Camden Middle School Fish Stocking
On June 4, 2014 students from the Camden Middle School located in Camden, NY got the opportunity to help stock Atlantic salmon and brook trout in the Mad River, a tributary to the West Branch of Fish Creek. As part of TU's (Trout Unlimited) program of Trout in the Class Room, two hatching tanks were set up in the school. One was provided by the Mohawk Valley Chapter of TU and the other was provided by the Fish Creek Atlantic Salmon Club. The brook trout eggs were provided by TU and salmon eggs were provided by the Atlantic salmon club. The students were brought down to the stream in groups of 20 or so. One group of children got to see a fisherman catch a brown trout to the right in the photo above.
 Camden
Middle School
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 The Science Laboratory Paul
Miller to the right is packaging the fish
for transport to the stream. Ice is first placed in the
bottom of
the pail. Then some newspaper is placed on the ice.
A heavy
plastic bag is then placed into the pail and water is added.
After the fish has been put in the bag, the air is squeezed
out
of the bag. A tube is then placed in the bag and oxygen is
added,
inflating the bag. The bag is then sealed with a strong
rubber
band and the pail with the fish is ready for transport to the stream.
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 One
of the brook trout raised by the Camden Middle School. The
dark spots on the side of the brookie are parr marks and help to
camouflage the fish when it is in the stream. The brook trout
were larger than the Atlantic salmon because they were older.
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 Special boys The
club got a lot of help from the two boys on the right. They
carried the fish out of the school and helped with getting everything
ready for stocking the fish. The water in the pails had to be
termpered with the water from the stream so not to shock the fish when
they were placed in the stream. The boy on the left had an
injured leg but he got to stock fish as well.
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 Each student was given a plastic
cup with water. Mike Mercodie is
shown here putting fish into each child's cup.
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 Students were then asked to line
up on the bank of the stream before
placing their fish into the stream. About 120 children from
the school participated in the exercise.
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