Music to My Ears! Little River Music Series - Wednesday Evenings

Colin McCaffrey

There seems to always be something fun to do and see at Little River State Park in August. Park Interpreter, Brian Aust, has been working hard to line up nature programs, special guests, performances, and other fun happenings during this summer month. Check out all the upcoming events by clicking here.

Dave Keller

Each Wednesday night in August at 7:00PM at the B-side playground, you'll hear great music. See the schedule below:
August 3 - Dave Keller
August 10 - Colin McCaffrey
August 17 - The Cold Country Bluegrass Band

The Cold Country Bluegrass Band

More are in the works, so stay tuned. Call the park for more details, 802-244-7103.

Intern Ellie Goes Lakeside - to the Champlain Parks

Wading off of
Burton Island

This week I explored the state parks on Lake Champlain which was great for cooling down in the hot summer heat. There was a big difference between these parks and the woodland parks I've been visiting over the past few weeks.

Kingsland Bay has a great day use area with historic buildings that house events throughout the season. It is popular for weddings although I didn't see anyone getting hitched while I was there.

I next went to nearby DAR State Park where I walked down to the water, a perfect spot for fishing. While there, I bumped into an interesting fisherman. This guy was great at fishing. He kept reeling fish in, naming them, and then throwing them back. I bet he knows every fish in the lake.

Onto the most unusual state park I went to: Burton Island. After a short ferry ride, I stepped off onto a beautiful island. Everywhere you look is a beach where every rock on the beach is a perfect skipping rock. I can’t seem to skip a single one while the toddlers are skipping several in a row. I brought a few friends there for a night at the Sumac Lean-to which is right next to the water so you never have to be too far away from the food or fire when you want to swim. We had a blast having our own personal lakeside property for a night of experiencing something new.

On the way to the Falls of Lana

At this point in my internship, I get to return to some of the parks where I first started. I revisited a few parks and found something new at each one. At the Falls of Lana, in Branbury State Park, I came upon beautiful pools and climbed huge boulders to overlook the campsite where I stayed on my first visit.

A friendly toad in Stillwater State Park

In my latest visit to Stillwater State Park, I got to see a black bear. I didn’t get to take a picture of the bear but this lovely toad posed for me on some mushrooms.

I'm happy to be visiting parks that have lots of cool water in this heat and I look forward to more experiences in the weeks to come. Stay tuned!

-Ellie

Lunkers Lurk at Silver Lake State Park!

A northern pike

Concessions Manager, DJ Collise, couldn't think of many things he'd rather be doing than fishing on Silver Lake. He took some time to give us the inside scoop on this sport and a little more about the man behind the fish.

First, where are you from and when did you first pick up a rod? I was actually born in Cuba. Both my parents were in the navy, but I was raised in Claremont, New Hampshire. My Dad taught me to fish when I was about eight years old and I've been fishing ever since. I used to do fly fishing, but I really like catching bigger fish, so now I do spinner fishing.

How long have you been fishing on Silver Lake? Hmmmm, about 5 years.

What types of fish are in these photos? The long ones are northern pike the shorter ones are large-mouth bass. Silver Lake also has many catfish and perch.


They are huge! Is this a fluke or do you normally see these large fish in Silver Lake? Well, I do lots of tournaments, all over the state, so I do a lot of fishing and I have to say, Silver Lake is one of the most difficult lakes I've ever fished, but the most rewarding. On  average, most of the fish are pretty big. Some species smaller species are found can also be found in the lake, like perch, but of the larger species, they are pretty huge. Last year, I caught a very large catfish and close to a state record rock bass. Rock bass are an invasive species; It eats the eggs of other fish.   

Where else do you like to fish?
Lake Champlain, Lake Ossipee (NH), Lake Fairlee, and Lake Morey, and on the Connecticut River.

What is the best fishing you've ever done? On Silver Lake, I had the best fishing day a while back, catching eight fish that all were around four pounds each. The largest bass I've ever caught was around 6.5 lbs. and the largest northern pike I've landed was 42 inches in length and around sixteen pounds! Usually I fish by myself, which can make landing a pike pretty difficult. It's the fastest fish and pretty big. They put up a good fight, especially that sixteen pounder.

