Located about a quarter of a mile southeast of Lazear on the North Fork River, the Silver Springs Trout Farm is potentially one of the finest developments in the county, according to men who have been connected with the fish hatchery industry for many years.
The business was established by Royden Girling in 1947. Operator of the trout farm since last fall is Charles Corey, who with his brother, Bob, built the Silver Springs Trout No. 1 Hatchery in Montrose, Colorado, in 1949.
Silver springs trout thrive on a special ground liver fish food formula, developed by the Corey brothers. The food is fed in pellet form, some of which floats on top of the water and others that sink to various levels.
The farm supplies fish to state hatcheries, resorts, restaurants and markets in wholesale quantities and in addition maintain a fee-fishing lake for the benefit of the public. The lake covers four acres and in February contained 70,000 trout. Included were four-year-olds that weighed eight pounds.
Next to the lake, there are two retainers for fingerlings.
Located close to the retainers is a hatchery where there were 200,000 fry last February. Water is supplied by a spring that winds a course from Grand Mesa to the trout farm and is piped into the hatchery house.
Preparing for the next year’s fishing demand; the hatchery is putting in 150,000 more fish this month. All year around, the water temperature never varies from 58 degrees-considered and ideal. In cold weather an aurora of steam rises from the hatchery house.
The word ‘fish’ can be used singularly or plurally—-where Corey says it, it’s plural. He casually talks about the 1,200,000 fish handled last year by the Montrose and Lazear places. Supplying a ton of fish a week for six consecutive weeks to a Colorado Springs resort is all part of his job.
Transporting live fish requires special equipment and the trout farm truck has oxygen tanks on the side to insure safe deliveries.
Corey’s enthusiasm for raising fish dates back to his boyhood days-he raised his first finny friends in barrels in his backyard.
He knows how a boy feels when he catches a ‘whopper’ so he donated the ‘big ones’ (Four pounds and over) to the Hotchkiss fishing pond and the Delta swimming pool for the annual Huck Finn Day celebrations.
As far as the trout in the Grand Mesa lakes are concerned, Corey says there are some monster fish there that no on will ever catch-they will probably die of old age. He says he won’t hazard a guess as to how big a trout will grow but remembers when he was about 10 years old he found the carcass of a fish that measured longer than he himself was tall. He estimated that it must have weighed 25 pounds or more.
Corey’s job keeps him busy during the day and at odd hours of the night. Last spring’s flood caused him concern when the state fish hatchery lost fish, but the Silver Springs Trout Farm suffered no damages.
In general, men’s hobbies have little relation to the manner in which they make their livelihoods—Corey’s hobby is fishing, and he also likes to hunt. He is an expert rifleman and is fond of horses too—he owns four quarter horses.
Corey and his wife live beside the lake, within walking distance of the hatchery house. Spring water is piped into their house and is used for watering a newly-seeded lawn. The Corey’s are planning to ‘pretty up’ the scene with flowers and shade trees.
Corey is one of the few lucky men who can make a good living by pursuing his favorite hobby.
Delta County Independent
May 1958
Linda
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