fish and win a trophy and a prize. That was the day the 26th Annual Harry A. Bateman Memorial Fishing Derby on Onota Lake took place. Some 235 people attended to enjoy the fine weather, catch some nice fish, enjoy the tasty lunch that was provided and maybe win a raffle prize.
As usual, the emcee was Stephen Bateman who did his usual yeoman’s job of organizing the event, rounding up the donations and announcing the winners. All proceeds, some $5,000 this year, went to the Jimmy Fund He and his team are to be commended.
The Derby Winners this year were:
CHILDREN HEAVIEST GAME FISH CATEGORY
1ST. PLACE: KOLTON BUCK. – SMALLMOUTH BASS- 2 LBS. 13OZ.
2ND. PLACE: MASON KUCKA- PICKEREL – 2 LBS. 5 OZ.
3RD. PLACE: ZANDER TARDIBUONO – SMALLMOUTH BASS – 1LBS. 12 0Z.
CHILDREN HEAVIEST NON-GAME FISH CATEGORY
1ST. PLACE: STEPHEN MEDINA – BULLHEAD – 11 OZ.
2ND. PLACE: ADAM OSTELLINO – PUMPKIN SEED – 7 OZ.
3RD. PLACE: JORDYN HAMILTON – PUMKINSEED – 6 OZ.
ADULT HEAVIEST GAME FISH CATEGORY
1ST. PLACE: CHUCK PERO – PIKE – 7 LBS. 4 OZ.
2ND. PLACE: BEN SHACAR- SMALLMOUTH BASS – 2 LBS. 8OZ.
3RD. PLACE: STEVE FONES SR. – SMALLMOUTH BASS- 2 LBS. 7 OZ
SPECIAL HEAVIEST FISH 1ST. PLACE AWARDS
BASS: DERRICK DOBSON-SMALLMOUTH BASS – 3 LBS. 13OZ.
PERCH/CRAPPIE: JIM MOLE- CRAPPIE 15OZ.
CARP: JOE TRYBUS – COMMON CARP 11 LBS. 1 OZ.
TROUT ADULT: KALEB BELL RAINBOW TROUT 1 LBS. 13 OZ.
CHILDREN TROUT ALANNAH DARGI- RAINBOW TROUT- 1 LBS. 5 OZ.
SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD: ZAYVON LEVESQUES
Happy 90th Birthday Gige Darey
Last Wednesday, George “Gige” Darey of Lenox was surprised when he walked into Mazzeo’s Restaurant in Pittsfield to find a group of over 100 people there to celebrate his birthday. The event, which was planned and organized by Eleanor Tillinghast of Mount Washington, MA was by invitation only and supposed to be a small gathering of friends, associates and family, but it didn’t take long for word to get out and by the party time half of the Town of Lenox knew about it.
Gige made a lot of friends over the years, serving 38 years on the Massachusetts Fish & Wildlife Board and 35 years as its Chairman. He was a former Lenox Selectman, school teacher, ski instructor, Lenox Conservation Commissioner, avid sportsman and the list goes on. Over the years, he was involved in many major open space acquisitions in the Berkshires.
It was a grand birthday party with people coming from all over Massachusetts, including one from Cape Cod, and of course, from his home town of Lenox. There were only one or two short speeches, excellent hors d’oeuvres, a giant, tasty birthday cake and a rowdy Happy Birthday song.
Most invitees that I spoke with had the same dilemma – what to get Gige for his birthday? A gift certificate to a fancy restaurant? Well most 90-year olders we knew didn’t frequent restaurants that often any more. A gift certificate to LL Bean or some other place? Well, if he is like other older folks, whatever he received would be given away to someone else.
And then Dianne Romeo of Lenox had a great suggestion. A school scholarship in Gige’s name to which we all could contribute. Bingo! Gige loved it! And the nice thing about it is that Gige is still with us and can determine the criteria upon which the scholarship would is to be granted. Sorry Gige, you still have a few more important decisions to make.
It was a great party with everyone getting a chance to personally gab with Gige.
Incidentally, if anyone else would like to contribute to that scholarship fund, they can send a check to the Adams Community Bank, 7 Main Street, Lenox, MA, 01240, payable to the George Darey Scholarship Fund.

Students liberate 300 rainbow trout into Otis Reservoir

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Each year, the Western District of the DFW coordinates with a local public school and the Berkshire County League of Sportsmen to have students stock some fish into a local lake. The purpose of the program is to get kids who don’t normally have such an opportunity to see them up close and to get a better appreciation of them. It is an opportunity for DFW to introduce conservation ethics to them also.
This year 11 fifth graders from the Farmington River Regional School had such an opportunity, thanks to the efforts of Mark Jester, DCR District Manager – Mountain District and Rick Woodward, DCR District Manager – Lakes, for making the arrangements. The joint venture is the 4th time the three organizations teamed up to introduce kids to the outdoors.
The youths stocked about 300 rainbow trout, all 14+ inches in length into Otis Reservoir from Camper’s Beach at the Tolland State Forest. Some of those fish were HUGE!! DFW staff would put a couple of trout into empty 5 gallon pails and the kids would run to the shore and tossed them into the water. According to DFW Aquatic Biologist Leanda Fontaine-Gagnon, stocking the fish in this manner is good for the trout as they require a little jolt to get them started.
Accompanying the students was Ms Graham, a teacher who also got into the act by also running a pail of fish to the water’s edge and sending them flying into the water.
Bass tournament
The Greylock Bass Club held a bass tournament on Onota Lake on May 13 and the results are as follows: 1st place went to Dave (DJ) Benham with a 5 fish catch weighing 17.8 lbs, 2nd Place went to Paul Procopio with 11 lbs 10 oz (5 smallmouth bass), 3rd Place went to Jim Underhill with 9 lbs 8 oz (4 largemouth bass) and tied for 4th place were Joe Chague and Rick Turczak with 7 lbs 12 oz.

According to spokesman Bill Gates, they had 10 anglers with a 30 bass total (average of 3 bass, each even though the limit is 5). After 4th place the weight averages were 1 lb per angler. With the exception of Dave’s 17 lbs, the weights were down an average of 7 lbs per angler. There were only 2 bass over 3 lbs and Dave caught both of them.

In his 40 plus years of fishing Onota lake, Bill believes that “It has never looked this environmentally terrible. There isn’t any weed growth at all and the water clarity is awful. There is a lack of sub-species, (perch, bluegill and the rock bass) of which Onota Lake is famous”. “Don’t forget”, he said, “we may not be professional bass anglers but we are very competent. Onota lake always took 18 lbs to win and for the past 25 years 90% of the participants had 5 fish limits with an average of 10 lbs or better. This is the best time of year to catch bass over 3 lbs because both largemouth and smallmouth are in the spawn or pre-spawn stage. Yet nobody found any bigger fish”.

“I know weeds are a blight to home owners and water skiers, and sculling teams hate them, but to see what is happening to the wildlife is disheartening. “I am not looking to get involved with the politics of lake management”, he said, “I’m sure somebody would come up with a well paid for study that can justify the events at Onota Lake. I, unfortunately, have to rely on my 60 years (of experience) to fall back on.”

