Tenkara Forum

[sholgate]

I fished a local stream last night for about 2 hours. When I arrived the banks were just lined with people and stringers. I found out they had just finished a kids trout rodeo.

I immediately headed upstream where they did not stock it. I landed 1 small rainbow, 5 brook, and 4 wild browns.

Notice, one of the pictures is of the stocked area and one of them is of the non-stocked area. Can you tell which is which?

All fish landed with the Ebisu

[rsetina]

That is unbelievable. How many people can you put in a stream? The picture is pretty small but I could still see people nearly shoulder to shoulder. Isn't spawning going on this time of year? I wonder if the folks putting on the rodeo taught anything about conservation and stream protection? Carnage is a good word to use to explain it. Sorry to read about what happened.

On a better note, nice brook trout. A real fatty and water upstream looks very nice.

[troutrageous1]

That's so bad it's borderline funny.
I know exactly what you're talking about in my neck of the woods.

It's unfortunate. I belong to a trout club that runs a co-operative nursery for the state.
We too have to run an annual trout derby as our major fundraiser to pay the bills. The stuff that goes on is downright scary. Luckily, it's a good group that also does cleanups and streambank restorations as well...

Enough bout my club - looks like you did well. That's a nice looking fish.

[jhlynn]

Oh my... how can that possibley be fun?!

[Stephen McGowen]

Hey folks...lets be careful here. Public water is managed for just those people that you are complaining about........not for us "elitists". They spend more more money on licenses and tackle than we do and have every right to be doing what they are doing.
Stop pissing and moaning and fish elsewhere. Common sense.

[solocanoe]

Actually, it looks just like Cow Shoals on the Little Red River each year after Rip Collins caught that world record brown trout. I used to go on Turkey-day each year...20 mins from my in-laws. Place holds comfortably 1/2 dozen anglers.

The next year, after that catch and the national mag exposure, I saw license plates from all over the US - probably 75 vehicles in the parking lot. Double that in anglers on site. I had to park on the road leading in. Walked in to see...we stayed 10 mins and walked out and drove away! There used to be 2 guides in Heber Springs in the early 90's...now there are dozens.

It's still ok as a fishery, but WAY more crowded - I MAY fish it this mothers day weekend, but I have 2 more remote fisheries in mind as well....

A kids rodeo -at least it does expose them to the outdoors and not video games! and they will probably all be gone after that one day.

Nice fish, Steven! glad you got to use the Ebisu - hey next time you'll probably have it all to yourself!

-john

[b_in_az]

We have a river around Phoenix that looks like that in the winter. Fortunately with a pair of waders and a little hiking you can get away from the crowd and find some good fishing. Nice brook trout.

[sholgate]

Hey folks...lets be careful here. Public water is managed for just those people that you are complaining about........not for us "elitists". They spend more more money on licenses and tackle than we do and have every right to be doing what they are doing.
Stop pissing and moaning and fish elsewhere. Common sense.

Stephen.

I don't want to piss anyone off. And I do realize that much of the money comes from people like that. But I also take time to try to educate where I can about conservation, trout cycle, ... etc. Or as simple as answering a little boy that asked me why I put all the fish back. I answered, "If we kill all of them, what can I fish for tomorrow." I can see the wheels moving.

I also teach boy scouts about these issues too.

Steven

[rapidan]

Jesus I don't think I've ever seen that many people at a stocking

Jeremy

[sholgate]

But most of the fishermen looking for the stockers don't find these.



And yes, I caught it right in the middle of all of that.