TEMPLETON — A dozen beginner and would-be anglers recently gathered at the Otter River Sportsman’s Club in Baldwinville for a fly-fishing workshop open to all skill levels.
The workshop was sponsored by Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust, the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game, Millers River Trout Unlimited Chapter #725, Regal Vise, Millers River Fishermen’s Association, and MassWildlife.
“We were happy to help put this event together and encourage new, young and more diverse people to get into the sport and experience the outdoors in a different way,” said Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Ron Amidon.
The all-day workshop began with a presentation about the impact of climate change on cold-water fisheries by MassWildlife Rivers and Streams Project Leader Dr. Rebecca M. Quinones.
“The work we are doing to identify cold-water climate change refugia is the cornerstone from which we build our conservation strategies,” Quinones said.
“Rising temperatures and more erratic weather patterns caused by climate change are impacting where native fish can live, and so protecting refugia, which are clusters of fish refuges, is a critical focus as we conserve forested land to ensure appropriate habitat for these fish,” said Mount Grace Executive Director Emma Ellsworth.
After Quinones’ talk, master casters Jerry Jaun and Jim Dowd instructed participants on the equipment used for fly fishing and basic casting technique. MassWildlife volunteer angler education instructor Hong Chin also offered a fly-tying demonstration to show the intricacies of tying your own flies. The day ended with participants fishing on the 10-acre pond with an instructor guiding them.
“This was a great example of the blending of the community to put together a successful event, where local master casters volunteered their time to teach, I brought extra fly-fishing equipment, and everyone spread the word within their networks,” said Donnie Barnes of Regal Vise.
Thanks to a $500 donation from the Millers River Trout Unlimited chapter, the pond at the Otter River Sportsman’s Club was stocked with various species of trout in anticipation of the workshop.
The pond was stocked with rainbow trout, brown trout and steelhead trout, said Pete Mallett of the Millers River Fishermen’s Association and Mike Miller of the Millers River Trout Unlimited Chapter.
“As Mount Grace celebrates 35,000 acres of land conserved in 35 years, we hope our partnership on this event will help inspire more collaborations to protect the land and the waters that make our region unique,” Ellsworth said.
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