Sorry guys, I have to break out the soap box...
I have fished around the country under many different state and privately managed waters. I am a huge proponent of C&R and management practices that insure sustainable natural populations of game species in waters that can support the such.
I am not in favor of ownership of what I consider a natural resource, i.e., a river. I believe it is a serious detraction from our sport to limit access to a length of river by means of a toll, regardless of the distribution of the funds the fee generates. This indeed is an elites system, catering to those who can afford the luxury. There is a wonderful bit of river on Kohler Corp. land near my home town, surrounded by golf course, it has the best gravel between the lake and the first dam. It swarms with migratory fish, but Herb (Kohler), has placed a $150 annual fee on his parking lot under the guise of "river wildlife pass". While he lines his pockets with the cash of an elite crowd, the rest of us try to figure out access on to the good water (In the state of Wisconsin, the river IS public, and if your access point is legal and you keep your feet wet you can go anywhere you want on that river -- no private water).
I am a blue collar dude with a very limited budget. I can count on three fingers the times I have payed to fish, either with a guide or on managed waters. If I had the misfortune of being born in Europe, the sport would, for all intensive purposes be unattainable to me. I never want to see our storied waters run that course.
I can't afford the 2 cents, will you take an IOU?
Brian
"Jimmy D. Moore" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Not elitist at all, Deb. The $85 is for the whole year. Trout season is
year-round. I'll pay 1/2 that or more for a round of golf, (including
cart), on most of our better courses. Folks in TX pay $20-30 for a one
day Dove lease and hundreds, even thousands for a good deer lease. Our
TU chapter has a system that enables us to keep track of the lease
payments. We hold several "lease orientation" sessions, which a lease
purchaser must attend before fishing one of our leases. After the
orientation session, they are given a Lease Pass, (certification), and
map showing where the leases are located. There are no salmon rivers in
Texas.
JIMMY
Deborah Duran wrote:
>Jimmy
>How do you keep track of who pays their dues when you "lease" a river?
>That sounds a little "elitist" to me. Do they still lease salmon rivers
>also? That is one thing that kind of turns me off to trout unlimited.
>Deb
>
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