  

Good lures for northern pike

large mouth bass

Finally, what's your secret - is it the bait or how you reel your line in or what? I use artificial lures and I think that good fishing is knowledge based. I know what the fish in Silver Lake like to eat and use the lures which mimick those bugs. For example, crawdads or crayfish and silver shiners are commonly eaten by the fish, so I have lures that look like these. It also depends on the season as to what bugs are on the water and what the fish will go after. As for the lake itself, there are better places than others to check out. Silver lake is fairly shallow, with the deepest part being only 32 feet. You need to go farther off shore where the fish like to hide in the deeper water. They hide in the weeds sometimes 50-60' off shore.

Do you eat the fish? I release everything I catch. Pike and bass are usually more of a sport fish, but you could eat the catfish and the perch I would think.


A successful catch!

Do you show others your secrets? I really enjoy sharing my passion for fishing on Silver Lake with others. I've been known to take out some campers and show them where the good spots are to fish. I'm out there everyday so find me and just ask what you like. I'm also hoping to get together a fishing program, but check back with me later on this.

Thanks DJ and happy fishing on Silver Lake!

For more information visit Silver Lake's webpage or call the park at 802-234-9451.







Intern Ellie Continues Her Journey - This Time in Allis and the Groton State Parks!

At Allis State Park I met an employee Frank, who restores structures at the state parks by replacing damaged places, such as rotting wood, while keeping the original structure as authentic as possible, resembling how it would have looked up to 80 years ago! Many structures in the state parks were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the late 1930s.

Allis State Park has a large historic pavilion with a magnificent fireplace Frank was working to restore. He explained various techniques and styles of the CCC construction. I’m not using the right vocabulary, but some are notched together by the logs themselves while others are pushed together to make it look like the logs were notched together when in fact they are actually stabilized using large nails. You can see these different styles in the historic lean-tos and shelters that are in state parks like Gifford Woods and Coolidge.

A cool CCC structure can be found on the top of Owl’s Head Mountain near Stillwater and Big Deer State Parks. Owl’s Head is (so far) my favorite place in Vermont. The trail to the lookout is about a five minute walk and I could spend all day at the scenic outlook at the end of the trail.

Other things I love about Groton State Parks: Boulder Beach State Park! With a sandy beach and great swimming (warm water too!), this state park even has snacks like hotdogs for when you get hungry from lounging or playing all day.

Speaking of food, if you decide to go in search of CCC structures, be sure to keep an eye out for wild blueberries, which are starting to come in season. They make hiking twice as fun.

-Ellie

"Loon"atic Weekend at Maidstone State Park and others!

A loon with a snack

Maidstone State Park is hosting a loon packed weekend. Activites begin with an interpretive walk on Friday (starting at the B-loop bathhouse at 8:00 PM) and slide show. The next morning, get ready to head out on the lake, via canoe or kayak (both available for rent), and observe these unique creatures in their natural habitat. Other activities include: a sand castle contest, a sack race, a movie at dusk, fishing and hiking opportunities, and more! Programs are free with paid park entry, but if you want to camp, make your reservations by calling the park directly, 802-676-3930.

A pair of loons on Spectacle Pond
in Brighton State Park

In addition, you can help contribute to the Annual Statewide Loon Count. On Saturday, July 16th visit some beatiful ponds and record your findings for the Vermont Center for Ecostudies. "Many of the unassigned lakes are small and will likely not have loons, but it is still important to check them occasionally. However, there are are also some high priority lakes in need of volunteers including: Harveys, Jobs, Marshfield, May, Moore Res. (need a motorboat), Nelson, Newark, Pigeon (4-mile hike/bike), Pensioner, Spring, and Woodward." A full list of ponds in need of monitoring and more information can be found at the Vermont Center for Ecostudies' blog or contact Eric Hanson, the Vermont Loon Recovery Program Coordinate, at 802-586-8064.