Bill believes the above situation is caused by the annual lake drawdowns as well as the applications of herbicides.

Spring trout stocking ended
According to Western District DFW Supervisor Andrew Madden, no more spring trout stocking is anticipated this year. Many thanks go to Deb Cote, DFW Clerk, for providing us those weekly updated stocking lists. Providing those figures to us undoubtedly caused extra work for her because such information is also provided on their web site.
Please leave young wildlife alone
The following is a message from MassWildlife: The arrival of spring means the arrival of newborn and just-hatched wildlife. Every year, the lives of many young creatures are disturbed by people who take young wildlife from the wild in a well-intentioned attempt to “save” them. These well-meant acts of kindness tend to have the opposite effect. Please remember, finding a young animal alone does not mean it’s abandoned; the best thing you can do for young wildlife is to leave them alone.
Young wildlife removed from the wild are denied important natural learning experiences which help them survive on their own. Most people quickly find that they can’t care for young wildlife, and many animals soon die in the hands of well-meaning people. Young wildlife that survive human “assistance” miss experiences that teach them to fend for themselves. If these animals are released back into the wild, their chances of survival are reduced. Often, the care given to young wildlife results in some attachment to humans and the animals may return to places where people live, only to be attacked by domestic animals, or hit by cars. Some animals become nuisances and people have been injured by once-tamed wildlife.
Generally, young mammals are visited by their mother only a few times a day to avoid attracting predators to the young. For example, a nest of bunnies will only be visited by the adult female twice per day to nurse the young. The young are generally safe when left alone because their color patterns and lack of scent help them remain undetected. The same is true for fawns (young deer). Fawns are safest when left alone because their camouflaging color helps them remain undetected until the doe returns. If sympathetic people repeatedly visit a fawn, it can prolong the separation from the doe and delay needed feeding. Unlike deer, newborn moose calves remain in close proximity to their mothers who, in contrast to a white-tailed doe, will actively defend calves against danger. An adult cow moose weighing over 600 pounds will chase, kick or stomp potential predators, people included.
Only when young wildlife are found injured or with their dead mother may the young be assisted, but must then be delivered immediately to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. Due to the difficulty in properly caring for them, there are no rehabilitators licensed to care for fawns. It is illegal to possess most wildlife in Massachusetts without a permit.

 

Column change – Please note
Please be advised that from now on, scheduled events (upcoming fishing derbies, youth hunts, gun courses, etc) will no longer be listed in this column. Such information should be sent to the Sports Editor, Geoff Smith at gsmith@berkshireeagle.com or his office number 413-496-6254. He will start running them during the week in the “Area Notes” section of the Sports Section whenever there are enough events to announce. I do plan to continue listing the results of the derbies, youth hunts, etc.

Ronald R. Smith, Turkey Hunting History Maker1980

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Wild turkey hunting began in Massachusetts in 1980 and the following year, on the second day of the season, a little bit of Massachusetts turkey hunting history took place right here in the Berkshires. In the predawn darkness, Ron Smith, then of Lee, now of Pittsfield, MA, was carefully picking his way through thick brush and trees down a wooded mountainside to an area where he hoped to find a roosting tom turkey. He imitated the call of a barred owl (a turkey predator) and a tom responded with a loud gobble about 100 yards away.

After waiting until it was light enough to find a good spot to stand, Ron selected an area where there was a large tree behind him to break his outline and disguise his presence. He was also fully camouflaged, including his face, hands and bow. He was somewhat familiar with the area as he had done some pre-season scouting there. Cupping his hands to his mouth, he called again, this time clucking quietly to imitate the soft “tree call” of a roosting hen. The tom responded immediately, rapidly gobbling several times. Ron cautioned himself not to call too frequently, which could cause the tom to become suspicious and disappear.

He said that he was “unusually calm”, probably because he had accepted the probability that any chance for bagging a wild turkey with a bow and arrow was just about nil. The fact that he had practiced for months did little to restore his confidence. A wild turkey is capable of spotting a slight finger movement at 80 yards, and if they do, they are out of there.

Several hundred yards further off, another roosting male started gobbling resulting in fierce competition. Each bird tried to outdo the other in his attempt to lure the hen by calling continuously. Ron’s concern mounted because other hunters might hear the birds, arrive at the scene and unintentionally ruin any chances that he may have at taking a tom.

He could hear the flapping of wings as the nearest tom left the tree and landed behind some thick brush about 80 yards away. The tom double and tripled gobbled and paraded back and forth waiting impatiently for the hen to come to him. Ron turned his head, covered his mouth and issued a few muffled yelps with the hope that the tom would think the hen was losing interest and was wandering off.

The tom stopped calling and Ron knew he was coming in. He raised his 57 pound draw Wing Impact compound bow to a shooting position and nocked the arrow. Seconds later, there was movement some 40 yards to his right. The bird had partially circled him and was proceeding cautiously, with head turning and stretching and eyes searching for the hen. He was heading for a nearby clearing. Ron had specifically chosen that opening right in front of him knowing that turkeys seldom venture into bushy areas where vision is limited.

Now the excitement suddenly his Ron, his mouth became dry and his chest started pounding and his arms started to shake. It appeared as though the bird’s piercing eyes were staring directly into his. About 12 yards away, off to the right, the bird stopped behind a large tree. That gave Ron the opportunity to adjust his shooting position and draw his bow. After a while, his head appeared, his black eyes penetrated Ron’s eyes and then withdrew his head and disappeared. There was silence. Then came a strange hissing and drumming sound and the tom stepped out strutting in full display. Ron let the arrow fly and it was over.

Then he sat down to control his shaking. He was a history maker for he had taken a turkey with a bow, the first turkey bagged with a bow and arrow in Massachusetts modern times.
The bird weighed 17.7 lbs, had 1 ½ inch spurs and a 9 ½ inch beard.

The late Ted Giddings, Editor for the Berkshire Eagle, covered the story and had the attached picture of Ron and the tom on the front page of the May 6, Berkshire Eagle, with the headline. “Lee man sets modern first by killing turkey with bow”. Ron also wrote about his experience and his story was featured in the May 1983 issue of Bowhunter, the National Magazine for the Hunting Archer.

Ron has always been an avid sportsman. Over the years he has served as President of the Berkshire County League of Sportsmen and still is a delegate to the League. He was named Sportsman of the Year in 1995. He was secretary of the Lee Sportsmen’s Association for over 30 years and taught Bowhunting Eucation for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for many years. He has served as President of the Taconic Chapter of Trout Unlimited. (In fact, he signed my diploma for passing a fly tying course back in 1982).

Now, at the age of 83, Ron is still an avid sportsman. He still bowhunts for deer and turkeys and goes out west to hunt elk in Montana, although lately, he hunts for elk with a camera. He is a member of several other sportsmen’s clubs, and, lest I forget, he is the elder statesman of the ROMEOs (Retired Old Men Eating Out), a group which gathers for lunch weekly.

