| Subject: Re: Regulation Change |
Author:
Burnie Haney
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Date Posted: 13:11:24 04/16/01 Mon
In reply to:
Concerned Anglers.
's message, "Regulation Change" on 14:23:43 04/14/01 Sat
Having been fortunate enough to fish this river system since 1986, on just about every weekend from Oct through March I think I can safely say I've seen, heard and experienced just about the best and the worst she has to offer when it comes to anglers, the use and sometimes abuse of the resource.
Before I continue let me state you'll hear no argument from me that fishing with an extremely long leader will result in more (HOOK-UPs). And I can appreciate the concerns of the Oswego River Guide's Association with regard to the numbers of available fish -Vs- fish kept and the varied methods used to catch them.
I would like to state I don't think the majority of anglers who steelhead fish set out to intentionally foul hook fish. I do however think when bottom drift fishing in low water with any exposed hook (fly, eggsack, or floating jighead) in just about any river with a substantial population of fish holding in a specific area that some fish will be foul hooked. It's unfortunate for sure when it happens, but eventually its going to happen provided the numbers are there.
Now I can also say I've caught and released steelies with everything from eggsacks to J-plugs & Hot Shots and yes flies stuck somehwere on their body. So to that end a long leader and fly may not be the real issue. As I've caught fish with leaders as short as 3 ft. using glowbug yarn flies and I've also caught fish using flies on leaders up to 8 feet or more in length. And I've also been unfortunate enough to foul hook fish on each rig, I don't know any genuinely honest angler who will tell you otherwise. It's hard to spend any amount of time on this river system and not foul hook a fish or two, yet from the text of the message posted by the Concerned Anglers it sounds as if every person standing the bank during the winter months with a noodle rod in hand is just snagging or lining fish unless they're fishiong eggs and that in itself is a pretty invalid statement or implication.
I do know as the river flow became lower & lower over the last few years I too started using lighter line, say from 6 down to 4 lb test. And I also ran a little longer leader than I used too. I still experienced quality bites, not just Hook-Ups as mentioned earlier and yes I've still seen and see today fish foul hooked, landed and kept by some folks. I don't agree with it and I bark at whoever I see doing it, but it doesn't mean everyone's doing it and I'm not the law.
Which brings us to what I believe is the real issue at hand, the number of fish kept vs available fish and I only say this for a couple reasons.
Although no one has come right out and said it let me ask this question. First why have the noodle rodders have been singled out in order to make this argument; is it because their catching fish or because their keeping fish? I think it's probably because they're keeping fish.
And secondly one need only look at the "Fly Fishing Only" section above the Altmar bridge to see a clear pattern start to emerge. Now are these guys really fly fishing in accordance with the written rules & regulations as it states "traditional fly fishing equipment only"? As I'm relatively new to fly fishing; been doing it a little off and on over the last 12 years, but in none of the books, instructional videos or tutorials I rented or bought when I started in the sport did I ever read or see a rig called a slinky let alone see it described as tradional fly fishing equipment. At least not until I read a few things specific to the Salmon River that is. I don't use it as I personally find something a little odd about attaching 1/2 or 3/4 ounces of shot to your fly line (or these days seems straight mono's all the rgae in the fly fishing only section) and calling it traditional fly fishing equpiment, maybe it's just me.
However, my point is this; in the Concerned Anglers message reference is made to foul hooked fish being landed and kept or fought to exhaustion and released to die. So I have to ask this, are the same fish that get foul hooked and fought to exhaustion and landed in the "Fly Fishing Only" section immune and live forever? I'm pretty sure whomever reads this knows the answer to that question. Yet still this area of the river isn't mentioned as an area of concern which I find a little odd. As we look at the geographic composition of this specific portion of the river you can sum it up in one short phrase HIGH PERCENTAGE FISHIN !!!
Perhaps it's the idea that no fish are allowed to be kept in this portion of the river and that's why the interest level isn't there. Yet it does nothing to genuinely protect the fishery and as the fish have made it all the way to that portion of the river it seems a real waste of the resource to allow them to be foul hooked, fought to exhaustion and released to die before the collection and processing of roe which will help ensure future generations.
So I could be wrong, but everything I've read to date and seen leads me back to the rules & regulations which is what were discussing now. Perhaps the adjustment of current rules or regulations isn't really the issue and quite possibly the active and prejedicual enforcement of the rules and regulations as written is the issue.
Yes, I think that's really the issue at hand active enforcement and I base this statement on what I've seen of the Fly Fishing Only section, the overall lack of enforcement there and other places along the river. When we read the angling rules and regulations it clearly states any foul hooked fish must be released unharmed. Doesn't say if it's foul hooked in the back, belly, or pectoral fin... it's states foul hooked... not in the mouth.
So until such time as we demand the active enforcement of these same rules and regulations for a couple seasons and then evaluate the impact some active enforcement makes on the resource, I can only say why change something we've yet to enforce?
Have you ever heard the old phrase, "A lock just keeps an honest man honest, a thief will find a way in every time"?
Well maybe this situation is pretty much the same. Those anglers that are going to foul hook and keep fish will continue to do so until such time as someone stops them.
Regardless of what the final call is with regard to allowable rigging I'll continue to fish the river as I get a kick out of catching these fish no matter what methods are required by law. I think we all can keep an open mind and except the fact that our own perferred methods of angling may not be someone elses choosen method. And as long as each person fishes within the confines of the written rules & regulations maybe that's not such a bad thing after all.
So any interest in a one fish limit? Then again I guess we need the active enforcement of our Conservation Officers to make that work too now don't we.
This is just one man's opinion and I could be wrong, but it's mine.
Burnie Haney
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