About Shad in Windsor, Connecticut
Once they were called the "Poor Man's Salmon", but by any name, Shad have returned to Windsor every year to lay their eggs and start a new generation. Shad are anadromous, don't worry, it just means they come from fresh water and migrate to salt water. They lay their eggs along the river. These eggs called Shad Roe are very tasty to some, but very tricky to find. Everything about Shad fishing is just a little tricky.
Even though Shad saved George Washington's men from starving during the winter of 1777 one cannot say that the Shad were volunteers. The Shad are a tricky lot, to catch and to cook! The Shad would not come back in such great numbers if they were all caught in a year! Today there are many folks who want to try to catch the biggest fish for sport as well as dinner! So to even things up a bit there are limits set on how many Shad one can catch and when to release a tad to small Shad. Yes there are laws protecting the Shad. The Shad are so clever they even have pull in the Government!
The Shad are probably the longest surviving line of Windsor Residents. They were probably here before man first settled here. Shad Derby is all about respecting the bounties of nature, our beautiful waterways, and how we all interact with our planet. Fishing has always been an important part of our history, and has deepened our understanding of the great mysteries. It is only fitting that we continue to preserve this tradition, and do our part to conserve and protect the lands under our guardianship.
So as they say just before the first light of dawn, "Let's go fishing, there's plenty of time to sleep later!"
Even though Shad saved George Washington's men from starving during the winter of 1777 one cannot say that the Shad were volunteers. The Shad are a tricky lot, to catch and to cook! The Shad would not come back in such great numbers if they were all caught in a year! Today there are many folks who want to try to catch the biggest fish for sport as well as dinner! So to even things up a bit there are limits set on how many Shad one can catch and when to release a tad to small Shad. Yes there are laws protecting the Shad. The Shad are so clever they even have pull in the Government!
The Shad are probably the longest surviving line of Windsor Residents. They were probably here before man first settled here. Shad Derby is all about respecting the bounties of nature, our beautiful waterways, and how we all interact with our planet. Fishing has always been an important part of our history, and has deepened our understanding of the great mysteries. It is only fitting that we continue to preserve this tradition, and do our part to conserve and protect the lands under our guardianship.
So as they say just before the first light of dawn, "Let's go fishing, there's plenty of time to sleep later!"