HARWINTON, Conn. — Flooding rains in December and January hampered their efforts but now, weeks later, the Connecticut DEEP Fisheries Division team is back and putting their prized Atlantic Salmon in local rivers.
The Atlantic Salmon program, which dates back decades, is a highlight for the Fisheries team since the program is unique to Connecticut and coveted by anglers from all over.
During a stocking run in a remote part of Harwinton on the banks of the Naugatuck River, Matt Devine, a cold-water fisheries biologist the Connecticut DEEP said, “It’s extremely unique, you really can’t find this anywhere else in the region, in the world even. This program, with this strain of Atlantic Salmon, is unique only to Connecticut.
Peter Aarrestad, the director of the Fisheries Division added, “These are big, robust, healthy, vigorous Salmon. Some of the fish are 15 to 20 pounds.”
On a clear, cold February morning, Devine and his team were busy stocking the final (and biggest) Salmon of the season – 60 in all. Devine noted that, overall, they stocked around 15 hundred giant Atlantic Salmon this season, “It’s something anglers wait all year long for, it’s the thrill of a lifetime to come out and catch one of these fish.” Aarrestad added, “Get out there and have fun, and be safe.”
Jimmy Altman is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at jaltman@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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