And the state fish of Connecticut is...

Sunday food for thought, or fish for thought...Did you know that Connecticut has its own FISH? 

The American Shad has been a part of the Connecticut rivers and streams for centuries. In fact, Native Americans that attended the First Thanksgiving Feat may have taught the pilgrims a thing or two about how to catch this long, lean tasty fish (many rave about the flavorful roe).  

In 2003, The American Shad was  officially recognized  as the state fish by the General Assembly after State Representative Faith McMahon proposed a House Bill (5442). According to CT.Gov, McMahon had many facts outlining why she believed The American Shad should be Connecticut's symbol. In her testimony, McMahon stated, "It is important to recognize the importance of the shad both in Connecticut's history and its economy. The shad is as much a part of the history and traditions of Connecticut as the Connecticut River. . . .as a source of food and commerce for our state. As our state has changed from the time of the Native Americans and the early settlers to the colonial era, to Civil War era and the 20th Century, the shad has run in our rivers and through the Long Island Sound every spring, heralding the end of winter and the renewal and replenishing of the earth."

According a The Chesapeake Bay Field Office publication, Native Americans harvested shad during the annual spring spawning runs and taught colonists how to catch the fish so they could feed their families. And get this, it is said that dried shad may have saved George Washington’s troops from starvation as they camped along the Schuylkill River at Valley Forge.

HamletHub would like to thank local artist, Kim Hanna, for drawing the beautiful shad you see here. Kim currently lives and works in Redding, CT. Her art is in numerous private collections and she is a member of a distinguished group of professional artists at The Silvermine Guild of Artists in New Canaan, CT. She was also chosen as a 2004 Radius artist, an emerging artist program which is a collaboration of efforts with the Aldrich Contemporary Museum and The Ridgefield Guild of Artists located in Ridgefield CT. She currently serves as the Creative Director and is the Artist-in-Residence at the Ridgefield Guild of Artists.

To learn more about Kim Hanna, click here.

To learn more about The American Shad, click here.