Luring, Schooling and Serving Up City Fishing

Authors: George Babey and Tim Barry

Connecticut’s urban anglers might catch pike, shad, perch, bass, catfish and flounder in a single day, within sight of a city skyline.  Agency professionals and volunteers have united over the last five years to seize this opportunity to provide City Fishing.  Aquatic educators have helped 10,000 students learn about water, fish and fishing.  Agency leaders created a No Child Left Inside initiative and selected three urban waters suitable for management.  Fisheries biologists developed plans for those urban sites (including catfish stocking for the first time in our history) and created 11 Trout Parks to encourage family fishing.  Agency communication professionals helped promote 30 events with radio, newspaper and television outreach, hatchery trucks, stocking by the public and municipal leaders in attendance.  Special recruitment and training produced an excited team of volunteer supporters.  Hundred of families, with adults purchasing fishing licenses to participate, attended Family Fishing Day events.  All activities included a continual focus on internal and external partnerships.  Attractive fish stocking schedules at three ponds also helped entice 12 school, municipal, NGO and youth groups to join as stakeholders.  Urban angling continues to grow, with urban fisheries, Trout Parks and City Fishing classes expanding into six additional city parks.