If a landowner wants to prevent anglers from driving across his land to
access the stream, I say more power to him. If he wants to let people
drive across his land to access the stream, that's his business too. If
he charges, so what! It takes $ to keep roads in usable condition and a
constant stream of anglers driving in and out in all kinds of weather
can really tear up a road as well as parts adjacent to the road where
folks will drive around the ruts when they become too deep and to
muddy, etc. to get through without getting stuck. Most serious minded
anglers that do have access to a stream via private property realize
that road repairs cost the landowner and do not mind paying for the
right to access. ( At times, our TU chapter has even offered to and paid
for road repairs on roads leading to our lease sites). One landowner
simply has a tin box on a fence post in his front yard with a sign
asking anglers to leave a couple of $ when they cross his land. Funny
thing about it is that people do it and do not complain, and no one even
thinks about stealing the $ from the box. How's that for "Trust"? Like
I said in my earlier post, I don't fish the leased areas on the
Guadalupe, because there are areas that still have free public access
provided by the Texas Parks and Wildlife. Would I mind paying if that
was the only way I could fish the Guad? NOPE! I pay $2.00 every
time I enter a U.S. Corps of Engineers lake to bass fish.
We have another serious problem on Texas streams right now, with people
who literally race their monster pick up trucks, (mud doggers) up and
down and across shallow stream beds. They do this on any stream that has
a "low water crossing" (ford) where you can drive across. They leave the
"ford" and rip up and down the streams, stirring up silt and gouging the
stream bottom. This has created unbelievable damage to countless areas,
(channels and banks), on streams. The result of this acitivity is a bill
that will be introduced in the upcoming Texas legislative session to
prevent "anyone" from driving the stream beds. Not only do they mess
up the stream beds, they adversely affect the fishery, by ruining
spawning areas, and destroying fish habitat. The dumping of beer cans,
plastic bags and all matter of trash has also adversely affected the
streams. Two land owners on the Guadalupe River, have completely closed
access to the river through their land because irresponsible idiots,
(mud doggers), have ruined the roads and stream banks on their property,
while making it look like a "landfill" with all the trash left behind.
JIMMY D
Jimmy D. Moore - Author,Outdoor Writer,TOWA, TF&G,VP-GRTU
Owner/Webmaster - Worldwide Flyfishing Info.
http://www.BIGTROUTMAN.homestead.com/MainPage.html
www.sportingtales.com This is the website of Sporting Tales
magazine - No "how-to OR "where-to"! Just the "Why-to",
with outstanding campfire type stories about hunting and fishing.
