ENVIRONMENT: A few fish on Good Friday

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April 6, 2007

State environmental officials release trout into two local fishing holes

By Aaron Besecker/beseckera@gnnewspaper.com The Niagara Gazette Fri Apr 06, 2007, 08:37 PM EDT

A Google computer search brought a die-hard father-and-son fishing duo to Hyde Park Lake on a snowy Friday morning.

Chris Caltagirone and his 13-year-old son, Todd, became some of the first area anglers to cast their lines for the hundreds of rainbow and brown trout state environmental officials put in two popular fishing holes.

The Town of Lockport pair braved the wind and chilly temperatures after Todd Caltagirone looked on the Internet for upcoming locations to be stocked.

“We want to cook some dinner tonight — Friday fish fry,” Chris Caltagirone said.

On Friday, state officials stocked Hyde Park Lake with almost 1,900 brown trout, while the pond at Oppenheim Park was stocked with 270 brown and rainbow trout.

This is the second-straight year Hyde Park Lake has been stocked, while officials have stocked the pond at Oppenheim Park for several years.

“This is really an opportunity to provide angling opportunities in an urban setting,” said Michael Wilkinson, an aquatic biologist with the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

Individuals who have limited mobility or who may not otherwise have the chance to fish will have a greater access to the sport, Wilkinson said.

The fish stocks are funded through the state Conservation Fund, amassed through state hunting, fishing and trapping fees, he said.

Wilkinson thanked the Niagara River Anglers Association, who along with city officials, who helped make the stocking possible.

“They were instrumental in getting permission from city authorities to stock the lake,” he said.

Michael Henderson, a member of the board of directors of the Niagara River Anglers Association, said the fish came from a hatchery in Caledonia in Livingston County.

Because trout won’t survive in warmer water, most will die when summer’s warmer temperatures arrive, Henderson said.

“They’re there for people to fish out,” he said.

John Caso, head of the city’s Public Works and Parks Department, said he believes the new fish stock will continue to give adults and young people in the city a chance to try their hand at fishing.

The city didn’t have to contribute any local funding for the project, Caso said, though city officials were required to submit a formal request to the state.

Even Friday’s unseasonably cold temperatures weren’t enough to stop the pair of fishermen from Lockport.

“When the getting’s good, you gotta keep fishing,” said Chris Caltagirone, who said he was wearing three pairs of long johns and two pairs of sweatpants beneath his red and black flannel shirt and camouflage pants.

Chris Caltagirone, who has fished since age 10, relished in the quiet yet frigid time he spent with his son.

“As soon as the word gets out and the weather changes, it’ll be elbow to elbow.”

Fish stocks

State officials put two types of trout in two local water bodies on Friday:

n HYDE PARK LAKE: 1,700 brown trout yearlings (7-9”); 180 2-year-old brown trout (11-15”)

n OPPENHEIM PARK: 180 rainbow trout (7-10”); 90 2-year-old brown trout (11-15”)

State fishing rules

n Individuals age 15 and under do not need a license in order to fish

n Licenses are required for everyone age 16 and up

n The state will offer a free fishing weekend on June 23 and 24; on only that weekend, individuals do not need to have a license in order to fish.

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