By Mike Roche

You may remember a reference a few years ago to a brown trout study in the Deerfield River which was chronicled in this space. At the time, MassWildlife biologists were beginning to look at population dynamics of the Deerfield River. Since then, MassWildlife has been conducting extensive mark-recapture electrofishing surveys on the Deerfield River to assess the brown trout population.

This writer has always been a bit partial to brown trout, since the brown that I caught as a teenager while trolling a sewed-on shiner behind a Dave Davies spinner in the Quabbin won the Athol Daily News Fishing Derby. The prize was a Shakespeare fiberglass spinning rod and it was my longtime favorite rod after being equipped with a Mitchell 300 spinning reel bought at Spag’s.

A MassWildlife press release provided an update and noted that the recent surveys were focused on the upper section of the river, from the Fife Brook Dam to the Route 2 bridge crossing in Charlemont. My Deerfield fly fishing trips with the Harrison brothers and Jonathan Bunker of Square-Tail Anglers have always begun below the Fife Brook Dam. The most memorable fish ever landed on those excursions was a seven-inch brown trout. At that size, it was clearly a wild trout and a great way to start a drift trip.

Results from this work show that over 80% of the brown trout in this section of the Deerfield River are wild. These wild trout were born in the Deerfield River or a nearby tributary, not stocked as adults from the hatchery. Based on these findings, MassWildlife has decided that brown trout stocking is no longer necessary in this section of the river, since there are many wild fish present.

“Fishing in the Deerfield River is better than ever, and anglers will not notice much of a change from the stocking adjustments,” said Adam Kautza, MassWildlife’s Coldwater Fishery Resource Project Leader. “We will continue to stock rainbow trout in this section of the river. Also, the typical allotment of hatchery-raised brown trout usually stocked upstream of the Route 2 bridge will still be stocked further downstream.”

The combination of stocked trout and wild brown trout, along with two catch-and-release only areas makes the Deerfield a premier destination for all kinds of anglers.

Consistent with the last four years of the survey, MassWildlife biologists will continue to clip the adipose fin of all hatchery-raised brown trout released into the lower section of the Deerfield.

“This will enable us to continue monitoring this area and we will know if any hatchery trout make the trip upstream,” said Kautza. “We will continue to monitor the trout population and reassess as needed.”

This survey, along with other fisheries research, allows MassWildlife to more effectively manage fish populations and to provide a variety of fishing opportunities to the public. This project was made possible by ongoing support from the Deerfield River Watershed Chapter of Trout Unlimited and the Greater Boston Chapter of Trout Unlimited. These groups were instrumental in getting this project started and provided physical and financial assistance along the way.

“We commend MassWildlife for taking this huge step toward protecting and expanding the wild brown trout population in the upper Deerfield,” said Eric Halloran, president of the Deerfield River Watershed Chapter of Trout Unlimited. “We’ve known for years that this part of the Deerfield has a significant population of wild brown trout. We hope that through our working relationship with MassWildlife the wild trout population in the Deerfield Watershed will continue to expand.”

This news has gotten me thinking and maybe a trip with Jonathan Bunker is in my future. These guides are really busy and they fish all year round, so if you want a great fly-fishing experience, contact them now. If you use Facebook, check out Jonathan’s page or the guide blog. It is a great way to fly fish and you really do not need to be a great fly fisherman and Jonathan is a great teacher.

All the local trout waters have been stocked and this is prime time. This is when the most insect hatching activity takes place. That hatching is the dinner bell for trout and is best until the water warms and trout, a cold-water species, become a bit harder to find as they seek colder, oxygenated water.

Warm water species are also active with largemouth and smallmouth bass spawning and black crappie, commonly called calico bass, are also very active, post spawn. In truth, this is a great time to go fishing. Among those insects hatching are black flies and mosquitoes, so remember to take the necessary steps to ward them off. Use your favorite repellent and wear long pants, long sleeves, and a bug mask if necessary.

Mike Roche is a retired teacher who has been involved in conservation and wildlife issues his entire life. He has written the Sportsman’s Corner since 1984 and has served as advisor to the MaharFish’N Game Club, Counselor and Director of the Massachusetts Conservation Camp, former Connecticut Valley District representative on the Massachusetts Fisheries and Wildlife Board, has been a Massachusetts Hunter Education Instructor and is a licensed New York hunting guide. He can be reached at mikeroche3@msn.com.

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