In the town of North Harmony, fish were released into Goose Creek at six different locations. Conservation students in Chris Hy’s and Jeff Angeletti’s classes at the Hewes Educational Center took turns dropping bucketfuls of trout into the water.

“We do this to help increase and maintain the fish population in our creeks and the lake,” Hy said. “This way, the fish can spawn, and hopefully, we’ll have a healthy amount of fish in our lakes.”

There was much to learn about properly releasing the trout into the water. Students were advised not to dip their buckets into the creek; instead, they were told to dump the fish to avoid cross-contamination.

Students also learned that helicopters are sometimes used to help stock fish in some bodies of water.

Pictured are Conservation/Natural Resource Management students in Chris Hy’s and Jeff Angeletti’s classes at Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES. Students helped release rainbow and brown trout into Goose Creek in the town of North Harmony. Submitted photos

The yearly effort is part of a collaboration between E2CCB, the New York State Department of Conservation, and the Lakewood Rod & Gun Club. The Lakewood club sponsors the Career & Technical Education program, and the state DEC oversees the annual trout release event.

As in past years, the fish came from the Randolph Fish Hatchery.

Jonathan Draves, a fisheries technician with the state DEC, briefly explained the process of stocking fish. Students released rainbow trout, described as yearling fish between 1 and 2 years old, and 2-year-old brown trout between 12 and 15 inches long.

The rainbow trout are identified by their distinctive red band, while brown trout have a noticeable “halo” mark and blue and red dots on their sides.

Hy said students in the Conservation/Natural Resource Management program have helped stock trout into Goose Creek for many years. He thanked the Lakewood Rod & Gun Club for its sponsorship.

“It’s been a great affiliation with them,” he said.

David Wordelmann, a member of the Rod & Gun Club’s board of directors, praised E2CCB students for helping to stock the water. Such work, he said, goes to the core of the club’s existence.

“We want to encourage people to get out and enjoy the outdoors,” Wordelmann said. “Our mission here is to promote things like fishing and hunting, and the stocking of streams gives people an opportunity to fish.”

According to the DEC, fish are stocked yearly for several reasons, including to enhance recreational fishing and to help restore native species to the waters they formerly occupied.

The DEC operates 12 fish hatcheries across the state. Each hatchery specializes in raising one or more species of fish.

Trout fishing season officially begins Monday, April 1, in New York. The area of Goose Creek where the fish were released is known as a “stock-extended section.” Up to three trout can be caught daily, though only one can be more than 12 inches long.

Before April 1, any trout caught using artificial lures must be released.

Career and Technical Education programming typically serves students in their junior and senior years of high school, with students selecting the option to attend an E2CCB CTE program in their sophomore year.

For more information, visit e2ccb.org.