Visitors dwindle while <b>fishing</b> spot recovers at Plant City&#39;s Edward Medard Park

PLANT CITY

Once one of Hillsborough's most popular regional parks, this refuge of bumpy slopes and open water is much quieter than it used to be. • After a major makeover that drained the reservoir, Edward Medard Park has a fresh look: New boardwalk, new boat ramp, new fish. But according to a county parks official, the number of park visitors has dropped off significantly while the once-hot fishing spot recovers. • "A lot of good things happened during this downtime," said general manager Jeff Mausch. "It's just that people are not able to do what they used to do there yet." • The droves of anglers have dwindled from a dozen a day, Mausch said, down to one or two boats daily — maybe three on a weekend morning. He attributes it to the limitations on fishing, open only to catch-and-release for the rest of the year while the newly stocked young fish grow up.

The lag on fishing has also cut into the number of campers staying at the park, Mausch said.

A beloved community gem and reclaimed phosphate mine, Medard Park boasts a range of recreational activities: picnic benches, hiking trails, tree-covered hills, a two-story outlook and a new disc golf course. That includes about $500,000 in improvements coinciding with the reservoir's drawdown, Mausch said.

The park area is managed through a three-way partnership between the county, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Southwest Florida Water Management District (commonly known as Swiftmud).

Its 700-acre reservoir closed in 2009, when Swiftmud lowered water levels for construction work to strengthen the dam and ease embankment erosion. The dam provides some flood control for the adjacent Alafia River. At a final cost of $1.9 million, the project came in under its $2.8 million budget, water district officials said.

Without water, the ecosystem changed. Weeds grew. Alligators left. Raccoons and animals explored the lowered reservoir and raided bird nests.

But after the renovations, the water replenished naturally through rainfall. The weeds still poke out of the reservoir's bottom, but a wildlife commission official says higher water levels should choke them out.

The wildlife commission restocked the reservoir with more than a million fish, spending about $250,000, according to freshwater fisheries administrator Bill Pouder. It added fingerlings, or baby fish, from several species: bluegill, channel catfish, redear sunfish, largemouth bass and black crappie. The commission also jump-started the bass population with several thousand adult fish.

Exotic species, such as blue tilapia and sailfin catfish, remain in the reservoir.

During a series of public meetings in late 2011, anglers clamored to reopen the reservoir to recreational fishing. Officials limited it to catch-and-release to protect the growing stock.

"Most fishermen catch them for the fun of catching," Pouder said.

The catch-and-release term expires at the end of the year. Before the reservoir resumes catch-and-keep, officials expect to hold public meetings this fall to decide regulations on the number and size of fish that anglers will be allowed to keep.

"It's going to really depend on what (the anglers) want out of the fishery," Pouder said. "Do they want a trophy bass fishery or rather just have a fishery where they can keep x number of fish?"

It also depends on how the fingerling fish fare in the reservoir, he said. The wildlife commission will take samples through electrofishing: A boat generator sends just enough electricity into the water to stun the fish, sending them to the surface. Officials can scoop up the fish to measure lengths and weights before throwing them back.

That helps them understand the growth and abundance of the fish population. To add to that information, officials will survey fishermen in the spring.

Still, it could take years before fishing at Medard Reservoir returns to its former bustling state.

"There's a contingency of folks that have fished this thing forever," Pouder said. "Those are the people that are dedicated to Medard, and they'll be back, I'm sure."

Park managers have discussed the possibility of opening earlier on weekends once the crowds perk up.

Recreational fisherman Mike Baccamazzi hasn't been back to fish at the reservoir as often as he once did. He lives nearby but now only goes once or twice a month, he said.

"It's definitely progressing," said Baccamazzi, who participates in a focus group of Medard anglers. He recognized the need for the fish to build back slowly.

When fishing opens up to catch-and-keep, he says he'll likely resume frequent outings to Medard.

"It's one of the best parks in the state," Baccamazzi said. "It's got everything going for it. It's got it all out there."

Stephanie Wang can be reached at swang@tampabay.com.

South Shore&

.if you go

Edward Medard Park and Reservoir is located at 5726 Panther Loop in Plant City, off Turkey Creek Road. In the summer, it's open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. The entrance fee costs $2, and a boat ramp fee costs $5. Camp sites, canoes and kayaks, and picnic shelters are available for rent. For more information, go to

hillsboroughcounty.org or call (813) 757-3802.

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Vermont&#39;s <b>fishing</b> lore hooks visitors

If the Baseball Hall of Fame belongs in Cooperstown, N.Y., and the Horse Racing Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., then perhaps it is justice that brings the American Museum of Fly Fishing to Manchester, Vt.

