Fly fishing group takes opratunity away from kids

[stickslinger]

Well it looks like the game dept. Has listened to the very loud very demanding few to screw over the majority. black lake in chelan county will go strictly baitless barbless, catch and release after this season.  Apparently it was requested by a fly fishing club because the lake just 1.5 miles up the road that already have those restrictions was too much of a hassle for the around 15 members. This doesn't effect me as much as it does the 30 to 50 kids that fish that lake. and they say they want kids involved in out door activities!!!!   BS..

[Alex4200]

It wouldn’t have anything to do with that half the land around that lake is privately held and they started developing it into orchard land last fall. Or the fact that this is a holding reservoir for a private company and public use is hampering their operation. Or the fact that the amount of trash left there is getting pretty bad. I am sure it is just one group wanting to get their way. 

[jackmaster]

It wouldn’t have anything to do with that half the land around that lake is privately held and they started developing it into orchard land last fall. Or the fact that this is a holding reservoir for a private company and public use is hampering their operation. Or the fact that the amount of trash left there is getting pretty bad. I am sure it is just one group wanting to get their way. 

from the sounds of it by your examples ALL the lakes should be closed then right? Or given to specialty groups ??

[BigGoonTuna]

how is making a lake catch and release taking away opportunity from kids?  odds are, they want to make it a quality fishery, and there's tons of put and take trout lakes around.  wish we had a few in my area, most lakes get fished out after they get stocked and are barren most of the year.

[jackelope]

Specifically what opportunity was taken away?

[Mossy]

I'm assuming he's referring to the younger kids that aren't quite ready to grasp fly fishing yet?

[jackelope]

I'm assuming he's referring to the younger kids that aren't quite ready to grasp fly fishing yet?

OK, but it's not flyfishing only. It's just single barbless hooks, no bait.

My kid is 10 and she's been fishing since she was 5-ish. She's totally capable of using a lure like a spinner or a spoon or something, and catch and release means the lake won't get fished out in a few weekends.  I guess they can't keep fish anymore, which I can see disappointing some folks.

[wapiti hunter2]

Seems like it is just a different opportunity for kids. They can learn what conservation is and a different method of fishing other than Powerbait fishing. My son learned to fly fish at the age of 6. By 12 he was amazing. It fuels his passion today at 25.

[jackelope]

Seems like it is just a different opportunity for kids. They can learn what conservation is and a different method of fishing other than Powerbait fishing. My son learned to fly fish at the age of 6. By 12 he was amazing. It fuels his passion today at 25.

This.

[92xj]

Is fly fishing better than power bait fishing?

[jackelope]

Is fly fishing better than power bait fishing?

Depends who you ask and what you mean by "better"

[jackelope]

It's kind of like this for me.
There are groups of hunters who are actively complaining that there are no elk to shoot...and also complaining because of the reduced number of cow tags. You can't have both. You can have a lake that fishes good for a month for planter fish then gets fished out and people freak out, or you can have a lake that is catch and release that fishes good for extended periods until it heats up and the fish go deep and don't eat. There are lots and lots and lots of lakes to fish if you want to fish bait and keep planter fish.

[jackelope]

Is fly fishing better than power bait fishing?

Depends who you ask and what you mean by "better"

But I will reiterate that this lake is not restricted to fly fishing only either. Not sure why the fly fishing thing keeps coming up.

[Curly]

Is fly fishing better than power bait fishing?

Depends who you ask and what you mean by "better"

But I will reiterate that this lake is not restricted to fly fishing only either. Not sure why the fly fishing thing keeps coming up.

Apparently fly fishing part came up because a fly-fishing club was vocal about getting the lake changed to be single barbless and no bait. 

[Alchase]

Is fly fishing better than power bait fishing?

They sure look better but only if they are wearing their custom LL Bean waders and vest, and have you traditional wood net strapped a crossed your back and their $2500 Adirondack Full-Flex Bamboo fly rod.

I jest of course...

or do I, 

 

[wapiti hunter2]

Is fly fishing better than power bait fishing?

Depends who you ask and what you mean by "better"

No, and it is certainly a great way to get kids hooked on fishing. I still do it occasionally. Like Jackalope said, it is analogous to the hunting community. Is Archery better than Rifle? They get a better season.......They get to shoot cows (elk) when rifle hunters don't....Remember that for many types of salmon fishing and sturgeon fishing, the rule is already one barbless hook.

