Questions about the Quinnapoxet

[Wmass]

So I have been fishing the Quinnie for almost a decade now and I absolutely love this river. I also fish the Stillwater and other smaller streams alot when I have time.

I have some questions though about the way the Quinnie and the Stillwater are being managed. I have seen some terrible practices by bait fisherman (like keeping 6" brookies and catching rainbows only to leave them on the shore to die when they head out). I have wondered for years why the DFW have not put a C&R section on this river and I have brought this up to the local TU chapter. I also noticed that last year the river was kept VERY low and this had a huge impact on the trout, with alot of brookies struggling in the heat of the summer. Did they keep the flow to the Quinnie low or something last year?

I am getting fed up with the lack of response I have gotten other places with regards to how good this river actually is and how it needs to be preserved. I think some action needs to be taken. I would appreciate any info and comments.

[Onshore]

I was living in Rutland last year and made some inquiries about the Quinny's water levels. I was advised that the headwaters reservoir is a part of the Worcester water supply and that there is no way to release water other than the surplus that goes over the spillway. Also, that because the area has been in drought or near drought conditions for a few years that the City was going to keep all the water they could and had no interest in releasing except surplus.

[lowwall]

Lots of folks complain abut the Wach tribs on the board.

If you went to a local TU meeting and said you wanted to lead this cause you will get a cool reception. Lots of people talk it up, very few act.

I have tried to work within TU in NH on a few projects, they are a great group but not a fishing group. Conservation and Education are great but what brings people to the sport of fishing is having places that allow public acces and have fish to catch.

A couple of us are putting together a non profit to tackle these types of issues in NH.

You guys have some great water in those WACH tribs with plenty of public access. Time you steped up and did something to protect them.

I will help out anyway I can

[Wmass]

Thanks for the info guys.


I have tried writing to local congressman and state reps in the past and I think I am going to start there. Then I may try to write to the fish management guys to see if they have thought about making an area of these river C&R. I was told before that no one really wants to make C&R sections in Mass because so many bait fisherman just buy licenses so they can keep a bunch of fish around stocking time and then that is it. That is fine that these guys want to keep stockies and I have no problem there but I have seen WAY TO MANY keeping native brookies and wild brown trout from these streams that are under the legal size limits. I saw one guy last summer with two brookies on his stringer and he was calling them "fingerlings" but then I pointed out that those were native brook trout and not some "fingerlings". This story just emphasizes the ignorance that comes from those who poach small fish and keep more then they should.

[Tynan]

Water level was low in the late summer fall because we had little to no rain. Follow the river to its source and it is a spillway at the Res in Holden. It has its on tribs which contribute also but like I said little rain. I have a problem with keeping 3 fish and going home only to come back and take 3 more. Too many people keep their limit every time.

[coltranem]

I have tried the local rep route and didn't even get a stock response from me rep....nice guy.

I have only fished the area for (2) years now but it is so close to my home it is nice to head over for a quick afternoon of fishing without a long drive. I would like to see those streams managed in a different way. Maybe we need to find a way of convincing the DFW that not all of us who use this resource are not interested in a put and take fishery. Maybe we need a petition to the DFW to change the management policies.

It also seems that new rules might not make much of a difference since there is no enforcement. This is probably due to lack of funding.

Wmass let me know how things go....I certainly would be interested in signing a petition of having meetings with the DFW with you.

[salter]

If you went to a local TU meeting and said you wanted to lead this cause you will get a cool reception. Lots of people talk it up, very few act.



I would beg to differ with you on your statement. (and no I am not trying to start an argument here). TU is involved in a number of major restoration projects here in Mass, such as the restoration of Red Brook and the Quashnet River.

