Transplanting Insects

**JUICE** · 03-13-2007, 05:48 PM

Guys,

My buddy Regan wanted me to post a question about stream management. Any thoughts?

"I think in post-industrial NE US some of the streams have a lack of aquatic insect ddiversity due to previous pollution, but now the water is clean enough to support them again, only there aren't any there to start reproducing. How do we get stones, mays, and caddis species (as well as others) back into some of these waters. PA has many examples of once famed hatches that have disappeared. I know siltation from development still causes problems, but there should be some effort to increase food resources for fish to sustain populations. "

**Brookie** · 03-13-2007, 06:17 PM

I'm no expert on this (who is on this BB?) but my gut is to say that it's not necessary. Case in point, the Naugatuck River. Once, and not the long ago, HIGHLY polluted, it has very caddis hatches now. From my own kick samples, I can tell you that there are lots of Isonychia, Hydropsyche, craneflies, stoneflies (which are a really good indicator of clean, well oxygenated water) as well as a smattering of other mayflies. The diversity of insects seems to get better every year. But like other rivers, there are good years and bad years due to other factors (drought, temp extremes, etc.). My guess is that the insects come from the various local feeders, and if there is a niche that needs to be filled, nature generally takes care of things in it's own time.

I don't know that it's practically feasible to import insects to jumpstart the biodiversity. If I'm wrong, I'd love to learn more.

**AaronJasper** · 03-13-2007, 06:56 PM

i know for a fact that the green drakes on the housatonic were transplanted from the mill river in ct. i do know that it is possible to do this given that the water chemistry and quality are the same.

FK · 03-13-2007, 07:12 PM

I would check with the DEP on the subject of transplanting insects, in some states it is not allowed.

When I was growing up in CT no one ever believed the Naugatuck would recover from the 100+ years of devestating polution. Amazing recovery in a relatively short time.

Regards,
FK

alanb_ct · 03-13-2007, 08:22 PM

I think the book by George Black called "The Trout Pool Paradox: The American Lives of Three Rivers" talks about the Green Drake transplant to the Housatonic from the Mill River in Hamden (it's also cited in Passante's book). I also heard the story a few times from a river old-timer. I believe the HFFA club received permission to transplant nymphs and maybe adults (spinners?) from the state. They dug nymphs out of the Mill River silt, perhaps in the vicinity of Clark's Pond (Torrey used to work around there, maybe he knows). I also heard they used open station wagons parked streamside and lined with white bed sheets. During peak hatching, the bugs would land on the white sheets (at night) to be driven up to their new home and released. The part about transplanting adults may just be stream folklore, I'm not sure.

In any case, I am 100% sure I have seen both Green Drake adults and definitely Coffin flies on the Housatonic, so the transplant was at least partially successful. I've had a lot of success fishing big spinners during this timeframe (of the "Serio Spinner" variety, like small birds). By the way, if you haven't read the story behind the origin of the name Coffin fly, it's worth reading in Lee's book "The Lore of Trout Fishing." Art Lee has a wonderful sense of the history of our sport.

I can also vouch for the Brown Drake hatch, especially in the upper TMA and above, it gets really heavy, check the back eddies in the morning after a giant late spring hatch.

**AaronJasper** · 03-13-2007, 09:03 PM

i have seen absolute sick brown drake spinner falls on the housatonic. torrey and i fished a massive spinner fall two years ago.i also had a client out one time and we witnessed the same thing at push em up pool. there were millions of flies. too many too count ;D ;D the fish were absolutely flipping out. you have to love those big bugs. the serio spinner can be killer during this hatch!

**SlowNDeep** · 03-13-2007, 09:44 PM

[quote author=Brookie link=topic=239.msg1674#msg1674 date=1173824274]
I'm no expert on this (who is on this BB?) but my gut is to say that it's not necessary. Case in point, the Naugatuck River. Once, and not the long ago, HIGHLY polluted, it has very caddis hatches now. From my own kick samples, I can tell you that there are lots of Isonychia, Hydropsyche, craneflies, stoneflies (which are a really good indicator of clean, well oxygenated water) as well as a smattering of other mayflies. The diversity of insects seems to get better every year. But like other rivers, there are good years and bad years due to other factors (drought, temp extremes, etc.). My guess is that the insects come from the various local feeders, and if there is a niche that needs to be filled, nature generally takes care of things in it's own time.

I don't know that it's practically feasible to import insects to jumpstart the biodiversity. If I'm wrong, I'd love to learn more.
[/quote]

Wow that's great - about the Naugatuck - I sampled the Naugatuck a bunch about 10 -15 years ago and found loads of black fly larva and a few caddis. This was in the Naugatuck area. Did you sample downstream of Naugatuck or up in Campville area?

**SlowNDeep** · 03-13-2007, 09:52 PM

[quote author=JUICE link=topic=239.msg1673#msg1673 date=1173822485]
Guys,

My buddy Regan wanted me to post a question about stream management. Any thoughts?

"I think in post-industrial NE US some of the streams have a lack of aquatic insect ddiversity due to previous pollution, but now the water is clean enough to support them again, only there aren't any there to start reproducing. How do we get stones, mays, and caddis species (as well as others) back into some of these waters. PA has many examples of once famed hatches that have disappeared. I know siltation from development still causes problems, but there should be some effort to increase food resources for fish to sustain populations. "
[/quote]

If the water is truly clean enough to support insects AND has an adequate food supply AND has a nearby insect population it would repopulate itself.

If there are no nearby/adjacent drainage areas that have abundant insect populations then you would have to bring in insects. I imagine most DEP types would frown on an average Joe bringing in buckets of bugs, and they are not known for being easy to deal with in many areas, so I would not expect to easily get a permit to do the work.

- You may want to consider the covert relocation and allocation program (CRAP) -

**Brookie** · 03-13-2007, 10:32 PM

[quote author=SloNDeep link=topic=239.msg1680#msg1680 date=1173836651]
[quote author=Brookie link=topic=239.msg1674#msg1674 date=1173824274]
I'm no expert on this (who is on this BB?) but my gut is to say that it's not necessary. Case in point, the Naugatuck River. Once, and not the long ago, HIGHLY polluted, it has very caddis hatches now. From my own kick samples, I can tell you that there are lots of Isonychia, Hydropsyche, craneflies, stoneflies (which are a really good indicator of clean, well oxygenated water) as well as a smattering of other mayflies. The diversity of insects seems to get better every year. But like other rivers, there are good years and bad years due to other factors (drought, temp extremes, etc.). My guess is that the insects come from the various local feeders, and if there is a niche that needs to be filled, nature generally takes care of things in it's own time.

I don't know that it's practically feasible to import insects to jumpstart the biodiversity. If I'm wrong, I'd love to learn more.
[/quote]

Wow that's great - about the Naugatuck - I sampled the Naugatuck a bunch about 10 -15 years ago and found loads of black fly larva and a few caddis. This was in the Naugatuck area. Did you sample downstream of Naugatuck or up in Campville area?

[/quote]

It was in Campville, and some in Torrington, at the downstream end of the boulder project. I've always wondered what could be living in the river below Waterbury. The presence of any indicator insects at all would be remarkable.