Goose Pond

[BrettMichaud]

Hello, Fairfax! My name is Brett Michaud, and I am recentley new to the forum. I am an avid fisherman, and really appreciate all of the opportunities Fairfax has provided me for my hobby. One in particular being Goose Pond. I dont know too much about the history that surrounds this pretty little body of water, though I know that it has been my favorite place to get away from everything, and kick back and fish. So, anyways, I fished there all last year, almost religiously, with great success. I always kept the place as clean as possible, picking up my trash, line, hooks, etc. It was a long winter, and I was very patient to get out there as soon as possible. Around April first I began going back out there, and recently I have discovered that there is an uncanny amount of trash, beer bottles, and even dead fish, either beheaded, or improperly released from the hook. Also I have noticed that some of the newer fisherman to the pond have been showing up with empty five gallon pails. I really hope other anglers aren't going to Goose Pond expecting to keep or eat any of the fish. With a very small pond comes a very delicate eco-system. I am urging people to either keep an eye out for any culprits, and educate them, or just be respectful to the land. Thank you for your time. Brett

[edakrupp]

Is Goose Pond, the on Goose Pond Road, where the river comes near the road and people fish off the bank on the other side, across the street and river from a single level ranch house with the big front yard?

[BrettMichaud]

Yes it is. Very nice place, eh?

[Razzle Dazzle]

Brett--Sorry to hear your favorite fishing hole has become less enjoyable. 

Sometimes it takes "kid-gloves" education to get others to treat an area like it deserves to be. 
I would think that maybe cleaning up the area and setting the example while others are there might be helpful.   Maybe chatting with other fisherman or users of the area and bringing up points about how nice an area it is, especially when it's clean will help, and folks will pack in what they pack out.....or better yet....maybe they'll pack out just a little more than they packed in!

As for folks keeping what they catch---it's okay in my opinion.  I understand the fish may not be as healthy as they should be, and you and I might not keep them to eat,  but... Vermont allows a daily limit and if no laws are broken, fish can be kept for personal use/consumption.  In fact, if they're not "game fish", they can be sold!

Beheading fish and discarding them on the bank......NO NO NO.  It should never be done.  I'm not sure if Vermont has a "wanton waste" game law or not, but it shouldn't be done.  It just ain't right (in my opinion).

Late winter, I pulled off 104A at the pull off along the river and found where someone had dumped perch and crappie on the parking area.  Probably caught somewhere local, the fish sat in a bucket and didn't get cleaned so they were discarded.  Not what most of us want to find....but what can be done?
Unfortunelty, these things happen by the "few" and it sometimes hurts the reputation of all fisherman---almost rates fisherman as "second class citizens", not a rating I enjoy, being a fisherman myself.

Take the bull by the horns, do what's right, treat others properly, respect property, respect the land and the wildlife, and set the example.

(sorry for rambling)