STAMFORD -- It paid to procrastinate in buying my fishing license. The savings: $10 for a three-day, non-resident license.
Within Stamford, there are only two ways to purchase a license -- online or at Pete's Place on Jefferson Street.
When I stopped at the bait and tackle store late Thursday morning, owner Pete Miller said he learned some fishing license fees had dropped when he arrived earlier that day.
In October, when the state budget went into effect, fees for outdoor recreation doubled -- the resident inland fishing license went from $20 to $40, for example. On Wednesday evening, the state Senate passed a deficit mitigation package rolling back some of the increase, which Gov. M. Jodi Rell signed. As of Thursday morning, the same permit cost $28.
"I look at this whole thing and call it a regressive tax," Miller said, pointing out that a $40 fee is much tougher for a day laborer than for someone earning millions. But fishermen had no choice but to pay the higher rates, he said. "We're all hooked, we're going to pay for it," Miller said.
As I waited, he sold a saltwater fishing license and received a photo of a 10-pound brown trout from another customer buying lures.
"It's an inspiration for the rest of us," he said of the photo, which would join others on the shop's walls.
Mitch Passero, who publishes the Web site ctfisherman.com, said fishermen were ecstatic at the news.
"With this economy, and the way things are, they are surprised that this happened," he said. Passero called the fee reductions a "win-win" for both the angler and the state, since the more reasonable fees will result in more licenses and more revenue over the long term.
Unfortunately, anyone who already paid $40 for the permit is out the added $12. The budget mitigation package does not include a provision for refunds. And to compensate for the reductions, motor vehicle fines increase, with a ticket for failing to wear a seat belt going up from $15 to $50, for instance. So, drive carefully.
On Saturday, after sunrise, I will attempt to catch my first fish on the Mianus River as the trout season opens.
Jeff Yates, secretary of the Mianus River chapter of Trout Unlimited and a fly fishing guide, has generously offered to introduce me to the sport. His offer, however, came with a caution about opening day.
"There's going to be people who are standing at the pool they want to fish at 4 a.m., and they can't fish till sunrise," he said.
He cited a 1999 angler survey conducted by the state Department of Environmental Protection, which found fishermen catch 58 percent of the season's fish during opening day and the following two weeks.
"To fishermen, this is the start of spring," he said.
While I anticipated slippery rocks and cold water, crowds with flying hooks weren't a concern that had crossed my mind before this conversation.
My chances of catching a fish on Saturday morning?
I hike and consider myself "outdoorsy," which seemed to encourage Yates. However, I am not a particularly athletic person, which is not so good.
#1202735 - 04/17/1007:23 AM
Re: CT Fishing Lic. have been reduced!!!
[Re: pogy]
BRShuntfish
Member
Registered: 06/01/02
Posts: 970
Originally Posted By: pogy
Having paid an extra $18 for my fresh water and marine license because I went ice fishing once in January, I'm not pleased. I'm happy for the folks who held out 'til the last minute and got the new rate but that's what all of us should be paying. Since the licensing system is now all computerized, it should not be an overwhelming task for the State to give a credit to the folks that bought licenses at the higher rate toward their 2011 license. Everyone has a "discreet" identity on the system. It shouldn't be a problem.
I agree, one damn icefishing trip and I didn't even catch a keeper. I should have taken a chance and not got my licenses. Honesty looses again, at least my conscience is clear. We should get a credit for next year. Thanks for all of the efforts put into getting the fees lowered though, at least we'll save some $ for next year.
I still feel a little sold out here. There really are two problems with the fishing license fees. The saltwater license and the doubling of freshwater licenses. Its really just too funny that all the same people who supported the saltwater license, who are not really even saltwater fishermen, were all very active to reduce freshwater fees which actually effects them.
Please use this momentum you have found to get rid of the saltwater license. Its the same concept, people wont go out, even for 10 and whatever it is eventually raised to. Anyone notice the federal registry turned out to be free?? And that many states near CT are not charging. ie RI, NJ. OMG.. Had this website been like the one in NJ or RI, not having mixes of freshwater and saltwater anglers, I feel this 2nd problem would have never happened.
For the folks who are complaining about paying the higher earlier fee's, one important thing to keep in mind:
Many of us held out on buying a license because we knew that money talked the loudest. MAKE NO MISTAKE, IF WE ALL HAD PURCHASED LICENSES, THEY WOULD NOT HAVE ROLLED BACK THE FEE'S NO MATTER HOW LOUD WE WOULD HAVE COMPLAINED!
They knew that sales were way down and if they didnt lower the price by Opening Day they would have lost a TON of revinue for the rest of the year.
I would have liked to do some ice fishing earlier in the year and some freshwater fishing too but for many of us it would have been worth the price of missing a whole season to send the message.
There are some things more important than hunting and fishing.
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