In his element
For an avid outdoorsman like Scott Poore, running the state’s only fish hatchery dedicated to producing trout is the perfect job.
Photo by Milton Morris
Scott Poore
AGE: 45.
HOME TURF: Mountain Rest.
CLAIM TO FAME: Manages the Walhalla State Fish Hatchery, keeping the Upstate’s lakes and rivers stocked with rainbow, brown and brook trout.
HIS NEMESIS: Packs of buzzards that flock to the trees near the hatchery’s outdoor raceways each afternoon, waiting for Poore and his team to leave before swooping down to feast. “It’s a buffet,” he says. The hatchery stocks more than enough fish to absorb the loss.
FAVORITE FISH: An avid fly fisherman in his spare time, Poore is partial to catching brook trout, the only species native to South Carolina.
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Scott Poore is as much a product of the Appalachian foothills as the trout that swim in its waters.
He grew up hunting, hiking and exploring the woods near Walhalla. That love of nature was the first step on a career path that would lead to joining the S.C. Department of Natural Resources and becoming manager of the Walhalla State Fish Hatchery.
Poore, who graduated from Clemson University with degrees in wildlife and fisheries biology, is responsible for making sure that 475,000 trout are available each year for stocking the state’s rivers and streams. He and his small staff raise brown, brook and rainbow trout from eggs to a young fry to fingerling and eventually adult fish measuring anywhere from 9 to 12 inches.
It’s a demanding job, but one he enjoys.
“For me, growing up and enjoying the outdoors, this is a place where I’m not confined by four walls in an office,” says Poore, who lives adjacent to the hatchery with his family. “As long as I’m producing the fish that have been requested, providing an outreach opportunity to the visitors who come here, and the anglers are happy, I’ve accomplished what I set out to do.”
Taking full advantage of living on the East Fork of the Chattooga River, Poore is passing on his love of the outdoors and of fishing to his sons, ages 13 and 10.
“I love being outside. To be in the mountains and see all the seasons, it’s just an enjoyable experience,” he says. “There certainly are jobs that I could have majored in at Clemson that paid a lot more, but I feel rich in non‑monetary things.”
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Get There
The Walhalla State Fish Hatchery is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily except for Christmas Day. To learn more about the hatchery, visit hatcheries.dnr.sc.gov/walhalla/index.html.
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