Go Fish! Fishing Season Open

With the start of fishing season today, anglers should find plenty of action on the Sparkill Creek.

Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee, D-Suffern, says the creek has been stocked with brown trout by the state Department of Environmental Conservation — even though the creek was originally left out of the DEC's stocking plans for 2011.

“Fishing is a tremendous opportunity to not only increase people’s appreciation for our natural resources, but also encourage them to sustain our environment,” said Jaffee. “Protecting access to local fishing is an important investment in preserving the health and beauty of our outdoors.”

The DEC’s stocking program places hundreds of thousands of hatchery-raised trout in waterways across the state, including many streams and lakes in Rockland County. However, Jafee said the DEC initially indicated the Sparkill Creek would not be one of those stocked in 2011.

After hearing from local sportsmen, Jaffee said she asked the DEC to reconsider its decision. The DEC reversed its decision, and on March 22 680 brown trout were stocked in the Sparkill Creek, Jaffee said.

“The easy part in all this was getting the DEC to stock the fish – the hard part will be getting them to bite!” Jaffee said.