The Virginian-Pilot
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Anglers throughout the lower Chesapeake Bay have voiced concern for weeks about dead or dying speckled trout.
Suffering from frequent and substantial dips in water temperature caused by colder-than-normal air this winter, thousands of fish have been seen dead in the shallows or swimming lethargically just under the surface in Middle Peninsula creeks, and inside Lynnhaven and Rudee inlets.
To help save potential spawning fish from being taken, the Virginia Marine Resources Commission on Tuesday issued an emergency order closing recreational fishing for speckled trout, other than catch-and-release, effective Saturday.
The move comes several weeks after North Carolina fisheries managers closed their trout fishery for the same reason.
But unlike in North Carolina, Virginia’s closure – which came at the urging of the recreational angling community – does not include commercial interests, a decision that has angered many…
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