Summer starts with big fish tales
Monday was the summer solstice which marks the first day of summer and it is the longest day of the year. It only seems fitting that it was also the day that Hayden Bean got the longest fish he’s ever caught.
Bean, who will be in the fourth grade at Alberton School next year, was at Frenchtown pond. It was part of the school’s summer camp program. He reeled in a whopping two pound rainbow trout with the help of instructor, Jodi Clark.
“It was the biggest fish I’ve ever caught,” he exclaimed, as his classmates gathered around to inspect the green, speckled aquatic vertebrate.
Sue Dess, who works with Fish, Wildlife and Parks, said that they had stocked the pond from February until May with trout and bass. In February, they cut a hole in the ice and dumped them into the water. The trout came from the fish hatchery in Arlee. They stocked around 4,000 fish this year, which was more than usual, said Dess.
Some of the larger fish, like the one Bean caught, are old spawners. The trout can be kept, but the bass need to be released.
“They’re trying to create a good bass habitat,” said Dess.
The fishing camp Bean attended is part of the 21st Century Grant program. It was held Monday through Thursday, from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the pond. On the following day, despite a lot of wind and cooler temperatures, Gage Horn reeled in a healthy size bass. Which he dutifully released back into the water.
The bass are transplanted from the Lee Metcalf Refuge located in the Bitterroot Valley near Stevensville. The bass from the refuge go to both Frenchtown and Beavertail Pond located east of Missoula. The bass tolerate the summer heat better than the trout, said Dess. Later in the summer, if temperatures get too hot, the trout die.
The pond is only 18 feet deep and doesn’t have a natural spring. It’s located in Frenchtown which is east of Alberton, off of I90. There are a lot of eagles, osprey, and waterfowl in the area. Visitors also have access to picnic tables, bar-b-que stands, a dock, and playground equipment. It’s open to a variety of non-motorized water recreation including swimming, kayaking, wind surfing, and fishing.
On Wednesday of the camp, it was a sunny, perfect summer day. The kids caught a couple of stringers of fish. They left the stringers in the water near the shore as the group gathered at the picnic tables for a lunch of grilled hot dogs.
Suddenly, an osprey dove near the shore and snatched one of the stringers. It attempted to haul it away, but it proved to be too heavy and dropped it in the middle of the pond. Instructor, Josh Reese, jumped into the water and swam out and retrieved the fish before they sank, saving the days catch.
As he was returning to shore, the osprey continued to circle from above, hoping to retrieve its meal. “The water was refreshing,” said Reese as he swam to shore. He was greeted by a group of grateful young fisherman who wanted to take the fish home themselves and treat their families to a nice meal.