During my research for the book, I traveled north to New Hampshire and the Twin Mountain Fish Hatchery and Fish and Wildlife Center, which is conveniently located near the Zealand River site that was trashed by so-called stream improvement projects. My visit was short and a bit disappointing. I first stopped off at the older, abandoned section of the hatchery. The area was marked as off limits for visitors, but I figured there was not much damage I could do. A series of concrete raceways, each about 50 feet long, were laid out in neat columns. They were vacant now with just a few muddy puddles and rotting wooden planks. The modern education center and hatchery itself was just across the road. A sign in the parking area mentioned stocking efforts by the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department beginning in the 1880s. The advertisement suggested the facility was needed to meet fishing demands. The sign stated that “the number and kind of fish raised and stocked are based on sound biological research and management plans.” Despite the presence of rainbow and brown trout, the poster did not say anything about non-native species.
I was able to meander around outdoors and see the single series of hatchery raceways in one long line. The end of the pens ended with a culvert that predictably dumped the effluent into the local waterway. Half the raceway was covered with netting, and the remaining trout apparently had to fend off the birds by themselves. At least these fish would know a predator when they saw one. A single round pen was positioned off to the side. It contained the big fish. I walked over a small bridge and peered into the tank. Rainbows, brookies and brown trout were all swimming around waiting for something to happen. Conveniently placed along the walkway were a series of coin operated dispensing machines so that visitors could buy trout food. For a single quarter, children and teachers alike could become part of the modern trout lifecycle. Perhaps the hand feeding process was to train the trout that, unlike birds, humans were not a predator of concern. I decided to save my money, and quickly retreated back across the footbridge towards the main building. Unfortunately for me, the education center was closed because of construction work at the facility. The door under the sign labeled ‘classroom’ was locked. A bit disappointed, I headed back to my car because, apparently, my edification was over for the day.
I was able to meander around outdoors and see the single series of hatchery raceways in one long line. The end of the pens ended with a culvert that predictably dumped the effluent into the local waterway. Half the raceway was covered with netting, and the remaining trout apparently had to fend off the birds by themselves. At least these fish would know a predator when they saw one. A single round pen was positioned off to the side. It contained the big fish. I walked over a small bridge and peered into the tank. Rainbows, brookies and brown trout were all swimming around waiting for something to happen. Conveniently placed along the walkway were a series of coin operated dispensing machines so that visitors could buy trout food. For a single quarter, children and teachers alike could become part of the modern trout lifecycle. Perhaps the hand feeding process was to train the trout that, unlike birds, humans were not a predator of concern. I decided to save my money, and quickly retreated back across the footbridge towards the main building. Unfortunately for me, the education center was closed because of construction work at the facility. The door under the sign labeled ‘classroom’ was locked. A bit disappointed, I headed back to my car because, apparently, my edification was over for the day.
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