DOWN BY THE NATCHAUG RIVER ; EASTERN CONNECTICUT REFUGE EXEMPLIFIES WHY STATE FORESTS ARE BECOMING MORE PRECIOUS BY THE YEAR STATEWIDE Edition

Not to slight the trees, but what is irresistible about Natchaug State Forest in eastern Connecticut is the Natchaug River, which flows along its western border. Natchaug means "land between the rivers" and refers to the former hunting grounds of the Wabbaquassets, near Bigelow Brook and t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe Hartford courant
Main Authors Grant, Steve, Steve Grant can be reached by e-mail at grant@courant.com
Format Newspaper Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Hartford, Conn Tribune Publishing Company, LLC 07.08.2003
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Summary:Not to slight the trees, but what is irresistible about Natchaug State Forest in eastern Connecticut is the Natchaug River, which flows along its western border. Natchaug means "land between the rivers" and refers to the former hunting grounds of the Wabbaquassets, near Bigelow Brook and the Still River, which join to form the Natchaug River, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection. The typical trout from the Natchaug is likely to be the standard issue 9- to 12-inch trout produced in great numbers at the hatcheries, but "be prepared for that tackle buster that is likely to be a large rainbow trout," said Bill Hyatt, director of the Department of Environmental Protection's inland fisheries division. In all, the Natchaug gets 16,000 trout a year. COVER COVER -- A bucket holds a crayfish captured by Nicholas Mayo, 15, of Danielson, in the Natchaug River in Natchaug State Forest. THE NATCHAUG RIVER, its gentle waters and sandy bottom sheltered by hemlocks, winds through the western side of Natchaug State Forest. BEN GAMACHE, 9, of Canterbury fishes from the bank while his grandfather, Maurice Gamache of Lebanon, wades into the river to try his luck. Gamache and his wife, Anita, often brought their children to the same spot in the forest where they now bring their grandchildren. CHRISTOPHER MAYO, 10, left, and his brother Nicholas, 15, of Danielson, splash around in their tubes in the Natchaug River. THE CHIMNEY is all that rem ains of the home where Gen. [Nathaniel Lyon] was born. Surrounded by a picnic area in Natchaug State Forest, the site stands as a memorial to the first Union general killed in the Civil War.
ISSN:1047-4153