Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, October 30, 1995 TAG: 9510300067
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BILL COCHRAN/OUTDOOR EDITOR
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
``They are stocking a bunch of small trout,'' said Derrick Hines, who manages All Huntin-N-Fishin Store in Salem. ``I've only weighed one that was about 3 pounds and another right at 2 pounds. The size is the biggest complaint I have heard.''
The same message comes from fishermen who are customers of Cline's Bait and Tackle in Cloverdale.
``You hear the regular complaints, but the fish are too small is the biggest thing,'' said Charlie Cline, the owner.
``They do tend to run a little bit smaller,'' said George Duckwall, the trout cultural supervisor for the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
For one thing, fall trout traditionally average smaller than spring-stocked fish, because they are younger, said Duckwall. Add to that, dry weather during the summer was a problem in hatcheries.
``Some hatcheries had such bad conditions they had to curtail their feeding,'' Duckwall said.
Apart from the size factor, there are many positive aspects to the new program, Duckwall said. For one thing, fishermen will see a significant increase in the number of fish being stocked. While releases in October have been modest, they will begin to accelerate in November, he said.
``Last year and in past years, we stocked around 80,000 fish with our fall stocking,'' said Duckwall. ``We will be stocking somewhere in the neighborhood of 300,000 this time, maybe more than that.''
The new program not only puts fish into more streams, but over a longer period. Stockings will continue in December and January, and there won't be the usual closed season in February and early March.
The late-winter stockings especially will be attractive, Duckwall believes.
``I know I always have cabin fever then and can't wait to be outdoors doing something,'' he said.
When anglers understand what the new year-round program has to offer, complaints should diminish, Duckwall said.
``I think once the fishermen catch onto the fact that they are going to be able to go out and fish anytime of the year they want and find fish, they are going to be real pleased with it,'' he said.
That should be good news for the gang at Cline's Bait and Tackle.
``Fishermen are looking for a little more, since they did away with opening day and increased the cost of the trout license,'' said Cline.
The stockings are being carried out unannounced, but anglers are given the option of finding where the fish have been released quicker than in the past. The Game and Fish Department has a new trout stocking phone line that provides information on the day's stocking at 4 p.m. daily. The number is 804-525-3474.
``We are receiving from 1,700 to 1,800 calls a week and a lot of people don't know it is in operation,'' said Duckwall.
Officials believe the new phone setup is cutting down on hatchery-truck following.
``It is certainly a lot cheaper to invest 30 cents in a phone call than to invest $5 in a tank of gas and go to a hatchery and maybe not even have fish stocked that day,'' said Duckwall.
Some fishermen continue to find out about the stockings incidentally. Last week, 17-year-old Glenn Thompson Jr. of Goshen was driving home from school when he noticed the Maury River had been stocked. He grabbed his tackle and returned to the stream, where he landed several trout.
by CNB