FLINTVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — At Sulphur Fork Creek in Springfield, it’s common for people to go fishing.
Rainbow Trout is what’s on the menu, but before they order it must be prepared more than two hours away at the Flintville Fish Hatchery.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is releasing thousands of rainbow trout in 36 counties across the state and getting them ready takes about a year.
"We get them at the eyed eggs stage, and from there we’ll get them hatched from two to seven days,” said Steven Day, Flintville Hatchery Manager.
From there, they make themselves at home.
"At Flintville, we can get them to grow an inch or two a month, so they’ll be on site for about a year,” said Day.
Once they're big enough, they spend time in what's called a raceway, where they're taken care of and fed.
Now these rainbow trout are all grown up and it's time to leave home. This group is going to Sulphur Fork Creek.
"Trout are largely unaffected by cold water and they actually love cold water, so it gives fisherman a good opportunity to go out,” Barry Cross, with the TWRA.
It’s also an opportunity to fill their stomachs.
