Hoot was hooked at the age of 18
Hugh ‘Hoot' Smith was honoured and humbled by fellow conservationalists Thursday night
Hugh Smith, known affectionately to most as simply Hoot, has been fishing the waters of Carleton County since he was old enough to hold a fishing pole.
Born in Hartland in October of 1934, Hoot said his father wasted no time in teaching him to fish, and he landed his first salmon at age 12. From that point on, he was hooked on the sport of fishing. Salmon and trout are his main interests, mostly because at the age of 18 he started to notice a change in the rivers.
At 18, most people aren't worried about the problems of the eco system and it's river ways, but Hoot was. This is why the Miramichi Salmon Association (MSA) honoured Hugh (Hoot) Smith for 50 Years of Conservation at their annual Silent Auction and Dinner on Thursday, May 15, at the Covered Bridge Golf and Country Club in Hartland.
Though it may seem that conversationalists, like Hoot, are only preserving their sport, it's much deeper than that. You see, they're environmentalists really – just with a specialty.
Salmon conversationalists know about salmon and their behaviors and tendencies, therefore, those people are the best ones to provide solutions for preserving them. If a mother didn't care about her family, she would never make supper for them, wash their laundry or teach her children to look both ways before crossing the street – the same principles are applied here. Without people like Hoot taking the measures they did 50 years ago, there wouldn't be much of a river remaining today.
Hoot helped form many councils and boards over the years including the Fishing and Game Association (now the NB Wildlife Federation), the Central Branch of the Saint John River Salmon Association, and the Miramichi Headwaters Salmon Federation (MHSF). He's also a member of the Atlantic Salmon Federation.
The MHSF's original board members are responsible for the salmon barrier in Juniper. This barrier protects salmon from poaching and allows them a little safe haven to grow.
"It was all to better the habitat of those fish," Hoot said.
"If it weren't for people lobbying the government for change, they'd still be netting on the high seas and our population would be no more."
He said, when he started guiding fishermen and hunters in 1959, those sports were able to tag four salmon a day.
Hoot expressed a gratitude for the changes made, as not everybody practices hook and release.
Hoot has always encouraged his sports to practice hook and release when guiding and adds that, "Most of them do it voluntarily. And have long before it was law legislated."
In 1986 Smith was asked to sit on the Fish and Wildlife Advisory Board to the Minister of Natural Resources. That was eventually changed to the New Brunswick Wildlife Council. The maximum time that a person can serve on this board is three years, and Hoot did just that.
Currently, the gallery atop the Dr. Walter Chestnut Library in Hartland houses a wonderful display on salmon fishing in the area built by Hoot and his friend Ernest Clarke. It's definitely an exhibit worth seeing, as there is a lot of information included.
Given the recent flood conditions, Hoot spoke about the impact that such flooding might have on the salmon population. According to Hoot, it has both pros and cons.
On one side, swift currents cause river bed erosion, but, on the plus side, sometimes high waters and swift currents will dig out new pools for the salmon to lay in. So even though flooding is an inconvenience to those outside the water, it doesn't really bother the salmon and trout.
When asked what he thought about the MSA honouring him, he said, "It's just overwhelming and I don't deserve it."
Some beg to differ.
"Hoot deserves it," said Rick Cougle in Bristol.
When asked, where is your favourite place in the world? Hoot grinned and said, "New Brunswick is the prettiest place in the world and I don't care what you say. What more could you want?"
To future conversationalist, Hoot had this message: "Younger generations have got to support these organizations and continue on with the efforts they're making toward conservation. If it weren't for the conversationalists, there would be a very different picture in the river ways of this province.
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