Stop Ruining Lake Mohegan!

As my name says, I am a fisherman and I regularly fish at Lake Mohegan.  I grew up fishing that lake with my father and I have become severely disappointed in what is going on there lately.

The Conservation Department does a wonderful job of keeping the place clean.  They have provided trash and recycling cans which are emptied regularly.  They clean up the trails and remove fallen trees.  They mow the clearings and really make the park look great.  They have also posted the rules at all trail heads.  Rules that remain unenforced.

Unfortunately, too many people don't follow the rules.  Most of my complaints are with people walking their dogs.  They allow their dogs to wander the parking lots unleashed and too many of these people have no control over their dogs.  They allow their dogs to wander freely along the trails.  Many times, I'll have dogs run right past me into the water where I'm fishing only to have the owners show up minutes later looking for their dog.  Most of the time I don't even get an apology.  That's absolutely inconsiderate of these people.

A few weeks ago, I was fishing a spot where there was no one else (I would NEVER encroach on an area someone else is using) when a dog owner flat out told me that this area was for dogs and proceeded to run his dog through the water until I left.  He left about 2 minutes later.  He did it just to harass me and told me that I wasn't going to catch many fish because he intended to run his dog through the water.

I had a woman ask me if I had a fishing license because I had the audacity to try to shoo her dog out of a spot I was fishing.  When I asked her how it was any of her business, she stammered and said "Because you yelled at my dog."  I do have my fishing license but it really is none of her business.

I see people in the woods with four or five dogs (a violation of the rules) and they clearly cannot control all of them.  If you need to call your dog a dozen (or more) times, you are NOT in control of your dog.  I saw one dog chase a child down until the child tripped.  The owners called for their dog to stop but he didn't.  Another time, I saw one dog bully another dog and the owner of the bullying dog didn't do anything.  The other dog's owner had to step in between his dog and the vicious dog.  I have been aggressively approached by far too many dogs.

Not only that, but these people litter up a beautiful lake.  It's not just dog people but they're a main source of it.  I often see people leave their dog's feces in the trail.  Some people pick it up in the bags the town provides and leave it in the middle of the trail.  They throw tennis balls all over the place and if the dog doesn't retrieve them, they just leave them to float around the lake and eventually sink.  I find myself cleaning up after these people and some inconsiderate fishermen too.

There are other issues too.  People are swimming in the back of the lake wherever they want.  The lifeguards on the beach do a great job telling people to leave the water outside the swimming area but now they're hiding in corners of the lake where the lifeguards can't see.

People need to follow the rules at Lake Mohegan and if they aren't, we're going to need a law official to start enforcing the rules.  I'm not asking for anything special.  I just want people to follow the rules and be more considerate of others.  I go up there to relax and catch some fish, not to pick up other people's litter or fight with inconsiderate dog owners.