Conference wahoo::fishing-v2

 Sounds like it's worth a try to me. I'm sick of "put and take," "factory 
fish," and anglers chasing the stocking truck using CBs to tell all their
friends and take the fish before they even get wet. I'd love to see a
"real" fishery in NH, even if I had to drive 3-4 hours to get to it.

 The Doctah

    I like the idea of slot limits and know they have been used successfully
    in many places for many different types of fish.  Personally, I'd like
    to see some slot limits to preserve the now exciting striped bass
    fishery, and possibly NH lake trout.  Instead of just protecting
    "small" fish, we should be doing more to protect the best spawners.
    
    Mark,
    

    Gee, WAHOO::LEVESQUE and I agree on something for once! <g>
    
    I seriously doubt that the river in Utah suffers the same pollution,
    damming, and angling pressure that the Connecticut River does, though
    (in that order, too).
    
    John H-C

    Mark:  While I heartily agree on the basic premise of slot-limits
           (easy to say as I turn 'em all loose anyway) the population
    	   growth only occurs in waters that are conducive to successful
    	   spawning. Other than some of the most northern sections of the
           Connecticut, I'd be (pleasantly) surprised to hear that anywhere
    	   south of Moore Dam would sustain a successful wild rainbow
           and/or brown trout fishery on the Connecticut River. If anyone
    	   has information that counters that believe, feel free to set me
           straight.
    
    	   The fact that the Green is a tailwater fishery with a
           cooperative power generating dam controlling the water temp's 
    	   is certainly the exception when compared to our northeastern
    	   situation. Imagine the reaction by New England Electric Power
    	   Co. if they were required to do the same. I'd love to see it
           happen - but the cynic in me sez it won't. Besides the Conn.
    	   River, another example of power generation providing the worst
    	   possible environment for natural reproduction is the Deerfield,
    	   where the "on demand" power generation tears all forms of life
    	   from the river bottom and sends it roaring down stream...
    
    	   Another issue could well be the genetics of the initial stock.
    	   I'd wager that the "factory fish" that we have in most of the
    	   eastern streams would be poorly "designed" to procreate on their
    	   own - the gene pool coming out of the "factory" has been
           specialized to produce fast growth in crowded conditions while
    	   being force-fed Purina Fish Chow. Making the assumption that
    	   suitable water conditions could be found to accomodate a wild	
    	   trout fishery, importation of a suitable strain of "starter"
    	   fish might well be required. 
    
    	   And finally, the north woods are filled with recalcitrant old
    	   farts who aren't interested in sharing the limited resources
    	   that we have right now. Everytime the NH F&W tries to expand 
    	   waters covered by the 2 trout limit, it gets shot down by the
    	   state legislature. Why? So those same guys that follow the 
    	   hatchery trucks can fill their coolers with trout that have 
    	   grey flesh and taste like "liver snaps"? Yucko. These are the
    	   same guys that would have to be convinced to change the way
    	   the resources are managed. Lots o' luck on that score...
    
    	   While we're waiting and working for a best-case scenario like the 
    	   Green River to happen this side of the Mississippi, I think the
    	   next best thing is to practise simple conservation. Forget
           phrases like "Limit Out", fish to enjoy the fishing and not to
    	   fill the freezer. I caught and released a large Brookie this 
           spring that I'm nearly certain was caught and released by my 
           fishing buddy last year. We both enjoyed the heck out of
    	   wrassling with this fish, and hopefully one of us will have 
    	   another tussle with the same (even larger) Brookie again.
    
    /dave (If you wanna eat a trout, buy 'em at your local fish store)

Dave T,

Regarding your comment :

      "(If you wanna eat a trout, buy 'em at your local fish store)".

The anglers of N.H. DID BUY 'EM. You know, that license that we paid for ?
When we recently had that price increase and the cold-water vs. warm-water
species breakout ?

In my opinion, this C&R thing is gettin' out of hand !  Even thought I release
way more fish than I keep (and eat), I will not begrudge an angler who stays
within the laws/limits and enjoys consuming the (renewable) resource.

Maybe those who hate the tase of trout should buy a PC and and a Fishing 
video game, and not injure the trout with C&R !
(This is about as extreme as I'm hearing on the other side of this issue).


MODS, Move this to the rathole, if necessary.

Dave

    Dave:  
    
    I know there was a virtual winky-face in there towards the end - we've
    all heard the same arguments. I'd bet that the same people don't wear
    seatbelts so that if they're in an accident they'll be "thrown clear"
    of the wreckage. Brain damage or inbreeding, I'll bet ;^)
    
    In truth, I don't begrudge those who *occasionally* are inclined to
    consume a trout - although it escapes me why anyone would want to eat a
    factory-fresh fish. If a gripe is what I have, it's with those who
    want their fishing and eat 'em all, too. 
    
    Given that most all of the N.E. streams - other than those way north at
    the edges of civilization (as we know it, anyway ;^) are unable to
    support a wild fishery at this time, filling the freezer with
    "renewable resource" while complaining that the "fishing ain't as good
    as it used to be" is the epitomy of inanity (dat's a $5 phrase, btw ;^)
    I'm sure we've all heard a similar view one time or another...
    
    In reference to the article that Mark  entered, I discerned therein a
    hope for a "cure" that, unfortunately,  would require a miracle of
    cooperation at many levels to achieve. Better to apply realistic
    thinking so that we all can enjoy the sport, IMHO. Bottom line: do we
    fish to eat? Or do we fish to have fun?
    
    It's a simple question...
    
    /dave 

Dave,

I guess I just feel that all of us who love the sport (for VARIOUS reasons)
need to meet each other half way. This also applies to people's preferences
around fishing methods and techniques. No body's better than anybody else
because they use bait, fly, lures, etc. I'm sure you agree.

On the bright side, I think that we're living in some of the best fishing
times, right now. I gotta take my hat off to both Mass. and N.H., for the
way they're giving us bigger and better trout. In the last couple of years,
we've gotten big browns, rainbows, brookies that were identical to wild fish,
in my estimation. They were big, feisty, brightly colored, and the ones I did eat
were "colored up" in the meat, and extremely tasty. In fact, we're seeing 
many more holdovers than I can ever remember in years past. Last Saturday in
So. N.H. we caught and released about 10 big brilliant rainbows (2-3 pounds)
that fought so hard you just had to let 'em do what they wanted to, as they
swam around and around the canoe. You better believe my 10-year old enjoyed
this ! (When I was a kid, I didn't get into fish like this). And we didn't mind
letting them go, because we had a few nice brookies to take home for the pan.

As for eating fish, some of the tastiest ones are panfish. One thing that's 
helpful, is to remove some of the abundant yellow perch and bluegills
from some of the local trout ponds, where they compete with the trout for the
available nymphs, flies, and minnows, etc. A few times a year, we catch a bunch 
of these and fillet them out, and the family loves the fish fry we have.
In fact, when the trout get harder to locate in the summer months, we switch
over to panfish (and some bass), and this tends to really "hook" the kids 
on fishing, because of the fast action.

Well, enough rambling.

Dave