One fish two fish red fish blue fish.
Black fish blue fish old fish new fish.
Some are red and some are blue. Some are old and some are new.
Some are sad and some are glad. And some are very, very bad.
Dr. Seuss must have been a rainbow trout fisherman, I mused as the guys bee lined it to the raceways .
Black fish blue fish old fish new fish.
Some are red and some are blue. Some are old and some are new.
Some are sad and some are glad. And some are very, very bad.
Dr. Seuss must have been a rainbow trout fisherman, I mused as the guys bee lined it to the raceways .
The trout crowding Leadville’s National Fish Hatchery were rainbow and greenback cutthroat trout, the latter the state fish for Colorado. Despite being the state fish, anglers are allowed to fish for greenback cutthroat on a catch-and-release basis, especially with $75 million riding on
Colorado providing enough fish to entertain all those anglers.
Colorado providing enough fish to entertain all those anglers.
Jimmy and my brother Chris were angling for some action, too, although without a pole or waders or bait they were simply fish out of water.
Well, actually, there was plenty of bait, courtesy of the hatchery and small change. Jim and Chris loaded up and began doing what true fishermen do when not actually fishing – reminiscing about the ones that got away, about favorite fishing spots, about the good old days and the next fishing trip.
I just kept silently running through my mantra, snapping pictures, biding my time on this beautiful summer afternoon in the mountains of Colorado. Fishing has never been my thing, but Jimmy is.
One fish two fish red fish blue fish.
Black fish blue fish old fish new fish.
Some are red and some are blue. Some are old and some are new.
Some are sad and some are glad. And some are very, very bad.
Eventually, I wandered off to fish for more information about Leadville’s National Fish Hatchery via the sign at the top of the hill. The guys didn’t seem to miss me; the fish were jumping for joy with all the attention (i.e. food) coming their way.
One fish two fish red fish blue fish.
Black fish blue fish old fish new fish.
Some are red and some are blue. Some are old and some are new.
Some are sad and some are glad. And some are very, very bad.
Eventually, I wandered off to fish for more information about Leadville’s National Fish Hatchery via the sign at the top of the hill. The guys didn’t seem to miss me; the fish were jumping for joy with all the attention (i.e. food) coming their way.
Each year, up to a quarter million trout are raised in this particular hatchery (there are 70 national fish hatcheries, 9 fish health centers, 7 fish technology centers and one historic national fish hatchery; collectively they help produce 60 different species in 35 different states). By the way; that’s no fish story.
Here’s the real fish story when it comes to U.S. Fish Hatcheries. Following the U.S. westward expansion, there was growing concern regarding the decline in once abundant supplies of fish throughout the Midwest. President Ulysses S. Grant took the first official government action to conserve U.S. fishery resources for future generations when he established the U.S. Fish Commission in 1871. The Commission is now part of the Fisheries Program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, an agency within the U.S. Department of the Interior.
In 1872, the first Federal fish hatchery, known as the Baird Hatcher, was established on the McCloud River in California. The NFHS has since grown into a large complex system (in typical government fashion) devoted to conserving U.S. fishery resources.
Like any true fish story, this one just keeps getting bigger and bigger.
Spenser Fullerton Baird, a prominent research scientist, was appointed the first U.S. Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries, his primary duty to, as directed by the President and the Senate, was to “ascertain whether any and what diminution in the number of food fishes of the coast and inland lakes has occurred.”
In true government fashion, he was also required to report to Congress the necessary remedial measures to be adopted and was authorized to take fish from lakes and coastal waters, regardless of any state law. Before his appointment as Fish Commissioner, Baird had already recognized the urgent need to assemble the necessary information to help analyze the magnitude of declining fisheries and identify the factors which were contributing to the decrease in fish populations.
I know; at this point in time you’ve probably resorted to my mantra.
One fish two fish red fish blue fish.
Black fish blue fish old fish new fish.
Some are red and some are blue. Some are old and some are new.
Some are sad and some are glad. And some are very, very bad.
One more smidgen of information and I’ll release you to return to your own pool of thoughts.
Here’s the real fish story when it comes to U.S. Fish Hatcheries. Following the U.S. westward expansion, there was growing concern regarding the decline in once abundant supplies of fish throughout the Midwest. President Ulysses S. Grant took the first official government action to conserve U.S. fishery resources for future generations when he established the U.S. Fish Commission in 1871. The Commission is now part of the Fisheries Program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, an agency within the U.S. Department of the Interior.
In 1872, the first Federal fish hatchery, known as the Baird Hatcher, was established on the McCloud River in California. The NFHS has since grown into a large complex system (in typical government fashion) devoted to conserving U.S. fishery resources.
Like any true fish story, this one just keeps getting bigger and bigger.
Spenser Fullerton Baird, a prominent research scientist, was appointed the first U.S. Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries, his primary duty to, as directed by the President and the Senate, was to “ascertain whether any and what diminution in the number of food fishes of the coast and inland lakes has occurred.”
In true government fashion, he was also required to report to Congress the necessary remedial measures to be adopted and was authorized to take fish from lakes and coastal waters, regardless of any state law. Before his appointment as Fish Commissioner, Baird had already recognized the urgent need to assemble the necessary information to help analyze the magnitude of declining fisheries and identify the factors which were contributing to the decrease in fish populations.
I know; at this point in time you’ve probably resorted to my mantra.
One fish two fish red fish blue fish.
Black fish blue fish old fish new fish.
Some are red and some are blue. Some are old and some are new.
Some are sad and some are glad. And some are very, very bad.
One more smidgen of information and I’ll release you to return to your own pool of thoughts.
Talk about big fish in small ponds.
Leadville’s National Fish Hatchery is the second-oldest Federally operated fish hatchery in existence today. The Leadville hatchery building, now part of the National Registry of Historic Places, is the original structure built in 1889. It’s had a few touchups (haven’t we all), but otherwise it looked good from what we could see from the outside. In classic government fashion, it was closed the day we were there (a Saturday).
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As our shadows grew long and my patience grew short, I reminded Jimmy and my brother Chris there were plenty more fish to fry when it came to exploring Leadville.
Yes, I'll admit it. I was fishing for an excuse to take some pictures before the sun set on yet another beautiful day in Colorado. I'd had my fill of fish for a month of Fridays despite Dr. Seuss' literary genius.
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