The following is an example of success and lack there of in Connecticut that is part of the Diadromous Fish Enhancement and Restoration Report 2007. Note: The data for each yearly report is not completed, reviewed and printed until later in the following year. Some fishways operate in the fall.

The Connecticut DEP, Diadromous Fish Enhancement and Restoration 2007 Project Leader Stephen Gephard, Supervising Fisheries Biologist, reported good news and bad. The following paragraphs are some of the highlights of the 51-page report that covers eight Goals and six Jobs. Next week’s column will complete the highlights. The eight Goals of the program are: to restore Atlantic salmon to three tributaries of the Connecticut River, to restore and enhance runs of American shad in ten streams, river herring in 30 streams, American eel in 20 streams; to develop and enhance sea-run trout in eight streams, to provide effective fish passage at 30 existing fish passage facilities and 30 existing barriers to fish migration and to expand public knowledge of the success of diadromous fish restoration and its importance to the health of Connecticut’s ecological resources.

Job 1: Restoration of Atlantic Salmon to the Connecticut River Basin. A total of 141 salmon returned to the Connecticut River basin in 2007. Of those, 122 were from fry stocking and 19 from smolt stocking. A total of 214 returned in 2006 (five year average of 131). Last year, more than 3.2 million eggs were produced and about 1.2 million fry and 54,000 smolts were stocked in the Farmington, Salmon and Eightmile River watersheds. A total of 1,044 adult (post-spawned or sexually barren broodstock no longer needed for restoration) were stocked into the Naugatuck (500) and Shetucket (294) rivers and Beach Pond (150) and Crystal Lake (100) for recreational fishing.

The recommendations include: continuing to stock fry and smolts, incubate eggs at streamside, release domestic broodstock into state waters and to research the gaps in fry to adult return survival.
Job 2: Restoration and Enhancement of ANADROMOUS CLUPEIDS (Clupeids are soft-finned fishes including alewives, herring and shads.)
Kinneytown Fishway (Naugatuck River) passed 0 shad, 0 alewife and 0 blueback herring which was the same as in 2006 compared to 2, 1 and 2 respectively in 2005. Greeneville Dam Fishlift (Shetucket River) passed 2,453 shad, 2,422 alewives and 0 blueback herring compared 1,981 shad, 2,412 alewives and 9 blueback herring in 2006 and 1,776 shad, 592 alewives and 5 blueback herring in 2005. Rainbow Fishway (Farmington River) passed 156 American shad, 0 alewife and 7 blueback herring adults upstream compared to 73 shad, 0 alewife and 0 blueback herring adults in 2006 and 8, 1 and 4 respectively in 2005.

Adult shad were transplanted into the following rivers to accelerate restoration in those rivers: Shetucket (118), Farmington (146), Naugatuck (118) and Quinnipiac (147).

All fishway counts for river herring were down for the sixth consecutive season. Recommendations include maintaining: current prohibition on the taking of river herring statewide, monitoring capabilities at the three major fishways to document progress of restoration efforts and current river herring stock assessment approach.

WILD TIGER TROUT
Are wild tiger trout being produced in Naugatuck River
system is the question that came to mind after reading a recent Email from Steve Arkenbout. Arkenbout was one of the writers on our staff at The Connecticut Fisherman’s Review magazine 1993-1995. The idea piqued my mind and prompted me to do some research about Tiger Trout in Connecticut.

The following is the essence of Arkenbout’s Email. “I have been busy fishing for wild trout. I just recently fished a small feeder to the Naugatuck River and caught two tiger trout. I know the state has been stocking tiger trout in the

Naugatuck. This stream is not stocked so I would assume they migrated into the brook. But what is more interesting is the two I caught were both around 5 inches. The state says they stock 9-12 inchers. Perhaps it stocked smaller ones. I have caught one tiger trout in the past that I know was wild

Contiuned next column

with brilliant colors. Just the fact that I caught two tells me they are more likely stocked. Was wondering if you have any insight as to whether any streams have been stocked with tiger trout.” I in turn Emailed Ed Machowski, a DEP Fisheries to get information from the Fisheries Division The essence of Machowski’s reply was that it is possible that those are wild fish. While not common, we do find tigers on occasion in streams where browns and brookies exist. “What is interesting is not every stream with good brown and brook abundance produce tigers.

