Stan Gula wrote:
daytripper wrote:
http://www.benningtonbanner.com/localnews/ci_4200376

And Tim Walker retorted:
Hi Daytripper,

I know that Willi, Jon, Wayno, Bill Grey, Walt, Op and many more,
probably scores of people lurking in the wings, would love to discuss
this topic. Not sure why they haven't weighed in but I can certainly
understand why people would be hestitant to. snipped

Could it be .....

SATAN?

Well, it's not Wolfgang, because most people who have a mind to can avoid
getting into endless ****ing contests with him. Really. Watch, I'll do it.

For 'tripper, GM, George Adams, TimJ and other locally interested people...
The number of stream systems in New England that are supporting wild
reproducing fish is so small, that we need to make special efforts to
protect them. I support the ongoing efforts to improve habitat on the VT
section of the Battenkill by enhancing the streamside vegetation. It's
unfortunate that the Battenkill is no longer viable for brookies (the feeder
streams are, and I'm sure the main river is used as a connection for the
small streams during runoff) - like most New England streams the loss of
cover on the main river and some of the feeder streams, and loss of
groundwater due to development, we can't expect the water quality or
temperature to improve enough to allow the brookies to return to the main
river, although I would support that as an ultimate goal for any stream in
the northeast. As it is, the brown trout are doing well, even in light of
the recent declines. Reproduction in the feeders is good. We can encourage
the river's recovery by providing more shade and more nutrient load from
vegetation. I think we have the science to know what to do to improve the
habitat and let the population come back on it's own. Stocking rainbows,



What Stan said.

Unlike some of the people 'discussing' the fate of the Battenkill, I
along with others in the Massachusetts Mafia have actually fished it. I
fished it back in the late sixties and early seventies when it was one
of the best, if not the best wild trout stream in the east. I also
fished it in the late nineties when it was in serious decline. I have
more recently read and heard reports from people I trust, that indicate
the combination of C&R and habitat improvement is bearing fruit. I
understand that there was a very good trico hatch on Saturday, with
fish rising in good numbers.

One of the problems in the last two decades has been a 'cleanup' of the
stream. The productive "sweepers" that provide cover for fish and wood
fiber for insects to feed on, have been removed because they annoy non
fishing users of the river. There has also been bank erosion, and loss
of cover along the banks.

There was a movement toward C&R in the early seventies, and a
comprehensive stream study was done that showed the river could
maintain a good population of wild fish, and still allow harvesting
within reasonable limits. If the restoration effort is continued, it
would seem that, in the future, fish could be harvested, without the
need to stock "catchables". If the Battenkill were the only stream in
the area, I could see some sense in satisfying the locals by stocking
it, but there are several other streams in the area already managed for
put and take. If, in the end, it is stocked, there should be a
regulation in place that all rainbows caught must be kept.

So in answer to the original post.....no, the Battekill should not be
stocked.

As Stan said, fire away.