Page 7 - May-June24 Vol42 No1

used a dozer to push a wall of clay and they stocked their pond with catfish and he hopes Parks and Rec soon will have
dry dirt to feed an excavator, then loaded trout. I thought that was really awesome.” another one, “maybe even opening it up
an off-road dump truck to dump away “Our city offered up slots for 20 kids to all ages.”
from the pond.” for the Fishing Day, and those slots Sines established a policy that if you
“Once all the sludge was emptied, we filled up very quickly,” he said, adding catch a fish in the refurbished pond, you
started hauling off the sludge to an offsite that increased interest also had sparked can take it home to eat. He said that’s
storage site to dewater and dry out,” requests for an adult fishing day. partially because “the trout will only
Sines said. At that stage in the process, “Our Parks and Rec supervisor called survive until about early-to- mid-May,
Collegedale’s Public Works team caught the local Bass Pro Shop and asked them since the water temperature will rise
an additional “lucky break.” if they wanted to participate with us in too high for them to live in late spring/
Unrelated Water Main Break Assists the fishing day, and they said ‘YES of early summer. So, whatever fish are not
caught, will become food for other fish
course.’ Then the National Wild Turkey
the Process Federation found out about it from the and turtles.”
“There was an unrelated water main Bass Pro people,” Sines added. Collegedale Public Works will maintain
break about 1,500 feet away and it “NWTF donated 20 Realtree fishing the pond. Sines said some citizens have
filled the pond back up for us! We then poles for kids. Bass Pro donated some expressed they want the ducks back, “but
seeded and sprayed all disturbed areas bait, bringing fish experts to help the the domestic ducks are not good for the
and stocked the pond with 200 rainbow kids set up the new rods and show them fish, as they can carry a parasite/worm
and 100 brook trout,” he said. The entire how to put on the worms,” he said. that can harm the fish.”
retention-pond-to-fish-pond process, he Additionally, the NWTF “wanted to Overall, Sines said he’s seen “lots of kids
said, cost between $15-20,000. support the Fishing 101 program, also and adults fishing on the pond. We have
Townspeople started talking about the bringing swag items.” also seen a few ‘post-kid people’ catching
project, and the idea of a citywide Kids’ and keeping fish to take home and eat.
Fishing Day began to percolate, picking Kids’ Fishing Day Deemed a Success They seem to be positive and excited. It’s
up steam. Sines found that “a local pond Sines said word spread quickly about been a good project.”
in East Ridge had a Bass Pro Day, where the success of the Kids’ Fishing Day, and

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