Father, daughter have great spring turkey hunting season

Say, remember my May 6, 2018 column wherein I mentioned the Youth Turkey Hunting results? In that article, I mentioned that Grace Krzanik of Adams, while being mentored by her dad Scott bagged an 18 lbs bird. Well guess what? On May 12 Grace and Scott went hunting again and she shot her second tom at 5:19 am. As they were heading back to the truck, she heard gobbles, so they went back to where she shot hers and set up again. Two more came in behind them and Scott shot his second bird of the season at 6:30am. Both father and daughter tagged out for turkey season.

Incidentally, Spring Turkey Hunting Season ended yesterday.

Trout stockings

The following waters were scheduled to be stocked with trout last week: Clesson Brook and Upper Branch of Clesson Brook in Ashfield and Buckland, Greenwater Pond in Becket, Westfield River in Becket, Chester, Huntington, Montgomery, Middlefield, Russell, Savoy, Worthington, Cummington, Chesterfield and Windsor; Deerfield River in Buckland, Florida and Charlemont; Cold River in Savoy, Florida and Charlemont, Chickley River in Hawley and Charlemont, Littleville Reservoir in Chester and Huntington, North Pond in Florida, Pontoosuc Lake in Lanesborough, Laurel Lake in Lee, Housatonic River (C/R) in Lee and Stockbridge, Onota Lake in Pittsfield, Stockbridge Bowl in Stockbridge, Windsor Pond in Windsor, Lake Garfield in Monterey, Otis Reservoir in Otis, and Richmond Pond in Richmond.

Firearms Course
On Saturday, June 2, the Lee Sportsmen’s Association will hold a Multi-License Firearms Course from 9am until 4pm for a proprietary License-To-Carry course that qualifies for licenses in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Florida, New Hampshire, Maine, and Utah. (those not participating in the Utah class can expect to be completed at approximately 3pm) This comprehensive one-day course includes information for federal and state firearm laws, operation and safe handling of firearms, shooting fundamentals, care and cleaning, concealed carry methods, a live fire session on the pistol range, and much more.
Seating is limited to the first 25 students who register. Course fee is $150, or you can take only the MA & CT portion for $120 with live fire, or take only the Utah portion for $100 without live fire. State license application fees and processing are not included. Participants will receive a course certificate, application forms, an informative student resource CD, and supporting documents. All firearms, ammunition, and eye and ear protection will be provided, including lunch as well.
For more information, contact Robert McDermott at (413) 232-7700 or email robmcdermott@verizon.net.
Annual Harry A. Bateman Memorial Jimmy Fund Fishing Derby
The 26th Annual Harry A. Bateman Memorial Jimmy Fund Fishing Derby will take place on Saturday, June 2, at the Frank Controy Pavilion at Onota Lake in Pittsfield from 6:00 AM to 12:00 PM. No fishing license is required because it is Free Fishing Weekend for the state of Massachusetts.

The derby’s purpose is to raise money for the Jimmy Fund – Dana Farber Cancer Institute For Children. All of the proceeds will be donated to the Jimmy Fund in memory of Harry A. Bateman a former member of Central Berkshire Bowmen and I.U.E. Local 255 who was well known throughout Berkshire County and who became a victim of cancer in 1992.

Many trophies and prizes will be given out to the adult and youth winners of the fishing derby. There is even a special category for those fishing with a bow & arrow. All fish must be weighed in at 12:00 PM and can be caught at Onota Lake from boat or shore. Everyone still needs to register before all fish can be weighed in. You must be wearing your wrist band provided at the registration desk in order to receive food and to weigh in your fish.
Fishing tackle is given with the trophy prizes and 2 prizes for heaviest trout. A sportsman award, which includes a tackle box with over $100 of tackle, is given out to a child

Fee is $10 for adults and $5 for children 14 years old and younger and it includes food and beverages. No alcohol is served at this event. All children receive a free gift and they get a chance at winning a mountain bike. The carp shoot is part of the fishing derby because that was something that Harry enjoyed. Advanced tickets may be purchased at Avid Sports, Dave’s Sporting Goods, Maces Marine and Onota Boat Livery.

Stockbridge Sportsmen’s Club fishing derby
According to club spokesman Tim Minkler, some 64 fishermen and fisherwomen showed up for the SSC’s annual Fishing Derby on May 20 and fished from dawn to 3:00 pm at Stockbridge Bowl. Weather predictions were not good calling for rain most of the day with thunderstorms coming through mid-day and temperatures in the 60s. Well, the weather man was wrong. There were a few sprinkles throughout the day with a 10-minute cloud burst right around 2:30pm, but for the most part they stayed dry all day.
The $100 Winners were as follows: Largest Trout- Sheila L. Malumphy, Lee Ma., 1 lbs 12 oz., 16” long; Largest Bass- Tim Fogarty, Becket Ma., 3 lbs 8oz., 18” long, Largest Pickerel- Dawson Farina, West Stockbridge, Ma. 4 lbs, 2 oz., 26.5” long and Largest Bullhead – Seth Slemp, Lee Ma., 1 lb, 3oz, 12” long.
The Age 12 and Under Winner was Dylan Trumps of South Lee with a trout weighing 1 lb 2 oz and 13” long.

 

 

 

