OCR Text |
Show "uEdg'qg rails GcjO'Iod Director Smith said, "We have attempted to maintain a consistency in the opening open-ing of our fishing season the last several years and have set aside the Saturday closest clos-est to June 1 as that day. This year, however, both the Wildlife Board and the Division Di-vision felt it best, under present circumstances, to move the opening date ahead to take advantage of current cur-rent water conditions." Smith continued, "We realize that this change may cause some hardships on resort owners and sportsmen who have planned vacation time Opening day of the 1977 general fishing season in Utah has been set for Saturday, Sat-urday, May 14. Fishing will begin at 5:00 a.m. and will be legal until 10:00 p.m. (4:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Mountain Moun-tain Standard Time when in effect) in all waters of the state EXCEPT where otherwise other-wise specified in the 1977 fishing and protected aquatic wildlife proclamation. The earlier opening date applies only to the general fishing season opening date. Waters with special opening dates will remain the same. The Wildlife Board approved ap-proved the earlier opening date and granted authority to the Division of Wildlife Resources to set the 1977 season opener on eitherMay 14 or 21, dependent on the Division's ability to provide and plant fish prior to the determined date. After careful care-ful evaluation of available m an power requirements and hatchery conditions through -out the state, Don Smith,' director of the Division of Wildlife Resources, andDon-ald andDon-ald Andriano, chief of Fisheries, Fish-eries, established the May 14 opening. around fishing season. However, How-ever, the dry season we are experiencing has placed abnormal ab-normal pressure on the state's hatchery system and on water supplies. We are attempting to take best advantage ad-vantage of current, favorable favor-able conditions in the fishing waters of Utah by allowing fishermen to utilize those areas earlier than normal, The Wildlife Board is acutelj aware that water will be in short supply during the later part of this summer." "Many of our hatcheries have experienced a significant signifi-cant reduction in water flowing flow-ing into the hatchery; some of them as much as 50 percent per-cent below normal," Smith said, "creating a serious problem in maintaining the same numbers of fish in the hatchery as usual. We feel it is best to begin planting plant-ing the catchable size fish now and allow anglers to fish for them. This will relieve pressure on the hatcheries and provide fishermen with the opportunity to fish waters while they are available." The Division also acknowledged acknow-ledged the impact the early opening might have on programs pro-grams and facilities of other state and federal agencies. Those groups have been contacted, con-tacted, and there is a strong attitude of cooperation toward to-ward makingthis unusual opening op-ening a successful one from all aspects. |