[AL WORRELLS KID]

There seem to be two different takes on this subject, as with people, there are Givers and there are Takers.
Doug
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37856/37856-h/37856-h.htm

Dr. William T. Hornaday, author of Wild Life Conservation, The American Natural History, Our Vanishing Wild Life, etc., and director of the New York Zoölogical Park, has sent me the photograph of the greedyman's catch—made near Spokane, Washington—with the following notes:

"The great trouble [in the matter of wasteful fish-catching] is not so much with the people who catch fish as with the brutally destructive laws that permit fishermen to catch four or five times as many fish as they should. There are a great many sportsmen who sincerely believe that it is all right to take all the fish and game of all kinds that the law allows. Whenever any destruction is waged on that basis I always charge it to the abominably liberal laws that in many cases seemed framed to promote destruction. Ninety-nine per cent. of the streams of this country very soon will be so nearly destitute of fish that fishing will become a lost art. In the Rocky Mountains the overfishing abuse is particularly vicious and destructive because in those cold streams the fish mature slowly, their food is very scarce and dear, and the fish are so hungry that they are easily caught. It is an easy matter to completely fish out a mountain stream in the Rocky Mountain region or in the Pacific States. In the State of Wyoming some very aggravated cases of wanton fish destruction by indifferent rod and line fishermen have lately been brought to my attention."

Dr. Hornaday is an Angler, and his views and practices are endorsed by all Anglers.

[ribka]

Is fly fishing better than power bait fishing?

When I fly fish it is

 



There are many variations to single barbless fishing

Helped many get into fly fishing using the clear bobber on spinning gear and a fly

Jigs and spoons small rapalas with hooks replaced work great for trout too

I learned to cast spinning rod age 4 and fly rod age 8

Is this another helpless kids thread?

No one can deny the amount of trash left at lakes that allow bait fishing

[banishd]

I love fishing 'fly fishing' lakes with my spinning gear. Get some nasty looks sometimes but I still follow the restricted gear rules. Had some great days when the fly fishing looks like it sucks. When I bring my kids, I just want enough action to keep them interested and having fun. Makes it harder for me when they cast a lot and get stuck or birdnest a reel but they will get better.

[92xj]

Is fly fishing better than power bait fishing?

When I fly fish it is

 

Of course...you're better at everything   

I imagine you fly fishing is like watching the last place jockey, with two wins under her belt, in the third race of the triple crown waving that little wand all over the place.

[JeffRaines]

I used to be the guy that showed up to the water, caught my limit and went home. It was great for awhile, some fish got frozen for later. When we had to move back across the country(wife was a travel nurse at the time), I had a limit or so of fish that I had to toss because there wasn't a way to keep them frozen for the journey. I'm sure we've all been there at one point or another.

This is when I decided to go the opposite direction. I do enjoy eating fish on occasion, but nowadays I only keep what I plan on eating that evening(if anything). For me - I find a lot more excitement and happiness in actually feeling a tug on the line and reeling in a fish... much more than I feel looking at a freezer full of frozen fish. To be able to go out and feel that multiple times in one day? I'd gladly make that trade. Besides, the fresh fish cooks up better and tastes better in my experience.

[jackelope]

Planter trout taste like crap. That's my biggest reason for releasing them. If I'm out fishing the salt and catch a nice king or silver and it's legal, it's coming home. Walleye, perch, etc...yummy. Bring it home. Trout from an essentially warm water lake...yuck.

[trophyhunt]

Planter trout taste like crap. That's my biggest reason for releasing them. If I'm out fishing the salt and catch a nice king or silver and it's legal, it's coming home. Walleye, perch, etc...yummy. Bring it home. Trout from an essentially warm water lake...yuck.

:yeah:Haven't eaten a planted trout since I was a kid.  Now I did eat a back country trout, assuming it wasnt planted, and it was awesome!

[jackmaster]

Planter trout taste like crap. That's my biggest reason for releasing them. If I'm out fishing the salt and catch a nice king or silver and it's legal, it's coming home. Walleye, perch, etc...yummy. Bring it home. Trout from an essentially warm water lake...yuck.

I can't stand trout, but blue lake up out if Cyprus is a nice little hike, it's a deep blue beautiful high mountain lake and the big ole trout you catch in that lake are actually worth eating, of course I build a small fire and cook them right out of the lake , salt pepper onion and lemon and it's on 

[AL WORRELLS KID]

The Redder the Throat, The better the Fight and The Wilder they Taste!
Doug

[wapiti hunter2]

Planter trout taste like crap. That's my biggest reason for releasing them. If I'm out fishing the salt and catch a nice king or silver and it's legal, it's coming home. Walleye, perch, etc...yummy. Bring it home. Trout from an essentially warm water lake...yuck.