Fly-fishing with friendly spirits

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Every year, usually my first fly fishing outing, I bring along some friendly spirits. They accompany me in the form of fishing equipment that close fishing friends once owned and ultimately ended up in my hands. Usually, a next of kin wanted me to have it or the angler gave me the item before he passed beyond the riverbend. Over the years, I have fished with a rod that the late Joe Areno wanted me to have and one that the late Gordon Leeman once owned, or perhaps with the late Ralph Lichtenstein’s wading staff. Perhaps I wore a pair of waders that the late Tony Lorio‘s daughter, Catherine Gallant, passed on to me. While using the fishing equipment, I recall the fond memories that I had fishing with all these gentlemen who have since passed beyond the riverbend.
Yeah, I know it is goofy, but I actually feel their spirits and quite frankly enjoy their company. It allows me an opportunity to once again remember them and to reflect upon the good times that we had fishing.
Such was the case this year. Actually, it didn’t work out that my first day fishing this year was with them but with some live friends. So, this year, I took one along on my second trip….and this time my friendly spirit was that of the late Charlie Lahey. He passed away in 2010, at the age of 101, just days before his 102nd birthday. You may recall my writing about this gentleman and our fishing together when he was 101 years old….and he caught a couple of trout!
Last fall, his daughter Andrea Dimassimo surprised me with a wonderful birthday gift. Old Charlie’s flyrod, reel, vest, etc. She said that Charlie would want me to have them. He probably bought that flyrod in the 1950’s or 1960’s and back then, 50 years later, Charlie who was 100 years old at the time, would tell me that there was a lifetime warranty on that rod. How we would chuckle over that. Well, the least I could do was to take him fishing with me this spring.
So off we went, me with Charlie’s stuff, his Fenwick fiberglass flyrod, his Pflueger 1495 ½ fly reel, line, etc. I even took along some flies that Charlie had created when he used to fish the Mad River in VT. He named it the Mad River Special, a bucktail fly with an orange body, yellow throat, brown deer hair wing, woodduck tail and junglecock wing. On the rare occasion when he was having no luck with that fly, he would try his tandem fly (two hooks) with a fly on the front hook and a bare hook in the rear. He used to put some garden hackle on the rear hook. He named it his Add-a-Worm fly.
Charlie was a well-known angler from the Berkshires and VT and several articles were written about him in this column as well as The Berkshire Eagle. He was so famous that he ended up in the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame in Hayward, Wisconsin. Gerry Gibbs, famous writer for Outdoor Life Magazine and a Vice President from Trout Unlimited National, came to the Berkshires to present the award. Charlie’s induction was not just a listing in some log of honor or anything like that. No, his picture is on a plaque hanging on the wall along with notables such as Lee Wulff, Kurt Gowdy, even Isaac Walton.
You can well imagine the thrill of my fishing with this friendly spirit and using his rod and reel. We started off in the morning fishing the East Branch of the Housatonic River in Hinsdale, MA. I fished with his Mad River Special fly, with the predictable results – zilch, nada, no fish would even look at it. It brought me back to the many times when Charlie would be fishing between me and another deceased friend, Dave Oclair, and he would haul 2 or 3 nice trout right out from t under our noses and promptly release them unharmed. Dave and I were fishing the same pattern fly in the same type of water not 20 feet away, using the same action and we would catch nothing. Old Charlie really got a kick out of that.
There was a bench along the waters where we fly fished and periodically we would sit there and have a bite to eat and enjoy the day, usually a sunny comfortable one. Occasionally, we would have a swig of bourbon from my flask. That was Charlie’s preferred booze. Hey! He was 100 years old and it didn’t harm him yet. Then we would fish some more. What a privilege and honor to spend that time fly fishing with him.
I had to chuckle at the continuing lack of success with his fly on this day. It was only fitting, for that fly was created by and only responded to Charlie. I’ll bet he was looking down and chuckling while advising me to fish it slower, fish it lower, twitch it a couple of times, etc. I wanted so much to catch a trout on Charlie’s old flyrod and fly, but I finally had to switch flies.
This time I tried the Brown Charm, a fly that was developed by another renowned local fly fisherman in the 1960’s, the late Bill White. There were few accomplished local fly fishermen in the 1960’s-1980’s who hadn’t fished and had success using the Brown Charm. The late outdoor columnist, Ted Giddings, in one of his columns, called it his favorite fly. It was a wet fly with a pheasant tail, buff body ribbed with brown thread, wood duck wing and brown hen hackle. Thanks to another local fly fisherman, the late Homer Ouellette, who gave me the original pattern of that fly several years ago, I was able to tie it up.
Using Charlie’s old rod and reel and Bill’s fly, I cast it out into a likely looking run of the river and wham! There it was, the trout which made my hopes come true. The brown trout was lightly hooked in its lip in such a way that it was not necessary for me to touch it or remove it from the water. With the use of a hemostat, I simply clamped onto the barbless hook and with a gentle jerk unhooked it. The fish was in excellent shape as it swam away into the darkness of the stream. That fly produced other fish that day, too.
How cool wass that, catching trout on an old rod that was once owned by someone who is now listed in the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame.
An old philosopher once said, “It is the responsibility of those who live to carry on the hopes and dreams and spirits of loved ones and friends who leave us behind”. I guess that is what I was doing. What a nice feeling resting on a streamside log amidst the fiddleheads and trillium watching and listening to the babbling river while enjoying the pleasant spring day and fond memories of old Charlie.
“Here’s to you, old fella, we had another wonderful day.” I muttered to myself. “As always, I enjoyed your company”. Then, with scratchy eyes, I raised the flask and took a healthy swig of bourbon.
Incidentally, I learned about that above-referenced old philosopher, Richard “Dick” Gotshalk, while reading a recently published book entitled, “Holy Water, Flyfishing Reveries and Remembrances” by Jerry Kustich. It was advice given to the author by the philosopher shortly before passing beyond the river bend. Holy Water is a book written by a man who has spent his entire life as a fly fisherman, fishing rod maker, outdoor lover and conservationist.

I really related to this book as it appeared to be written by a fly fisherman approximately my age who recounted certain events in his life which occurred over the years….memories of his first fish caught, the places he worked, the places where he lived, people who influenced him during the years, the heartbreak of losing a loved one, working for Sweetgrass Rod Company, the river access issues that existed in Montana and other western states, Atlantic Salmon fishing, the increased interest in salt water fishing in the Caribbean, etc. Those events served as wonderful reminders of some of what our generation went through as well as provided a history lesson to generations which follow.

Prior to now, I had never read any of Kustich’s books. He wrote several, including, Flyfishing for Great Lakes Steelhead, At the River’s Edge, A Wisp in the Wind and Around the Next Bend. I intend to do so now after reading this book.

Through his angling essays, he has a writing style that tugs at the heartstrings of the fly fisherman that few authors have. Similar to what the late author Norman MacClean did with his epic novel, “A River Runs Through It”. I was wrapped in this book from the Introduction to the final words on the last page. Incidentally, on that last page writing about himself and his late wife Debra, he wrote:

“Time evaporates like water falling on hot pavement, so it is important to choose activities that are good for the soul while it is still possible. I often look back to that September on the Madison (River in Montana) in 1981 when Debra and I vowed to travel while we were still young enough to do so. As if that experience were a portent of things to come, we committed to a path of uniqueness like there was no tomorrow. It was a sacred journey. I could not have imagined back then that the Madison, beautiful in itself, would have inspired the subsequent decades of adventures to so many other inspirational waters that now seem to me holy. But that is the nature of rivers. One leads to another, and then another. They flow on forever, and forever connected, they enrich our souls and touch our spirits with mysteries that none of us can fully comprehend. Perhaps that is why we keep on going back.”

See what I mean about writing style?

The 187- page hard cover book costs $24.95, is published by West River Media and is available just in time for Father’s Day.

Trout Stockings
The following waters were scheduled to be stocked with trout last week: Green River in Alford, Egremont and Great Barrington; Ashfield Pond in Ashfield, Walker Brook in Becket and Chester, Westfield River in Chesterfield, Sackett Brook in Dalton and Pittsfield, North Pond in Florida, Housatonic River in Dalton, Hinsdale and Pittsfield, Upper Highland Lake in Goshen, Hubbard River in Granville, Williams River in West Stockbridge and Great Barrington, Norwich Pond in Huntington, Pontoosuc Lake in Lanesborough, Lake Buel in Monterey, Konkapot River in Monterey, New Marlborough, and Sheffield, Lake Garfield in Monterey, York Lake in New Marlborough, Windsor Lake in North Adams, Otis Reservoir and Big Pond in Otis, Green River and Hemlock Brook in Williamstown and Windsor Pond in Windsor.