An example of a stream with a large number of tiger trout is Weewaka Brook (tributary to Lake Lillinonah). Many, many years back I caught naturally spawned tigers in Sandy Brook,” noted Machowski. I searched my library and found other two sources of reliable information. Here’s some of what John Holt said in his book ALL ABOUT TROUT. Tiger trout are a hybrid produced mostly from the eggs of a female (hen) brown trout being fertilized by the milt from of a male (cockfish) brook trout. “The cross has the brookie’s vermiculations (worm-like markings on its sides) and the brown’s coloring,” stated Holt. Holt went on to say, “This cross has extremely aggressive disposition, but unfortunately only about one-third of the young are able to develop fully because of a disease inherent in the sac-fry. This cross rarely occurs in nature and is unable to naturally reproduce because it is a salmonid mule (sterile adult). My second reference book Trout Biology by Bill Willers confirmed that most tiger trout are produced by a female brown and a male brookie, however, Willers said when brook trout eggs are fertilized by milt from male brown the result is sometimes called tiger trout (less frequently leopard trout). These fish can be quite different in shape and pattern of vermiculation. There is no explanation why this occurs.

In one controlled study, when 100,000 female brown eyed-eggs were incubated (fertilized by brook trout milt), 65,000 hatched and 4,000 reached fry stage. That’s a 4% survival rate. When 4,467 eggs from a brook trout were fertilized by
milt from a brown trout, 128 hatched and 22 survived to fry stage. That’s a 0.5% survival rate. One can conclude that survival of tiger trout when brown trout eggs are fertilized is more likely to happen.

Later I corresponded with Bill Hyatt, Director on CT Inland Fisheries and several of the Division’s biologists and received the following information. The Connecticut DEP stocks only a small number of tiger in its annual trout stocking program. Here’s a sample of what the DEP Fisheries Division stocked prior to Opening Day 2008. Brook Trout - 62,500 (10-11 inch); Brown Trout – 214,300 (10-11 inch), Brown Trout – 7,900 (12 inch), Tiger Trout –8,000 (10-12 inch brook/brown hybrid), Rainbow Trout – 89,000 (10-12 inch), Rainbow Trout – 18,650 (12-14 inch) and 1,680 surplus broodstock (3-10 pounds). Note: After Opening Day about 5,000 tiger trout (10-12 inch) were stocked . So, about 13,000 of the total 800,000 trout stocked annually in the state were tiger trout. Or approximately 1.7 % of the total were tiger trout. The state stocks tiger trout to add to the diversity of trout species. Recall the some years ago golden trout were stocked. They were easy to spot in the water, but difficult to catch. Tigers are aggressive. Anglers enjoy the fight they display.

One additional type tiger trout stocking involves the Sea-run Trout Program. DEP Fisheries Division is trying to establish sea-run trout fisheries in waters that are potentially favorable. In 2008, the following yearling tiger trout were stocked in the lower sections of Salmon River (500), Saugatuck River (396), Naugatuck River (396), Niantic River (396), Thames River (500) and Latimer Brook (396). The following are listed in the 2008 Connecticut Angler’s Guide as sea-run trout fisheries. Read the Guide for specific areas of river. They include: Eightmile River (East Haddam –Lyme), Farm River, Hammonasset River, Latimer Brook, Mianus River, Oil Mill Brook, Saugatuck River and Whitford Brook. Thanks to DEP Fisheries Supervisor Bill Hyatt and biologists Bob Orciari, Ed Machowski, Bill Foreman, Bob Jaciobs and Tim Wildman. Naugatuck River Shad and Alewife/Herring Update and History In the spring of 2008, the lower Naugatuck River 396 was stocked with 396 yearling tiger triout. In 2005- 2007, the number of tiger trout stocked were: 450, 250 and 500

For the period 2005-2008, the following number of seeforellen brown trout strain were stocked in the lower Naugatuck River 500, 250, 250 and 500 to provide a variety of hardy trout. Over the years I have caught at least a score of tiger trout. They love to slam a fly.

The following fish were stocked by the DEP Fisheries Division this spring: 162 adult American shad and 500 alewife. This has been on on-going program for many years. The goal is to have these anadromous fish species reproduce in the river. Their offspring return to the ocean and return in a few years as adults to reproduce. No sea lamprey were stocked in 2008.

Choice of colors Forest green or Safari tan.

Can be purchased at monthly meeting

Our Connecticut Trout Unlimited council has launched a website aimed at helping bring our chapters together statewide. The web site has a large amount of information and links to each chapter in the state. Take a look, it is well worth it.

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