:yeah:Haven't eaten a planted trout since I was a kid.  Now I did eat a back country trout, assuming it wasnt planted, and it was awesome!

I call them put and take trout. Taste like bad grits.

[stickslinger]

Most of you are making valid arguments,  and yes the garbage is an issue but it is everywhere. My point is why shut it down. Supposedly there was a hush hush public meeting on a Tuesday afternoon that no one heard about unless you were part of the inner circle.  And yes I love to fly fish as well but have you ever tried to take a 5 and a 3 year old fly fishing? Not a great time. And yes I know it's not just fly fishing, but a little one with a rooster tail can be dangerous

[Alex4200]

OK, I will admit, my post this morning was a bit on the sarcastic side. I guess the title of this thread set me off a bit.

Here is my take on this, and it is only my opinion, because I really don’t know all the facts.

#1 - this is a private reservoir, not a public lake. It was built for irrigation purposes only. It is operated and maintained by the Wenatchee Heights Irrigation District.

#2 - for years it was not opened to the public even though it is boarded on one side by public land. The state worked with WHID to get this opened up for public use.

#3 - the upper Wheeler Reservoir used to open to public access. The reservoir was shut off to the public because too many “nasty” things happened to the water quality there because of miss-use. This reservoir is a source of drinking water for Wenatchee Heights.

#4 - the fly fishing club was able to get the reservoir reopened for limited use provided nothing happened to degrade the water quality.

#5 - my guess is that WHID was fed up with what was happening to “their” reservoir and made a decision to shut off public access. Remember this is a private reservoir.

#6 - it is also my guess that the fly fishing club caught wind of the pending shut down and stepped up to provide a solution to keep public access partially opened based on what has taken place at Upper Wheeler Resevior over the last few years.

Again, these are all just my opinions. But the title of this thread is pointing a finger at one user group. And that user group probably did more to keep the water open to the public, although limited, than anyone pointing fingers.

[fish vacuum]

Instead of a worm under a bobber, I guess kids will have to fish a jig or fly under a bobber now. If boats are allowed on this lake then kids can troll any artificial lure just fine. No opratunity lost. They'll even have a better chance at bigger fish now.

[winshooter88]

According to last year's fishing pamphlet that is good through June of this year (Black Lake) also known as Spring Hill reservoir is open from the 4th Saturday in April till July 4th under statewide game fish rules, from July 5th till October 31st under Catch and release selective gear rules. The WDFW web site doesn't show any emergency rule changes, so it appears that this isn't a new rule decided in the last few weeks.

[stickslinger]

Correct this will be the last season, after this season only baitless barbless.  And I am not positive but I believe this will be the last time the reservoir will be stocked.  Which will not leave very many fish considering as of now the lake has zero fish in it and I believe they are only planting 1500 I belive.

[Ridgeratt]

Al this is a great photo. Do you have an idea of the date taken? When I see the cane creel and the old growth tree in it and the black and white photo maybe in the 1940's. The catch limits were much more liberal back then. Back when I first met my wife we would go to Montana to visit family and her Grandma loved Montana Creek Monster's. At that time the limit was 10 pounds of Brook trout.  Not a possession limit of numbers but by weight. Most of those fish may have made 7 inches.
I think she would have ate fish 6 days a week.

Even in Washington the catch limits growing up I remember when it was 16 or 18 trout a day per person. Families would go camping and they caught fish. I spoke with the region head Bio and he feels Brooke Trout are an invasive species in Washington and should perhaps be removed. But then that would also include the German Brown's

One of the latest crazes is Bass fishing. I fish a lake that with the slot limits I have watched folks filleting bass under 10 inches. I do think my wife could read her prayers thru them. But a decent sized bass has to be released.  The fish in the lake have seen every spinner bait, soft plastic and hard bait known to man. This is a cold water lake where the bass grow slooowy and several years ago the WFDW in their infinite wisdom planted them and had a brain storm to make it a warm water species lake with a additional fee for the luxury of fishing the lake. Fortunately the plan feel through.

I think we all have seen some type of over harvest on the resources.

Here is what is planted on a weekly basis.

https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/plants/weekly/

[2labs]

Is fly fishing better than power bait fishing?

They sure look better but only if they are wearing their custom LL Bean waders and vest, and have you traditional wood net strapped a crossed your back and their $2500 Adirondack Full-Flex Bamboo fly rod.

I jest of course...

or do I, 

 

A River runs thru it. Sold a lot of fly rods!  The new purist.