You ar saying then that a good looking rainbow you are pprepared to make out with?? ______________________________________________ Reuven Segal
B. Engineering (Aerospace)- 4th Year B. Engineering (Manufacturing Systems and Management) RMIT University 5/11 Rockbrook Road, East St. Kilda, 3183 Melbourne, Victoria Australia [EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Mobile: 0422 266798 -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of DonO Sent: Sunday, 25 June 2006 7:22 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [VFB] To release or not to release? Shakespeare- was Brown Trout Rob, I don't want to turn this into a debate or anything, because I have feelings for both sides of the issue, and it is an issue in some areas- creel limits, C&R, fishing styles (flies/lures vs live bait) etc. The sides run from radical to radical, from PETA to people to make out with the fish before they release it. I'm somewhere in the middle, depending (especially) on the water I'm fishing and the target species. I have a friend who fishes the Michigan salmon runs, and he says people snag brown trout to throw throw them up on the shore to die, as they will eat the salmon eggs. Is anyone aware of this practice? Point in fact: Many discussions abounded here about the river (N. Platte) health and fish (trout) numbers, the effect of over-fishing by C&R types (80-fish days common floating the river), bait-fishing for table-fare, etc. The guides were for zero creel limits, and the food-fishers were for the old 6 fish per day. Much debate ensued. I remembered days 20 years ago when the river was so clogged with debris, weeds, silt, and sandbars that fishing was a joke, and catching was a miracle. So the river was shock-tested for fish numbers, sizes, and preferred locations (10 years ago). Everyone was shocked by the numbers and sizes, which were overwhelming. The local fly club and the G&F Dept. did a great job restoring the river (in the last 15 years) with flushing flows, cow-fences, construction rules, farming/run-off regulations, habitat, etc. I don't recall the numbers, but I do remember thinking one should be able to walk across the river on the backs of fish, with that many numbers. Also, the above 10lb range was phenonimal- thus changing the rules for trophy-taking- supported even by the guides. No one had ever caught one in all recorded records, but they shocked up dozens of fish over 20 pounds. The biggest fish caught to this point is a 17 pounder, which was BTW, caught on a Platte River Special streamer, taken home and eated by a father and his grandson (it was his first fish). 'Walter', another favorite 17 pounder, has been caught and released by several people, and has a mouth full of scars to show for his survival skills. As far as wild vs natural, breeding-age fish, the gene-pool, etc., the river can support some natural breeding, but not enough to support the tremendous pressure it has these days. There is a fish farm that introduces thousands of fish into the river each year, with clipped fins to recognize them. After a year or two in the river and feeding on natural foods, they are strong and taste fairly good, if the water is not silty. The eggs are taken from breeders, taken from the river, so the gene-pool is regulated. A side-point that few people realize is wild-life predation on the trout populations. We don't have otters or water-born predators, but we do have pelicans- specifically very-protected white black-tipped pelicans. These are huge birds with huge appetities (daily). They work as a team and a flock of them can decimate a river, stream, or creek in short order, and they prefer trout. I watched one swallow a 7 lb sucker like it was a french-fry. They are, again, very protected and you are not even allowd to approach them, much less make them stop eating trout. All the fishing pressure for the season won't amount to the pressure from these pelicans, then add the cormorants (anhingas to some)- which work the lakes and rivers very effectually. Also, a lot of harm comes from the professional poachers, who use any means to gather up fish. They are organized and armed, and know how to avoid the G&F wardens. So, to me, whether one releases a fish, eats it, mounts it, or kills it by mishandling it before releasing it, at least here in my area it is a miniscule portion of the big picture on trout population and health. C&R is not the answer to trout populations- especially alone. River management and habitat protection is. Following the rules set by the local G&F is the first-line of fish protection. I never look down on a person who eats a legal fish, as I wouldn't want them to think ill of me for letting it go. Respectfully, DonO ----- Original Message ----- From: "rob poutre" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, June 24, 2006 9:11 AM Subject: Re: [VFB] Huge Brown Trout > I agree with Mike on this one. If that was a natural > fish then his genetics would be better served in that > area, especially if he was an exceptional fish for the > area. I love my reproductions and I know I didn't > have to kill something for my own selfish needs. > > Rob P. > > --- Michael Bliss <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > This article bothers me a little. I may not know > > all I think I do so here I > > am exposing that. My understanding from talking to > > a taxidermist is that > > when they "stuff" a fish they really don't use it. > > They can use the skin > > but prefer not to use it. Several good pictures and > > measurements and you > > have your wall hanging and leave the fish alive. Is > > that right? > > > > Mike > > > > > > On 6/23/06, [EMAIL PROTECTED] < > > [EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > Folks: Here is an article and a pic I found where > > a guy caught a 30 inch, > > > 10 pound brown trout on the Madison river in > > Montana last week. Here is the > > > link, Chuck > > > > > > > > > > > > http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2006/06/22/features/outdoors/30-fish .txt > > > > > > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > http://mail.yahoo.com > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.9.3/374 - Release Date: 6/23/2006 > >
