Fish a family affair

A visit to the Manor’s trout hatchery

 By Edward Lundquist | Manor Ink

Livingston Manor, NY – Fishing has been, is and probably always will be a staple of the Catskill Mountains. The Shaver family’s Beaverkill Trout Hatchery in Livingston Manor is a great demonstration of that staple. Family-owned since 1963, nestled between the hills in a gorgeous valley, and possibly the greatest testament to what the Catskills mean, this fish farm is a living, functioning piece of history.

Sherry Shaver, the manager of the hatchery, had that title passed down to her from her great grandfather, to grandfather and to father. She now works with nephews, cousins and siblings to run the hatchery, with some relatives driving the delivery trucks and some working at the headquarters alongside the fish.

Those who work on the site collect fish based on size, species and number, netting them and measuring them before returning them to the water or, when filling an order, putting them in big wooden crates floating on the surface. The workers measure fish size with a yardstick on the side of the crate, lining them up and sorting them with incredible speed. To assist them in fish gathering, there are three four-legged “good boys,” friendly dogs that herd the fish and provide moral support during the cold spring.

The fish farm was started by Fred Shaver, and has been passed down through five generations. Sherry began working there full-time in 1980, and now she and Fred’s descendants operate it and another farm in Pennsylvania that is used for smaller fish that need a warmer environment.

This hatchery raises five different types of fish. Brook, rainbow, brown, golden and tiger trout are all raised from fish eggs to adults for distribution. Over time, in a good year, 150,000 to 175,000 fish make their way down from the troughs inside the hatchery to the large ponds outside, then are distributed all around the region, from Wilmington, Del., to Lake Placid, from Pennsylvania to Connecticut.

The wide variety of fish they have at their hatchery is sure to rival most other fish farms. While brown trout, rainbow trout and brook trout are all well known to New York State fishermen, golden rainbow trout are shocking yellow fish, very uncommon in nature. Sherry explained the tiger trout as well.

“Tiger trout are like mules, in that they’re sterile; they have a brown trout mother and a brook trout father.” The stunning, tiger-print fish have 84 chromosomes, unlike the 80 for a brook trout.

Not only does the Shaver family supply countless people with multiple species of stock fish, they also have a catch pool and a roadside stand. The catch pool is filled with lots of big trout, which can be seen from the surface. This pool is used for people who want to fish, but don’t have a license, and for events, like the Youth Fishing contest, which has unfortunately been cancelled this year. They also have a roadside stand where you can buy fish, but if you want something specific, it can be pre-ordered during the week. Smoked trout will be available in May.

The hatchery’s business has been greatly affected by the Covid-19 outbreak, with fewer people ordering fish for stocking and more restaurants cancelling long-standing orders. There are also fewer visitors to the catch pond, and community events have been cancelled until further notice. Three quarters of the hatchery’s harvested fish go to private landowners, town parks and the state, while the remainder go to businesses and restaurants in Roscoe, Livingston Manor and other towns.

Hatcheries are a symbol of the Catskills, and the Beaverkill Trout Hatchery is such a pleasure to experience. Once the coronavirus pandemic has passed, I recommend you support them, whether through their stand, the fish pond or a stocking order.

GETTING THERE
Beaverkill Trout Hatchery, 8 Alder Rd, Livingston Manor
Open: Saturdays, Sundays, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. for fresh fish, fishing pond
Online: beaverkill-trout-hatchery.business.site
Email: troutlady61@gmail.com