Small fry are liberated into Windsor Brook

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In January brook trout eggs were received from the Sunderland State Fish Hatchery and placed in an aquarium at Taconic High School in Pittsfield. This was part of the Trout-in-the- Classroom program which MassWildlife sponsors. The eggs hatched about two weeks later and they were raised by some 80 or so Taconic High School students from grades 9 through 12. They have been attended to by the students, under the watchful eyes of teachers Michelle Potash and Tonya Michaud. They were fed pellets and remained there until last Thursday when they were set free.

I had hoped to get pictures of the kids releasing them but due to transportation issues (funding to provide bussing to bring the kids to Windsor) and other issues, none of the kids were able to make it. It’s a shame that after all of the attention and care that the kids gave to raise these fish, they could not be there to watch their liberation. Thanks to the above-mentioned dedicated teachers, who took the time to drive the brook trout to the release location. And thanks to teacher Ron Wojcik who coordinated the release site and time.

Youngsters take note! The unnamed stream where they were released runs across property owned by Tom Garvey (Maybe we should name it Tom’s Brook?) One could not choose a better place to release these fish, for it is a cold, clean little brook that doesn’t dry up in the summer and is a tributary to nearby Windsor Brook in Windsor. All of the little fry (perhaps 1 ¼ inches in length) appeared happy in their new home. They immediately acclimated to the currents, and back currents so that they constantly faced into them. Care was taken to not put them in pools where larger trout were likely to live and, given the opportunity, would gobble them up.

Those fish are not forgotten once released, for Tom keeps a close eye on them and feeds them daily. He even covers the stream with wire mesh in order to keep the blue herons from getting at them and eating them up. (herons love small brook trout, they can’t get enough of them). Tom has been through this routine before for this marks the 4th year that they have been released on his property. He observes them until the fall when the fish by that time are perhaps 3 inches long. That is when they disappear up or downstream and find new territories in which to reside.

Trout Stockings

The following waters were scheduled to be stocked with bigger trout last week, subject to change. Please note that Onota Lake in Pittsfield and Windsor Pond in Windsor have also been stocked with tiger trout. In addition to those waters, the following waters have been stocked: Deerfield River in Buckland, Charlemont, and Florida; East Branch of the Westfield River in Chesterfield, Cummington, Savoy and Windsor; Littleville Reservoir in Chester and Huntington, Upper Highland Lake in Goshen, Housatonic River C&R in Lee and Stockbridge, Farmington River in Otis and Sandisfield and Laurel Lake in Lee.

Northern Pike Stocking

The DFW stocked more than 16,000 fingerling-sized northern pike into Cheshire Reservoir on Friday, April 27. These 4″ fish, which will take about 3 years to reach the 28″ minimum harvest size, were obtained from New Jersey DFW as part of a cooperative exchange program.
Northern Pike naturally reproduce in several waterbodies in the state. In the Berkshires, the natural reproduction is able to sustain the fishery in the Housatonic River (including Woods Pond) and in Pontoosuc, Onota, Buel, and Cheshire lakes.
MassWildlife also stocks some locations with sterile Tiger Muskellunge, which is a cross between a northern pike and muskellunge, and is a member of the esocid family. MassWildlife does not have a warm water hatchery in which to rear esocids but usually obtains a small number of 3–12 ” fish each year from the NJ DFW. They are stocked in selected Massachusetts waters with sufficient habitat to support them. It takes 5 or more years for them to attain the 28″ minimum legal length.
Training Range Safety Officers
The Lee Sportsmen’s Association will be conducting Range Safety Officer (RSO) Training on May 19 at 9 am. The minimum age to become a credentialed NRA RSO is 21, and one must provide a valid and current NRA membership number on the day of the course. After the instructor submits the training report, applicants will be able to complete credentialing process online (nrainstructors.org). The Cost of this course is $100, and the Cost of a 2-year credential for NRA members is $30 ($50 for non-NRA members). If you are not already an NRA member, and would like to become one prior to taking this course, it is recommended you call the NRA rather than join online.

Registration is required, and the registration form can be downloaded and printed from nrainstructors.org website, RSO Course Registration Form. Contact Rob McDermott for questions, concerns, and registration at 413-232-7700 or email robmcdermott@verizon.net

International Defensive Pistol Association

The IDPA will be having a Steel Action Shoot on Sunday, May 20 at the Lee Sportsmen’s Association. For information, contact Shawn Sullivan at ssullee@icloud.com.
Endangered Species Day

This year, Endangered Species Day is observed on May 18. The United States Congress appointed this day to recognize efforts in conserving rare species. Through the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act, Massachusetts also protects local native species that may or may not be federally protected. Over 425 endangered, threatened, or special concern animals and plants live in Massachusetts. Species from the majestic bald eagle to the unusual mountain cranberry need protection. Even though many, like the peregrine falcon, have come a long way, our native species still need help.
MassWildlife’s Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program implements the state’s Endangered Species Act. This happens through field surveys and research, regulations, habitat management, land protection, and education. But the Program needs you to help monitor rare species by telling MassWildlife when you see them. You can also help by donating directly to the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program. Find out more by visiting mass.gov/supportnhesp.
Fishing Derbies

The Stockbridge Sportsmen’s Club is having its Spring Fishing Derby at the boat ramp on Stockbridge Bowl next Sunday, May 20 from dawn until 3:00pm. Prizes of $100 will go the heaviest trout, pickerel, bass and bullhead. There will be free lures for all kids 12 and under. Hot breakfast and lunch will be available. Pre-registration fee is $10 and post registration is $15. Tickets are available at the Minkler Insurance Agency, 31 Main Street, Stockbridge, (W)413-644-3590, (H)413-298-4630 or from any club member.