On Red Brook TU spearheads an effort to restore its run of Salters (Native sea-run Brook Trout). Warren Winders and Steve Angers (both T.U volunteers) were the two people responsible for the donation of 638 acres encompassing Red Brook from the Lyman family in 2001.

http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/river/programs/priorityprojects/redbrook.htm

http://www.thetrustees.org/pages/330_lyman_reserve.cfm

On the Quashnet River, Fran Smith has led a major restoration effort that has been ongoing for more than 30 years and has increased the Native Brook Trout population by almost 300%. Volunteers have spent thousands of hours working to restore this once famous Salter stream.

http://www.capecodtu.org/webcons.htm

Fran won the NOAA Environmental Hero Award in 2003 for his efforts in the restoration of the Quashnet River.

http://www.publicaffairs.noaa.gov/releases2003/apr03/noaa03r416.html

On the Eel River in Plymouth, T.U. has joined efforts with the town to restore Atlantic white cedars to 39 acres of fallow Cranberry bogs. The upper Eel River is still home to Native Brook Trout. Restoration of the bogs will dramatically improve Brook Trout habitat within Eel River watershed.

http://www.ma-ri-tu-council.org/Eel-River-Report.htm

On a council level T.U. has funded a PIT tagging project on the Mashpee River, Quashnet River and Red Brook. T.U. has partnered Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (WBNERR) and Mass. Wildlife in this important research project.

http://www.ma-ri-tu-council.org/PIT-Tagging-Research.htm

http://www.waquoitbayreserve.org/

Read About Brendan Annett's Genetic Study of Salters funded by
TU's Embrace A Stream Project

http://www.ma-ri-tu-council.org/Brendan-Annett.html

http://www.ma-ri-tu-council.org/Abstract.htm

Check out the Mass. R.I. council Website often for updates on what is going on.

http://www.ma-ri-tu-council.org/default.html

Shoot me a PM if you would like to become more involved.

Regards,
Michael

[lowwall]

TU does allot of great stuff, anything to do with the WACH tribs is not one of them. Glad you spoke up, all of you guys who have gone to your local chapter about the WACH and given the cold shoulder now have an ear.

PM Salter

Thanks
Mike

[sped]

I wrote this a year ago on this site.....

Here's my take.....

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I think that ideas making these river FF only or C & R , or getting that fish ladder functional again are crtical. I've ofthen thought that I'd make it some sort of a life commitment to seeing these things done. A few years back I was at a fishing show and somebody from the Worcester TU chapter was spewing on about the fact that his chapter was working on these items. This really peaked my interest so I decided to attend a meeting. I wanted to get involved. I want to tell you that I've never been made to feel more uncomfortable around a new group of people as our local TU chapter. For starters not one person approached me to introduce themselves or to make me feel welcome. I felt as if I was invading their group. I was so bummed. Thinking this was a one off I visited again about a year later and the exact same situation took place. While I was there at the two meetings the issues concerning the Quinnie or the Stillwater never came up......not once....no one was talking about them........so I never went back.

Maybe we need to start our own group of concerned anglers and get the ball rolling on these issues. Like I said, if I had some help I'd start my own chapter of TU (although I don't necessarily think that it is essential to be in TU) and see if I or we could get anywhere.........

Just sayin'.......... Sped

[salter]

sped,

Please send me a PM with your contact information.

Thanks & regards,
Michael

[Onshore]

I wrote this a year ago on this site.....

Here's my take.....

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I think that ideas making these river FF only or C & R , or getting that fish ladder functional again are crtical.

Unfortunately the MA Fisheries folks are still living in the dark ages and feel it is politically a poor move to restrict any fishing oppotrunity - especially fly fishing only.

While they watch their licence fee income go down along with quality fishing opportunities, they go merrily on their way.

I agree with you and I agreed with many who wanted to make Atlantic Salmon Fishing a quality opportunity on the Merrimack and Connecticut Rivers - as New Hampshire and Vermont have done. But Massachusetts feels that they will lose income(license fees) if they do anything to preclude six-pack Joe from his opportunity to kill fish.

Mass will continue to stock brood-stock Atlantic Salmon in it's ponds where worm fishermen have the oppotrunity to kiill them in the name of sport.

Sorry for the rant, but I butted my head against that very mentality of your inland fisheries folks for too many years as a member of the Connecticut and Merrimack River Atlantic Salmon Advisory Panel.

If you want truly quality fishing for trout and salmon, head up north to New Hampsnhire and Vermont and see what you have been missing these years.