You may or may not remember from my earlier posts that I want to integrate a home-use aquaculture pool to grow our own fish (vary the types of protein we eat and we also really like fish).

One can spend a LOT of money on this sort of activity but I want to be as frugal but as productive as we can be. I also want to choose fish species that are native to this area so that they do not need out-of-region living requirements (high temperatures, long days, salt water).

One Massachusetts native species that I find very attractive is the stream trout. It has special needs, like any fish type (doesnt want to go above 70F for one and needs well aerated, running water for another) but its delicious and tolerant or even loving of the Massachusetts environment.

We visited the McLaughlin Trout Hatchery up in Belchertown, MA, right next to the Quabbin Reservoir to see how the “big guys” raise these fish (for stocking the streams of this state).

Here is a bit of a photo essay on what they have set up, its VERY nice.

I learned that fish released from the hatcheries in MA (some 1.3 million from this hatchery alone) last only 2 WEEKS before being caught.

All that you see here (and a whole lot more not shown) is not paid by general taxes but by fishing licenses!