Shocking news about trout

Last week, Nancy Brosz from the Tri Park Housing Cooperative kindly let us look at the Whetstone river on their property. Lee Simard works for the Vermont Fisheries Division Fish and Wildlife as a fisheries biologist. He came to help us examine the fish up closely.

We walked down to a calm part of the river and Lee turned the electro shocker on. He told us the steps to turn on the shocker and use it. One thing he told us is, that if the shocker isn't in the water it doesn’t work, he also told us not to get in the water when the shocker is on because we would get wet and then we will get shocked. Lee had special gear that keeps him from getting wet.

First, he went in the water and turned the electro shocker on, it sent out an electric current and the fish swam towards the wand. Then he scooped them up with a net and put them in a bucket of water.  We caught about four different types of fish. We found five slimy sculpin, one Brook trout and three minnows.  We also found four caddis flies  

We caught all those by going in the deepest part of the river. We put them in a plastic bag to examine them closely. After, we did that we released them back in the water where they belong.

We give out a big thanks to Lee and Nancy for letting us go.  We had so much fun I hope we can do it again.  
Written by Erika and Lily