Major Discovery

[knotreelly]

John Whalen has discovered and successfully raises smelt fry which are the preferred food for salmon on his 90 acre Harmon Brook Farm. After 17 years of trial and error he consistantly raises these fry that scientists and biologists said was impossible. The Moosehead Lake Coalition has been stocking Moosehead with his fry. This in my mind is great being a troller at Quabbin and other large lakes that could use them for declining smelt or non smelt populations that could be a food supply for the trout and other fish in these lakes. John is a retired Maine game warden. I got this out of The Northwoods Sporting Journal that I subscribe to and recommend.

[grizbear13]

Cry1 The problem with Quabbin isn't the absence of smelt but the reason they are nearly gone. The powers to be at the MDC about fifty years ago started to exterminate the spawning smelt in Quabbin by poisoning the spawnig schools in the feeder streams I saw this with my own eyes they were giving barrels and buckets of smelt to any one who wanted them. THEY USED COPPER SULFATE TO KILL THE FISH. this didn't work well enough so they damed up the feeder streams to prevent future spawning runs. The few smelt that spawn in the lake shallows don't have a chance.. The reason given was the were afraid that the huge schools of smelt would block the screens at rhe outflow to Wachusetts!!! What1SmashheadBash1 kNOT if you would like to hear more about this crap pm me and i'll give you my cell phone #

[knotreelly]

yeah griz, i had heard that story in the past, i have to remember that this is a water supply first and foremost to the powers and we are lucky to be able to fish it. thats why there so strict and all there decisions are based on WATER SUPPLY. thats why its there. thanks

[fisher16]

Thanks for the info, and I never knew about the poisoning of smelt at Quabbin. Thanks for sharing the info. I hope he continues re-establishing stocks of smelt in local waters that can hold smelt populations.