Release & Catch

[Scott]

Anybody see this pic of the NJ DF&W staff stocking trout in the Pequest river?

Sort of makes me feel foolish, putting all that time & effort into carefully reviving & releasing trout. Apparently all I really need to do is use my net to whip them across the river.

 

[Mark S.]

That's not too bad but I do think a more gentle release was in order here especially since the water is right there.

Mark

 

[dcabarle]

If you think about it, those fish don't know what's happening. The water looks pretty shallow. I wouldn't be surprised if more than one of those fish clocked their heads on rocks on the way down and just died. You can clearly see the a-hole just flung them from the net. I'm surprised the NJ DF&W would have that photo displayed on their page.

 

[Mark S.]

Years ago(and maybe even still these days), They used to drop them off bridges - no matter how high above the water the bridge was. In Stokes St Forest, where the old bridge used to be over the BFB, they would fling them off there. That drop was at least 15-20' into shallow water. I was about 15 when I saw them do that. I still remember it and thinking belly flopping trout like that must hurt them because it would hurt me!

Mark

 

[njtrout]

What you have to remember is, NJFG&W is primarily funded by lincense sales. Who buys the majority of the licenses? You know who. WT C&R anglers make up a small (but very vocal) percentage of the fishing public. As we all know nothing changes overnight.

 

[wizi]

Unbelievable!
I still hope this guy is not a tyical NJFG&W person...

 

[The_Sib]

Standard Methodology

In my observations that while assisting F&W with stocking this year, the photo represents
a standard procedure. On several instances, I questioned this practice and was told " It does not hurt the fish".

One wonders.......

 

[Mayfly]

Doesn't anyone else think that the picture looks fake? That's a lot of fish (11 or 12?) to be thrown with one hand, a lot of fish to fit into that net, and a funny stance for a right hander.

Regardless, it looks as if the fish are being stocked when people are not allowed to fish(I think). This improves the chances of their survival. Around here there are 'fishermen'(?) who literally follow the truck. I read that the majority of fish are taken within a week of the stockings.

Allan

 

[C&R]

Next time I catch one of these fish, I'm gonna have someone take a :foto: of me smacking the fish in the face before returning it to the water.

Then I'll mail it to the DF&W and tell them what I think of their "standard procedure". :bootyshak

 

[Future Fanatic]

Gosh, when I first glanced at that photo, I thought it was a guy trying to net fish that were jumping out of the water for Green Drakes or something. On many occasions I've seen fish jump out like that (to get into clouds of tricos) up here on the East Branch. They're usually 3-4 times bigger than those... In fact, I've been knocked into the water several times by trying to get too close to a school of actively launching trout. I've learned to hang back, make the long cast and keep the fly in the air about five feet above the water. Works like a charm.

 

[serotonin]

It's been a while...

That photograph almost makes me wanna buy an NJ non-resident/Trout Stamp-license for somewhere 'round $65 dollars US currency.
Maybe I can catch that fish that's landing near the bush.
THAT's the ONe I WANT!

Probably not...
OK... Forget it!
I like fishing in the Adirondacks for nineteen dollars.

A few miles on snowshoes. And the balls to glean intelligentsia by pounding on rocks.
That's the price we pay to fish.
...going off the grid...
Synchronicity don't hurt.

It's just different...

 

[Tight Louper]

I contacted the NJ DF&W today and they told me that they will take appropriate action and reprimand the person in the photo. They also promised me that this type of stocking will never happen again because they're installing catapults on all of their trucks. This will ensure the fish make it to the water in a more timely fashion. No more nets will be needed and no more walking from the truck all the way down to the river. They assured me that humans using the new system would no longer be respsonsible for mishandling fish because they would not have access to the fish anymore. The catapult system would do all of the work. The worker just inputs into a computer how far he or she thinks the stream is from the truck and the computer and catapult system does the rest.

They even mentioned that some of the senior stockers would be supplied with Lacrosse type of sticks so they can scoop a few trout from the bin and wing'em into the stream at top speeds.

Good thinking NJ DF&W

 

[Fly Ty R]

Mayfly:
Good point. I have stocked before, and the way he is holding the net doesn't look right for the throw that he got. I wonder too.....

Really guys, get a grip!! :chillpill :nopity: Throwing the fish, truthfully, does not hurt them. We, as C&R anglers, really baby the fish (as in the stocked trout, not wild trout, which should be babied), much more than we need to. Growing up in a concrete raceway next to 1000 of their siblings, these fish are much tougher than your standard wild brookie in a WTS. And the water in the stocking truck is super cold and well oxygenated, so the trout are very active when they are stocked. Also, if you were to gently place the net in the water with 10 trout, maybe 1 or 2 trout would be smart enough to swim out. I've tried it, and the result is always the same. You have to dump or throw the trout out of the net like that (except when you are float stocking), or else it would take you forever to stock anywhere. And with lots of stops in the day, time is critical.

