You hear the old wisdom all the time: Introduce a child to the outdoors, or take a kid fishing. Nearly all anglers can remember when they were introduced to the excitement of fishing.
For some, fishing is a leisurely activity that facilitates conversation between adults and children, and catching the big ones is only a bonus. For others, fishing is all about understanding the finer points, which include casting, lure selection and understanding why fish behave the way they do. Regardless of the goal, young people in the Monroe, La., area will have more opportunities to experience the enjoyment of fishing thanks to the renovation of a pond at the Monroe Fish Hatchery.
Reinforcement funds
As usual, FLW Outdoors donated $5,000 to the FishAmerica Foundation in conjunction with the Wal-Mart FLW Tour event held on the Ouachita River March 9-12. In addition, the local Monroe community has teamed up with FLW Tour anglers to raise an additional $1,090 through a new wristband conservation program. The two donations will be used to renovate pond No. 7 at the Monroe Fish Hatchery. The nuts and bolts of the renovation project consist of installing a vinyl sheet piling congruently with the existing levee of the pond.
Robert Gough, program manager of hatcheries with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, said he has been eager to allocate some funding for pond No. 7. The pond is used for fishing clinics, aquatic education and children’s fishing tournaments.
“This is something we’ve wanted to do for an extended period of time,” Gough said. “Renovating pond No. 7 will enhance the educational programs that take place at the hatchery.”
According to Gough, the levee has essentially eroded away. The piling will provide support for the levee and increase the depth of the pond at the hatchery. With the increased depth, the vegetation that chocked the shallow water should no longer be a problem, hopefully leading to fewer tangles.
“The children tended to get frustrated with the high concentration of vegetation,” Gough said.
The reinforcement of the levee will provide a fishable area for the kids and educators. In addition, a handrail will be added to ensure the safety of the children.
Growing for the future
The pond also serves as a hatchery for the Ouachita River and surrounding fisheries, nurturing Florida bass and small catfish.
“We raise several species at the hatchery, but pond No. 7 is mainly used for bass and catfish,” Gough said. “We have a number of catfish between 1 and 2 pounds with a few larger ones in there as well.
“Fishing for catfish is a great way to get children interested in the sport because it is fast-paced with very little waiting, so there is always something going on to keep the kids’ attention. The catfish are great for the children because they are always in the mood to bite.”
Gough anticipates work will begin this summer.
“When the conditions are right, we’ll begin work. It will take two weeks to install; I hope to have it completed by October,” he said. “I’m proud to say that we’re using our own crew and our own equipment for the labor. After completion, we’ll have 200 feet of fishable bank.”
Gough hopes the improvement to pond No. 7 will lead to additional renovation funding.
“We hope to move the whole hatchery to this vinyl material. It has a minimum life span of 50 years,” he said. “We’d like to thank FLW Outdoors for this generous donation. This project may help increase our visibility and get us over the hump in terms of funding. It is a really wise investment.”
With the combined efforts of the FishAmerica Foundation, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and FLW Outdoors, it seems that fish populations in the Monroe area should be stable for years to come with plenty of knowledgeable children chasing after them.
FLW Outdoors has donated $6,090 to the Monroe Fish Hatchery renovation project through the FishAmerica Foundation. As it has in the past, FLW Outdoors will continue to donate a minimum of $5,000 at each of its seven Wal-Mart FLW Tour events in 2005 as well as at a variety of its other tournaments.
In 2000, FLW Outdoors announced its partnership with the FishAmerica Foundation, the conservation arm of the American Sportfishing Association. Since then, FLW Outdoors has directly donated more than $250,000 and helped to generate more than $1 million for local conservation projects.
