Closure of coal-fired plant spells end for trout hot spot

Apr 10 - McClatchy-Tribune Content Agency, LLC - Aaron Applegate The Virginian-Pilot

 

Strange as it may sound to people who don't fish, the river below the Interstate 64 High-Rise Bridge was for many years perhaps the best place in the country to catch a certain trophy saltwater fish.

In this industrialized stretch of the Elizabeth River -- among shipyards, chemical storage tanks, a junk yard and coal-fired power plant -- swam an unrivaled population of huge speckled trout.

Even stranger, the power plant was a major reason why the fish were there. Since 1953, a skinny hot-water-discharge canal from Dominion's Chesapeake Energy Center has pumped a steady stream of warm water into the river.

The warm water gushed through what anglers call The Hot Ditch and spread into the river near Deep Creek, creating a plume of habitat that during winter allowed trout to survive and flourish.

Come January, February and March, when not much was biting in the bay or the cold wind was blowing so hard few ventured out, anglers could always count on the specks drawn to the warmth of The Hot Ditch.

"It was probably the premier trout fishing location, honestly, in the U.S.," said David Hester, who used to lead guided trips in the river. "I was told by many people who fished all over the country that this was the best trout fishing they'd ever experienced, and it was."

But that time might be over. The hot water is no longer flowing. On Sept. 23, Dominion closed the power plant for good as part the company's plan to meet clean air standards.

Then came the harsh winter. It's too early to know exactly what will happen to the speckled trout. But the signs aren't promising. Thousands have died, and nobody knows how many, if any, are left.

In fishing circles, The Hot Ditch hasn't been much of secret for at least a decade. Word of the big trout -- and Internet pictures of smiling anglers hoisting them -- spread fast.

Guide services proliferated, and fishing boats around The Hot Ditch sometimes looked like they were close enough to tie up for a spring break party. Some locals swore off the area because of the crowds, but the fish kept biting.

In the past two years, more trophy speckled trout have been caught in Virginia than any other trophy fish, according to statistics from the Virginia Marine Resources Commission.

The fish's popularity is understandable. They offer everything a sport angler could want. They're beautiful -- black spots set against shimmering yellows, purples and greens. They're aggressive and fight hard, jumping from the water and shaking their heads fiercely to dislodge lures. And they're tasty, although many people choose not to eat fish from the Elizabeth River.

Last year, fishermen in Virginia caught nearly 1,500 trophy speckled trout -- greater than 5 pounds or 24 inches. The vast majority came from the Elizabeth River. Red drum and white marlin -- from the bay and ocean -- were next with about 925 each.

Many of the Elizabeth River trophy trout topped 7, 8, 9, even 10 pounds, a Marine Resources Commission database showed. In many other states, that's a once-in-a-lifetime fish. But here, it was common.

"This is where you get your big fish," said Lewis Gillingham, who directs the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament for the commission.

And that was outside the actual Hot Ditch. Dominion closed the canal to the public but let employees -- and researchers -- fish there.

Employee Vinny Argiro caught and released 35 trophy trout last year from the ditch, some more than 30 inches long. He said he'd bring out-of-state friends to fish, and they'd say, "This isn't fishing. This is catching."

When nature and man interact, nothing is simple. No one knows exactly how the loss of the power plant is going to affect the speckled trout.

No one knows what's going to happen next fall, when the fish would normally be returning to the river.

But some anglers say the speckled trout fishing will never be the same.

"I can tell you, to my knowledge, not a single speckled trout has been caught this spring," said John Brown, a retired Navy helicopter pilot who said he's fished the river almost every day for the past five years. "The fishery is gone for now. That's kind of a bold statement, but let me tell you, no one has caught any."

Gillingham at the Marine Resources Commission is reserving judgment to see how it all plays out.

"Any time man gets involved then stops, things will change," he said. "The impact -- we'll have to wait and see."

In addition to the power plant closure, the fishery took other big hits earlier this year.

The cold winter killed hundreds, maybe thousands of speckled trout. Large fish kills were common all over this winter, but the lack of warm water from the power plant may have exacerbated the kill in the Elizabeth River.

Former guide Hester knew there was a problem in February when out on the river one day, he saw big trout dead on the bottom. Others were swimming near the surface hoping to catch a ray of warmth from the sun. Fishermen in kayaks had tucked away their poles and were scooping trout up in nets, he said.

The same month, two men were caught poaching hundreds of fish -- including many speckled trout -- from the river. About 3,000 pounds of fish were killed, most over the legal limit.

In late March, many of the fish killed by the cold floated to the surface. The Chesapeake sheriff sent inmates out to clean them up -- 11,000 pounds of them, which at 4 pounds each would mean 2,750 dead fish. Most were speckled trout.

No one, of course, knows how many speckled trout were there to begin with or how many are left.

But no one seems to be catching any. Dominion employee Argiro was skunked the last time he fished the ditch in December.

Angler Brown, who hasn't caught one since, says he's going to keep trying.

"I'm disappointed, but I'm not going to quit," he said. "We're just hoping once the water warms up this fall, more will come back in, but who knows. I plan to keep looking and chasing. I mean, that's what a fisherman does -- hope."

Aaron Applegate, 757-222-5122, aaron.applegate@pilotonline.com

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