DFW Director Jack Buckley retires
After 30 years of service with the DFW (MassWildlife), Director Jack Buckley retired on April 30, 2018. Appointed as Director by the Fisheries and Wildlife Board in 2015, Buckley supported new outreach initiatives such as social media and agency re-branding; focused efforts on hunter and angler recruitment, retention, and reactivation; accelerated habitat management activities on MassWildlife lands; procured habitat management grant funding for private landowners and municipalities; and partnered with the Massachusetts Water Resources Agency for a pipeline to supply the McLaughlin Hatchery in Belchertown with gravity-fed water from Quabbin Reservoir. During this time, MassWildlife celebrated its 150th Anniversary, opened its new LEED Platinum certified Field Headquarters in Westborough for meetings and events to a wide variety of state agencies and conservation groups, and continued to protect and manage over 200,000 acres of important fish and wildlife habitat to benefit both wildlife and people.
The majority of Buckley’s career with MassWildlife was spent as Deputy Director of Administration and Personnel. He was responsible for personnel, fiscal, and budgetary management, legislative and external affairs, federal aid, information and education, licensing and permits, land acquisition, and the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program. In 1998–2002, he also served as a Special Assistant to Secretary of Environmental Affairs Robert Durand for Forest Policy and Land Protection. Probably his most important contribution to the agency was his work on the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act (MESA) legislation, the creation of MassWildlife’s Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program, and his involvement with a lawsuit that went before the Massachusetts Supreme Court. The Court ultimately affirmed the agency’s authority and actions relative to enforcement of MESA.
Buckley was MassWildlife’s representative on the Public Access Board and the Pesticide Board. In addition, Buckley represented the Division on several committees of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, including Legislative Affairs, Federal Budget, and International Affairs. He was the regional representative of the northeastern states to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Technical Work Group.
Jack Buckley earned a Bachelor of Science and Master’s Degree in Fisheries Biology from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst where he studied the endangered shortnose sturgeon in the Connecticut River. He worked at the Massachusetts Cooperative Fishery Research Unit at the University of Massachusetts as a Research Assistant and was promoted to Project Leader. Buckley then performed a stint as first Chief of Fisheries Management in Washington D. C. where he was responsible for developing the fisheries management program for the District of Columbia. His work in advancing fish and wildlife conservation has been recognized on local, regional, and national levels. Buckley was honored by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies with a Special Recognition Award in 2011 for his outstanding commitment to the work of the Association and with the Ernest Thompson Seton Award in 2013, honoring his leadership in scientific wildlife management as a CITES representative. The Massachusetts Sportsmen’s Council recently honored Buckley with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Fisheries and Wildlife Board has appointed previous Deputy Director Mark Tisa as Acting Director of the DFW.

Local youth turkey hunting results were low, but enthusiasm was high

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The special mentored youth turkey hunting day took place on Saturday, April 28. The combined turkey harvest for the Lee and Stockbridge Sportsmen’s clubs was only 4 birds. Its hard to figure out why as the weather wasn’t bad, the mentors are eminently qualified, the kids are decent shots and there appears to be a lot of turkeys strutting their stuff out there. Maybe the toms detected an accent in the turkey calls this year and became leery. Well, that’s the way it goes…..no excuses were offered.

This year, I covered the Lee Sportsmen’s Association which had 9 participants in the program and two birds were taken. Alex Navin, while hunting with mentor Doug LaPlante managed to bag a 15 lbs. bird around 6:00am with one clean shot to the head. They called in 5 or 6 other gobblers, too. He is very pleased with his new 20-gauge Mossberg Shotgun.

Daniel Epe, who was mentored by Mark Bartini, heard at least 6 toms all around them. The trouble was that some were in back yards and obviously he couldn’t go there to hunt them. He had one bird interested in Mark’s call, but he got busted (bird detected them and took off).

A similar situation occurred to Will Loring who was mentored by Isaac Winters. They had a bunch of gobblers nearby but couldn’t call them in. One bird had the nerve to strut nearby, but it got away. Matt Ranzoni was mentoring Will’s brother Charlie Loring and he bagged a 17 lbs. bird. No luck for Taylor Salice, who was mentored by Josh Hurlihey, but she had a good time hunting never-the-less.

John Ranzoni mentored Hunter Briggs, and he took a shot but didn’t drop the bird.

After having a burger or two excellently prepared by Tom and Virginia Dubois, the youngsters learned how to dress out the birds. In addition to the meat, they were shown how to save the tail feathers, beards, spurs, other feathers, etc.

Meanwhile, the folks at the Stockbridge Sportsmen’s Club also bagged two birds. Some 18 youths went out turkey hunting this year. Thanks to information provided by spokesman Mike Buffoni, here is how they did:
Two youths got birds and Mike reported that at least 3 other youths had shots but missed. Every kid had great action and heard birds gobbling. Colby Carlson (Mike’s nephew) who was mentored by Brian Korte went on his first hunt ever and got a jake. Brady Donald also got a nice bird. Pretty sure it was his first also. “Very cool to see the excitement in these youth hunters” said Mike.

As usual they had a really nice lunch put on by Chef Peter Delgrande at the club. After eating, they also learned how to tend to the birds. Quite a few of the kids didn’t come for lunch and most were in shorts so they didn’t get a group photo this year. We did get a picture of young Colby Carlson with his turkey. The expression of joy and pride says it all, hey?
Few details came from North County except that Scott Krzanik of Adams, MA was mentoring his daughter Grace when she bagged an 18-pound bird with a 9 inch beard and 3/4″ spurs. She did this at 6:35 a.m. I believe I interviewed her back in 2016 when she got her first bird on youth day as well. Scott said that Matthew Tassone also got a nice tom North county.
According to Astrid Huseby, DFW Youth Turkey Hunt Coordinator, they don’t have exact numbers of how many youths participated. They do know that 270 youth ages 12-17 obtained the required permits/authorizations to hunt on the youth day, but not how many of those 270 actually went out hunting.
As for how many turkeys were harvested, they have a preliminary number of 52 birds reported online. More birds may have been harvested and taken to a check station that doesn’t use online reporting so they won’t have total numbers until the end of the season when all harvest reports are collected from check stations.

Free Fishing Days

In order to plan your fishing trips, here is a listing of free fishing days, where no freshwater license is needed: In Massachusetts, the dates are June 2 and 3. (You can also take advantage of free saltwater fishing on Father’s Day weekend – June 16 and 17). While you can fish for free on June 2-3, a license is required at all other times if you’re 15 or older. If you’re aged 15-17, your license is free.

In New York the free fishing days are June 23-24. They also have two additional free fishing dates in 2018 which are September 22 and November 11. In Vermont it is June 9. (Be sure to verify that date as I am receiving conflicting dates for Vermont). In New Hampshire the day is June 2; in Maine, the dates are June 2 and 3; the Connecticut Free Fishing date is May 12 and in Rhode Island they are May 6 and May 7. Now’s your chance to “test the waters” in our neighboring states free.

Pistol Shoots
The Cheshire Rod & Gun Club, 310 Curran Rd., Cheshire, MA, will be having outdoor pistol shoots this year. The monthly shoots take place on Saturdays starting at 10:00 am. The entry fee for the first shoot is $10.00 and $5.00 for the second shoot. The winners will split ½ the first shoot take and all of the second shoot take. On May 12, there will be “Wood Blocks Standin’ on a Log” centerfire. 5 shots at 5 blocks at 10, 15, 20 and 25 yards.

Rules: For Rimfire – .22 Caliber, Semi-Automatic Pistols or Revolvers. For Centerfire – Semi-Automatic Pistols or Revolvers, no caliber over .45, red dot scopes are allowed, 1 or 2- handed allowed.

Also, on Sunday, May 20, they will be having a Steel Action Shoot, and on Thursday, May 24 they will be having their first Thursday Night Steel Match.

For more information contact: Martha Lee (413) 212-4154, Evelyn Jones (413) 684-3391.

