#CompTime 3: the time I helped stock the Naugatuck River

I love mornings and wake up pretty early each day (#dadlife) but last week I woke up a little earlier than normal in order to drive to the Burlington fish hatchery to see firsthand how the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) grows fish and then releases them into our rivers, streams and lakes for recreation.

Why? I’m doing this thing called #CompTime where I shadow a different state employee each month. As the person who signs their check, I thought it was important to see firsthand what these people do for our state each and every day.

So, here’s a quick recap of #CompTime 3: the time I helped stock the Naugatuck River!

I pull up to the hatchery a few minutes before 7 am as the rest of the crew is arriving.

The hatchery supervisor Tom (in the picture on the left) shows me to the boot room and gets me suited up in a (surprisingly warm and comfortable) pair of waders.

I quickly introduce myself to the crew and, after everyone is dressed, we head out to get started.

Burlington is one of three hatcheries in the state. Each year, DEEP puts over 600,000 fish into our rivers, streams and lakes for recreational fishing. The process, known as stocking, starts in February and runs through May.

The fish are grown in the hatchery and, each day during the stocking season, a team of mostly seasonal DEEP workers loads up trucks like the one pictured above, drives them to different locations and releases the fish into the water.

I’m handed a net and I get in line at the pond where the trout are stored to take my turn.

At first, I’m pretty bad at this and only get a handful of fish. Rookie move. After a couple of turns, I get better.

Loading the truck is a precise process; each truck gets a certain number of fish based on the certain number of fish being released at each stop. The driver who takes the net from you counts each fish in the net before putting them in the truck’s tank.

After we load up a few different kinds of fish at a few different ponds, we get in the truck and head to our destination.

After a quick drive to the Naugatuck River in Campville with a supervisor named Dave, I team up with two seasonal employees named Josh and Justin to begin stocking. This is their second season with the fisheries team. Both are from the area and love fishing.

The process to get the fish from the truck to the river involves a chain-like relay where you run — literally — to get the fish to the water as quickly as possible.

It’s my first time trying to run through the woods wearing waders, but I get the hang of it. You can watch me do it here.

Confession time: I can’t recall the last time I went fishing. It wasn’t something I did growing up and it’s not something I’ve done as an adult.

But for tens of thousands of Connecticut residents, it’s a really, really big deal and I now see why.

Even though it was a gloomy and chilly March morning, there was something really cool and peaceful about being in the middle of the woods standing there in the quiet early hours of the day next to a moving river.

Hearing the guys talk about their pride for their job and what they love about fishing, it honestly made me want to give it a shot.

Before leaving, I asked Dave what his favorite fishing spot was thinking I could try it out. He smiled and said he couldn’t tell me. Each person who fishes finds their own special spot; somewhere they like to think that only they know. Their little spot of heaven.

I’d have to find my own spot, Dave said with a wink.

After this #CompTime, I just might.