Last weekend I fished with one of the families I see several times a summer. I noted that the son was now handling fish with confidence and care (I remember when he was afraid of the fish). I always hope that my anglers will notice and learn better fish handling techniques while fishing with me. I was delighted to see this young man land the fish, remove the hook and return the fish to the water and revive it before letting it swim off. A skill many adults do not have down I might add.
We are lucky to have two species of perch. The yellow variety loves shallow warm water and is a staple of my kid fishing trips. They respond well to a worm and a bobber, travel in pretty large schools and can be caught in numbers if you are in the right place. They are well known across a large part of the country and are a prized catch in some places. White perch are not as widely distributed around the country but are certainly on the east coast and sometimes live in brackish water.
In Maine state government fish and wildlife conservation is supported exclusively by hunting and fishing license fees. A recent effort to secure part of the sales tax to fund natural resources failed and there is no other tax money applied to this important work. So unless you purchase a hunting or fishing license you have not done anything!