Trout Stocking

The following waters were scheduled to be stocked with trout last week: Hoosic River in Adams. Cheshire and Clarksburg; Greenwater Pond in Becket, West Branch of the Westfield River in Becket, Chester, Huntington and Middlefield; Westfield River Mainstem in Russell, Potash Brook in Blandford and Russell, Deerfield River in Buckland, Charlemont and Florida; Hudson Brook in Clarksburg, Pontoosuc Lake in Lanesborough and Big Pond in Otis.

Fishing Derby
The Berkshire Hatchery Foundation in Hartsville-New Marlborough is having its next free children’s fishing derby next Saturday, May 12, from 9 to 10:30 am at its lower pond. Children aged 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult.

Bass Fishing Tournament

The bass fishermen have started their 2018 tournaments and the first event was at the Congamond Lakes in Southwick, MA on April 29. The results are as follows: 1st place went to Ricky Terzak with 16.4 lbs. of bass. In 2nd place was Paul Procopio with 12.13 lbs. Dave Benham took 3rd with 12.4lbs, 4th place went to Bill Gates with 11 lbs. and in 5th place was Bill Pigott with 8.7 lbs. These are 5 fish totals weights. All were caught, weighed in and released.

The lunker (largemouth) bass was taken by Bill Gates, one weighing 4.1 lbs. Paul Procopio caught a 3.3 lbs. smallmouth. Both are currently leading in the Lunker of the Year contests.

Registration is open for the next tournament which takes place on May 13.

HVA to conduct Stream Assessments of the Konkapot and Williams Rivers

The Housatonic Valley Association (HVA) invites interested individuals to help form “Stream Teams” to complete Stream Assessments this spring and summer. “Stream Team” volunteers will walk, sometimes in the river, or paddle along an assigned segment of the river and record information along the way. All of the information collected will be compiled into a final Stream Assessment Report which will include conditions and use of the river sections plus possible recommendations for future projects. Assessments are to be completed from May to July and can be scheduled according to the volunteers’ availability.

HVA has scheduled a Stream Assessment volunteer training on Tuesday, May 15 from 5 to7pm in the Community Room of the Mason Library, Great Barrington. Registration is required, space is limited. They will also conduct an on-stream training practice review with date and time to be determined.

These surveys help HVA assess the health of the river and work with the community to improve that part of the watershed. All of the information collected will be compiled into a final Stream Assessment Report which will include conditions and use of the river sections, plus possible recommendations for future projects. These reports should be available in October 2018 on HVA’s website (hvatoday.org). Copies of the report, both digital or hard copy can be requested.

Funding for the Stream Assessments is provided by The Berkshire Environmental Endowment Fund, a fund of the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation. The Green River and Southwest Branch of the Housatonic River Stream Assessments were completed in 2017. Copies of these reports and other previous reports are available at hvatoday.org or you can call and request a copy. If you are interested in participating in this project, call HVA at 413-298-7024 or email Alison at adixon@hvatoday.org.

The two Stream Assessments that are to be completed this year are the Williams and Konkapot Rivers. Both of these rivers are tributaries of the Housatonic River. The Williams River flows south and southeast through West Stockbridge and Great Barrington where it joins the Housatonic River while the Konkapot River begins in Monterey and continues south through New Marlborough and, after a dip into Canaan, Connecticut, flows into the Housatonic River in Sheffield.
“Stream Teams” for each of the rivers will be made up of small groups of 2 – 3 volunteers and the teams are typically assigned a 1 – 2 mile section of the river. HVA will train “Stream Team” volunteers on how to conduct the survey, what information to record, and safety protocols. Volunteers will be asked to record things of note such as: pipes that are seen, invasive plants or wildlife observations, and general river conditions and usage. Following the surveys, the “Stream Team” volunteers will come together to share their findings and discuss suitable recommendations. The information gathered will be compiled into final Stream Assessment reports – one for each of the tributaries.
Not all “Stream Team” members need to be involved in conducting a survey. If you have an interest or expertise in either the Williams or Konkapot Rivers, HVA welcomes your input. Trainings are expected to be scheduled in May. Surveys will be completed from May – July weather and water levels permitting. The final reports, which are expected to be compiled in late summer, will be submitted to the local municipalities and state government and should also be available to the public by October 2018. The assessment will be placed on the HVA website along with their past reports. Feel free to check out these past reports to help understand more about this program. Contact HVA at 413-298-7024 for more information about volunteering for a “Stream Team.”
Fisheries and Wildlife Board Meeting
The May meeting of the Fisheries and Wildlife Board will be held on Wednesday, May 16 at 1:00 p.m. at the Stationery Factory ,63 Flansburg Avenue, Dalton, MA.

