The Faces of the Future of New England Coldwater Fisheries...

Emily Bastian, Adam Kautza, and Corey Pelletier on the West Branch Penobscot River in Maine.

After attending a recent Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture meeting held in Millinocket, Maine, Adam Kautza PhD Coldwater Fisheries Project Leader for Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, and Corey Pelletier Principal Fisheries Biologist for Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management joined NFC National Chair Emily Bastian and Executive Director Bob Mallard for a couple of days of fishing.

The group spent the first afternoon on the Roach River looking for lake-run landlocked salmon and brook trout. The next day the group drove up to the fabled West Branch Penobscot in search of salmon and brook trout. Both rivers were lower than expected and notably warm at 65 degrees which is unusual for this time of year in central Maine.

While the fishing was off due to oddly warm water temperatures and somewhat low water due to a lack of rain, it was great to spend some time with talented and dedicated young people who will be the next generation of leaders in regard to managing our coldwater fisheries. These folks will be faced with a much different set of ecological, economic, and social issues than those who came before them.

We are looking at doing something in the spring when the conditions are a bit more predictable and we can focus on resident wild native brook trout rather than counting on fish moving into spawning habitat and migrating from large lakes as is often the case in the fall.

Special thanks to Adam and Corey for what they do, NFC really appreciates their efforts and support.