 

[fcch]

I 'spose it's not a question of REALLY harming the fish, ... 'cause ... after all, ... DNR must know what they're doing, ... it's mor of a "perception" and "education" thing ...

I agree we "baby" our C&R specimens, ... why not give them the best possible chance.

imho, ... the front page of the site could be a tiny bit more "subtle" ...

Thanks for your message and for your concern.
We have found that stocking this way does little harm to the fish, and
often the shallow water along the shores forces us to get the fish out
farther.
I did forward your message to staff in our Freshwater Fisheries bureau
for review. PT

Quick reply I got back from the folks at the dept.

 

[Steve M]

Drive by stocking?!!!

Drive by stocking?!!! Louper: ROFLMAO !! :stupid:

Too funny man.

Any time I have ever seen the state stocking trout, that is exactly what it looked like. And I'm going back 20 years. So, in that sense it IS an accurate depiction of an actual stocking. I gave up getting upset about stocked fish long time ago. They are what they are: Put & Take meat for the bait container crowd who buy most of the licenses.

Our NJ streams could only provide habitat for a handful of holdovers anyway. So it's really not a big deal. I do like the catapult idea though. Maybe cut down on labor costs? Just one guy in the truck with his head-up display, locking in on the Roy bridge pool? Launch!!

 

[sqerl]

often the shallow water along the shores forces us to get the fish out
farther.....

OK, maybe I'm wrong, but isn't that guy in the pic wearing waders? Cause if the water is that shallow along the shoreline, a few of those fish are gonna need some advil :bump:

 

[Scott]

OK, maybe I'm wrong, but isn't that guy in the pic wearing waders? Cause if the water is that shallow along the shoreline, a few of those fish are gonna need some advil :bump:

No, he's not wearing waders. He's wearing bibs - foul weather gear, and rubber boots.

There are enough people out there who have no idea how to release a fish that I would think that it is inappropriate for the NJ DF&W to post pictures like this on their website.

It just furthers stupidity. People who keep fish to eat do not chuck them through the air across the stream.

 

[Johnw]

My reaction is that in this case it's totally unecessary to heave those fish - they could just as easily have been released at his feet. I don't know if it hurts them or not but I'm sure nothing good comes from it.

 

[fcch]

A knid lady over at DNR explained to me that they "heave" the fish 'cause the stock is a bit disoriented by the travel. If they quietly released them into the shallow, ... some would try to "escape" up onto the beach. By "dispersing them", ... they scatter into deeper water.

She also mentionned that she isn't in favour over dumping fish off a bridge into inches of water.

I replied back that the "technic" show may be valide, ... but the image for their deprtement may not be the one sought after.

 

[JeffK]

Now we worry about the aethestics of trout stocking? I know a few trout stocking guys and they are interested in having the fish they raised survive. NJ F&G (like most states I imagine) is woefully understaffed and the fisheries technicians work incredibly hard (for not a lot of pay) to produce the fish they do. You can argue about the value of put and take fish, but the fishery workers do their job well. Does flinging the fish through the air break the illusion that you are fishing in the primordal Adirondack wilderness? Even there a few streams are stocked these days.

As far a catch and release angling goes, if the fish is played so hard that you can't just chuck the fish in and it swims away, it was probably played too long.

 

[Johnw]

Everything you say about NJF+G workers is true. I know a few also and stock a few trout each year and I still feel it's unnecesary and creates a bad impression. As for new stockies beaching themselves I don't think so.

 

[fcch]

Hmmm, ... I think I put my foot in it ...

Ooops, ...

Sorry gang, ... I wasn't in the least bit putting down the fine guys and gals who work for the DNR. I've worked along side many of 'em for years and I know how much they take their work to heart.

imho, ... the problem in many resource issues/projects/discussions, is that "perceptions" (especially of the general public) is as important as reality.

I would hate for Mr. G.Q. Public to think that a fisheries worker was "mistreating" fish from a simple photo on a web site. ... Unfortunately, ... lots of folks WILL make an assumption based on images (be it "digital" or mental).

 

[Scott]

Whether it harms fish or not is probably immaterial. It does however provide more ammo for the bunny-loving-tree-hugger types - "Look at how they abuse those poor fish."

I'm not putting down DFG&W people either.

With license numbers decreasing, you would think they would be more careful about public relations. I'd rather see a pic of the guy standing in the water up to his knees and pouring the fish out of a bucket on the Division website. It might not be the way it's done all the time, but it would help with encouraging warm fuzzies, not alienating people who might think launching fish was inappropriate.

I wonder if the folks over at DF&W know about this post and are getting a chuckle out of all this rhetoric?

 

[fcch]

Scott, ... Oh they know !! (I e-mailed 'em) and they seem to be looking into it.

I do the public perception vs reality seminars up here and sent them some "suggestions" on "marketing".