Seth Green

Who was Seth Green?

Seth Green, 71, was a pioneer in fish farming. He established the first fish hatchery in the United States in the Town of Caledonia.

Seth Green was born in Rochester, New York. He was an outdoor enthusiast and ran a fish and game shop in Rochester before conceiving the idea of propagating his own stock of fish. In 1864 he opened up the first fish hatchery in the Western Hemisphere in Caledonia, New York farming salmon. Later, he expanded his techniques to other species, including shad and trout.

In 1871 Green brought 10,000 American shad to the Sacramento River. The shad took well to the new water and the population exploded.

Green received many awards for his ideas and developments. The Seth Green Trail in Rochester is named after him. Green has been credited by some biographers for inventing the fishing reel as well as the Seth Green Rig for trout fishing.