Five are honored at the Silvio O. Conte Memorial Banquet

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The Cheshire Rod & Gun Club banquet hall was packed last Saturday night to celebrate the Silvio O. Conte Sportsmen’s Awards Banquet. Mark Jester, former President of the Berkshire County League of Sportsmen (BCLS) was the emcee for the evening. The accomplishments of all of the award recipients were listed in my March 18 column.”
In presenting the first award, the Outstanding Achievement Award, to Tom Tyning, Fish & Wildlife Board Member Stephen Sears said, “He has not only taught students but also teachers to help them teach our views about all the great things of Berkshire County.” The Outstanding Achievement Award plaque reads, “In recognition of your efforts to introduce thousands of people including many future sportsmen to the vast wonders of the outdoors.” In his acceptance of the award, Tom mentioned that his real start in this area was when he was a kid growing up in the Connecticut Valley. He discussed his education and future endeavors in the area. Radio telepathy was first being invented in the 1970s and he said that he was able to put a transmitter into a turtle for 2 years. He described that period as, “a very quiet and slow period” of his life.
Then Mark Jester said some very nice things about me before presenting me with the John Zuber Award. This award reads, “Presented in recognition of his unwavering dedication to introduce and perpetuate the ideals of sportsmen in Berkshire County”. This was quite an honor for me because I had a great respect for John and what he accomplished during his lifetime. I thanked the sportsmen, conservationists and the DFW for supporting and reading the Berkshire Woods and Waters column over the years. If it wasn’t for them providing news information and pictures, I wouldn’t be able to write it weekly. I thanked the Berkshire Eagle for keeping the column after my predecessor, Ted Giddings retired. Lastly, I thanked his wife Jan, my “in-house” editor who proofreads and keeps me pretty much out of trouble.
Mark then presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to George Wislocki, who retired from the Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC) after many years. “The County League and the BNRC have had a great relationship over the years, we helped them and they helped us.” The Lifetime Achievement Award plaque reads, “Worked for over 50 years preserving open space, majestic ridge lines and vulnerable wetlands of Berkshire County.” George commented that he grew up in Eastern MA and loved the outdoors, and when he was 14 he attended a youth conservation camp here in the Berkshires. Later on, when he was older and worked for the BNRC, he linked up with George “Gige” Darey in preserving land.
“I love these clubs (referring to the Cheshire Rod & Gun Clubhouse). “Look at everyone here”, these clubs are important but times are changing and I hope 50 years from today there will still be this club and there will still be people here”. He urged the sportsmen of Berkshire County to “take the kids into the woods and show them what the woods are all about. It’s an experience to be a sportsman, it’s a wonderful experience. It is so much Berkshire.”
“Its rare to have someone who is so dedicated to certain aspects of the outdoors and does so on a volunteer basis”, said Mark about Dan Miraglia when presenting him with the Sportsmen’s Appreciation Award. “He grew up fishing lakes and is really involved in the aquatic species. He is the eyes and ears when it comes to lakes, drawdowns and herbicide applications. He brings things to light for the sportsmen and keeps them involved in what is going on. He does so pretty much single handedly and the BCLS supports him, and he supports us. The “Sportsmen’s Appreciation Award plaque reads, “In recognition of his support dedication and oversight in the preservation of open space and wildlife”. Dan recalled as a kid catching gold fish and frogs in rivers and ponds and how the shores of Onota and Pontoosic Lakes were loaded with turtles and frogs. “Now they are disappearing in our lakes. There just is not enough protection”, he said. The effects of continued drawdowns for 30-40 years have had their effects. “Take the politics out of lake management and give our lakes back to the sportsmen”, he said.
Karen Kruszyna became the second woman to have ever be awarded the Sportsperson of the Year award. Only one other woman has won the award and that was Eleanor Tillinghast. “If you go to this club, (Cheshire), if you go to the Adams for Outdoor Youth Club, if you go to the BCLS functions, you will see Karen selling tickets”, said Jester. (she was selling tickets that night). She is always involved in the organizations’ activities and is there at the helm or standing behind the person speaking or running the event. Everyone knows that if it wasn’t for her, the person would not be able to put the event together. Same thing here tonight. Her Sportsperson of the Year plaque reads, “In recognition for her lifelong dedication, leadership and support of youth in Massachusetts.”
In accepting the award, Karen said that she is grateful every day because of the fact that when she has to do something she can always pick up the phone and ask for and always receive help. People almost never say no, and that’s why this all works. That very morning, she was so excited when she was driving through Adams and saw kids riding bikes with backpacks and fishing poles. She said, “Oh my god, kids going fishing”. She stopped and told them where she thought they would catch fish. “I learned this week that parts of the Archery-in-the School program is incorporated into a local school’s physics program. It’s wonderful to co-exist, when they learn about sports, they can also learn about other scientific things”.
Mark noted that the BCLS has its annual Youth Outreach Fishing Derby every year and that some twelve Berkshire County schools have Archery-in the School programs. If your school doesn’t have such a program and you want to see one, contact a BCLS delegate or Mark and they will work hard to get one in. They also have trout rearing and release programs in the schools,
“We are fighting a rear guard right now and we need to get these kids involved in the outdoors. Bring the kids to sportsmen’s dinners, turkey shoots, get them involved in archery and shooting programs.
Mark introduced current BCLS President Tom Brule to the crowd who in turn made some comments. Lastly, Mark thanked Mike Kruszyna, long time BCLS VP who filled in as president for the last 2 years until the position was filled by Tom.
Richmond Pond Trout Stocking
DFW had a special Earth Week trout stocking event on Richmond Pond on Friday, April 20. Leanda Fontaine-Gagnon, Aquatic Biologist for the DFW Western District (WD) explained that the purpose of the event was to get people familiar with their stocking process and what they do on a daily basis all year long. The WD covers all of Berkshire County as well as western portions of Hampshire, Hampton and Franklin Counties. DFW is charged with overseeing, protecting and managing the natural resources across the state. All 5 districts have the same type of staffing. In the WD, there is an Aquatic Biologist, a Wildlife Biologist, District Manager, four Wildlife Technicians, a Land Steward, who oversees all of their Wildlife Management Areas, a Real Estate Agent and a clerk.
They stock most of the locations in the spring and a handful in the fall. As Aquatic Biologist, she does all of the organization for the stocking in the WD. She determines what fish to stock and how many and what sizes to go in which waters. She puts in orders to the hatcheries for the fish and also goes out and stocks. During this time of year, she typically spends one day in the office and the rest of the week she is out in the field stocking.
Why do they stock fish? In this technologically advanced age, everybody is inside playing with smart phones, tablets and whatnot. DFW wants to get people back out into the world and enjoy what we have for natural resources; such as fishing, kayaking, and just enjoying the natural resources.
They are not stocking trout for restoration purposes but for people to catch. They are supplementing the wild trout populations for angling purposes in order to get pressure off of the wild trout population.
They stock four different types of trout in the state: brook, brown, rainbow, and a hybrid tiger trout which is a cross between a brook and brown. In the WD they stock just over 96,000 fish in the entire spring allotment and across the state it is about 600,000. Rainbow trout, 14 inches and over is the bulk of what they stock. They also put a lot of brookies, browns and tiger trout.
All of the trout come from 5 hatcheries across the state, with four in the Connecticut Valley: the Bitzer Fish Hatchery in Montague, Sunderland Fish Hatchery in Sunderland, McLaughlin Fish Hatchery in Belchertown and Roger Reed Hatchery in Palmer. Another hatchery, the Sandwich Fish Hatchery in Sandwich also produces tiger trout. The fish stocked at Richmond Pond on this day were from the McLaughlin Hatchery.
DFW put out a variety of fish from 9 to 18 inches. They stock out the fish based upon the size of the water body. Typically, they stock 12 plus inch fish in Richmond Pond but the 9-inch fish are usually stocked into smaller streams. They stock 70 cold water bodies in our district, 23 ponds and 54 rivers or streams.
On a typical day when they are stocking fish they check their schedules, drive to the hatchery, fill up with water there (they have 4 individual tanks in the truck) and obtain their allotted fish for that day. On this particular day, they were carrying 750 fish on board (about 1,000 lbs), with 350 of them going into Richmond Pond and the remainder to Goose Pond. When they arrive at their water bodies, they either send them out through chutes where they can do so or carry them by nets into rivers and streams.
It may seem like they are harming the fish by tossing them into the waters but if the fish are gently stocked, that is one of the worst things to do. The little plop into the water actually wakes them up a little. DFW takes care to ensure that the fish survive. (no casualties were observed this day).
After fielding a few questions, Leanda asked the 20 or so spectators to help out with the stocking process by carrying the trout in white 5 gallon pails to the lake front and tossing them into the water. Everyone, especially the kids, had a ball.
GOAL Seminar
On Tuesday, May 1, beginning at 6:30 pm, the Stockbridge Sportsmen’s Club will be hosting a free GOAL seminar entitled “MA Gun Law for Citizens”. It is a 3-hour seminar presented by Jon Green, Director of Education and Training for the Gun Owners Action League, that will help separate fact from fiction. Jon’s presentation will provide a clear understanding of Massachusetts gun laws and regulations.

All firearms owners should attend. The seminar is free to Berkshire County residents and neighboring counties courtesy of the Stockbridge Sportsmen’s Club. You are requested to RSVP so that they can plan seating for the event. Contact Robert J. McDermott at 413-232-7700 or robmcdermott@verizon.net or www.StockbridgeSportsmensClub.org.