The Orvis Co. originated in Manchester in 1856, and it is recognized as having been instrumental in promoting fly fishing in the United States and making it a widely popular recreational activity, as well as contributing greatly to the study and refinement of the pastime.

The museum was founded in 1968 with the mission to "promote an understanding of and appreciation for the history, traditions and practitioners of the sport of fly fishing."

Having compiled a collection of artifacts numbering in the tens of thousands dating back five centuries, and the world's largest collection of publications on fishing topics, the museum is the only one specializing in fishing that has been accredited by the American Association of Museums.

Now in its third location in Manchester, the museum is housed in a renovated early 19th-century farmhouse. Adjacent to Orvis's flagship store and fly-fishing school, it is a worthwhile voyage for seasoned anglers and beginners alike. It takes no more than half a day to cover the museum thoroughly, so a visit fits nicely within a variety of Manchester-area itineraries.

The coming of fishing season every spring may be heralded as a grand tradition in male bonding, but the sport has seen enormous contributions from women as well. The current exhibit, A Graceful Rise: Women in Fly Fishing Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, pays tribute to the key roles women have played. The exhibit runs through the end of 2012.

Women's importance in the sport rises to the level of legendary in the person of Dame Juliana Berners, a nun believed by some to be the author of the 15th-century publication The Treatyse of Fysshynge with an Angle, the earliest-known printed fishing guide. Berners's existence remains unconfirmed, and is doubted by most scholars. Yet the myth of a fly-fishing nun spreading the word about angling will forever be part of the sport's lore.

More locally and recently, Mary Orvis Marbury gained acclaim by managing the fly-tying operations for her family's company in the late 1800s. Cornelia (Fly Rod) Crosby from Phillips, Maine, began fishing her local waters as a young girl in the 1800s, and become expert enough to earn herself a syndicated column, Fly Rod's Notebook.

Joan Salvato Wulff is an alltime leader in fishing competitions, who once defeated an all-male field in a National Fisherman's Distance Casting event. She won titles for both deep sea and freshwater fishing in the 1960s and 1970s.

The patterning of fishing flies is in itself a craft that has historically been practised by women, and some have gained great renown for their talent. Winifred Ferdon (Winnie) Dette, from Roscoe, N.Y., in the Catskills became one of the most famous flytiers in the United States.

On the British side of the Atlantic, Megan Boyd became so exalted for her mastery that the American Fly Fisher magazine referred to her fly patterns as "the Tiffanies of the 20th century." The handicraft of both Dette and Boyd is showcased, along with that of several other accomplished female flypattern creators.

Sculptures and paintings inspired by fly fishing are also included. Sculptor Debbie Elmer is the creator of Unsung Pioneers: Discovering the Early Women of Fly Fishing, a project honouring prominent women in flyfishing history. A painted plaster sculpture of Winnie Dette from that collection is featured in the exhibit. Several works by Diane Michelin, a Canadian watercolour artist specializing in fly fishing themes, are on display.

Some major female celebrities have been accomplished anglers. A blow-up of a March 1942 Life magazine cover features Hollywood star Ginger Rogers, clad in jeans and fishing gear. The photo was taken at Rogers's Oregon ranch along the Rogue River, where she spent much of her time fishing after her acting days. Television and film actress Heather Thomas can be found casting off a fishing boat in Jackson Hole in one of the exhibit's photos.

The Garner L. Grant Library within the museum contains more than 7,000 volumes. Among the highlights is the angling collection of Esquire magazine co-founder Arthur Gingrich. The library is open to members and to re searchers. A complete collec tion of the museum's quar terly publication, American Fly Fisher, dating back to 1974, is available for review by the general public, and copies of all issues are for sale at the museum gift shop.

The Orvis flagship store next door features fishing and other outdoor gear, as well as a vast array of other gear, including clothing, stuffed animals, pet products and gift items.

The fly-fishing school offers novices two-part lessons that start on the indoor-outdoor trout pond at the store and conclude on a boat on Equinox Pond several kilometres away. More advanced instruction is also available.

Those looking for alternate outdoor activities will find plenty to do in and around Manchester year-round. The town is a gateway for Bromley and Stratton ski areas as well as Vermont's mountain walkway, the Long Trail.

It's also no stranger to bargain shoppers; factory outlets range from The Gap to Polo Ralph Lauren, and include Crabtree & Evelyn and Yankee Candle. There also are many independent stores worth checking out, including Northshire Bookstore, Magic Sleigh Christmas shop and Mother Myrick's Confectionary.

The American Museum of Fly Fishing, 4101 Main St., Manchester, Vt. 802-362-3300; amff.com. Open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, closed major holidays. Museum admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children ages 5 to 14, or $10 for a family.

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