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Show Outdoor Wisdom by Hartt Wixom being fished out. There is also, with any size to the water at all, an almost lead pipe cinch that lunkers are also present. This is less likely with cutts and brookies, but at least they're there year-a-round. And what about real, natural rainbows, born and raised in the lake or stream? Too often they are under-rated, being classed with hatchery status. Yet, the resident rainbow is a powerful power-ful fish which rises readily to cont. to pg. 10 Is the hatchery rainbow really a trout? Sports Afield' s Jason Lucas Lu-cas used to ask the question. Pale, flaccid, scaley, naive, the planter fresh from a concrete raceway may actually act-ually reward the heavy-footed angler. He could be the hatchery feed man. Of course, in all respect to retired angling writers, Jason Ja-son had his idiosyncracies too. I never saw a photo of him in SA without his "image" pipe, once even upside down. But it was there. Besides, Lucas was an eastern bass man. Yet, it is true the hatchery rainbow has many problems. Afas, it is no natural brownie selfcth meticuously between be-tween a proper mayfly and one with only two tails. It is no cutthroat hanging tight to the pool brush. Nor is it even as sophisticated as the gullible brook trout. All of the above are also edible, which the pellet-fed stocker usually isn't. At least we have progressed progress-ed from the days when horse meat had to be put through the grinders. Planters somehow some-how seem more clean. But it is not all their fault they are dumped by the hundreds near a bridge or culvert. They might enjoy a little respect (move over Rodney Dangerfield) if the hatchery disbursement was a trifle more energetic. Yet, if the Utah Div. Wildlife Resources fails to dump a few thousand in any given water prior to the May 29 fish inaugural, every citizen will write a personal letter to the governor. The catchables will go into every lake and pond open to fishing, plus some canals and ditches by the roadsides-in roadsides-in lieu of the real trout streams which are "high and roily". There are places where the larger "hatcheries" are in demand, primarily where naturals are 8-10 inches. If you are going to take a "lunker" you seek out one of the rainbows. Otherwise, the exotics are best left to the young and the novice. At least there are, for a day or two anyway, something to keep the hordes busy while serious anglers stalk self-propogating self-propogating types. , One thing I don't like to read in a fishing guide is where they stock so many - thousand fish of any species-except species-except that it is helpful knowing where to avoid. In writing my own where-to manual, "Fishing and Hunting Hunt-ing Guide to Utah", I shared some secrets on best waters for oversized fish. If I relied on planters as asterisk would have to be added: "good on opening day, July 4, Labot Day only." Where there are browns, there is no likelihood of it Wixom, cont. cont. from pg. 8 the fly, and strikes lures with a furious rush. Its propensity to leap high over the surface has even made it a favorite in many regions, including the Northwest, New Zealand, Alaska. Plans have been discussed to place hatchery fish on a treadway which would mash some muscle into them. However, constant swimming swimm-ing could also reduce size and weight in the process. Then they would likely become more hungry, running runn-ing up a higher hatchery bill. Even the most erudite hatchery superintendent realizes re-alizes you can't keep putting out a hand for more license dollars. Maybe the answer is a hatchery trout stamp for thoe who fish strictly put-and-take waters. Weaning Wean-ing the public to "quality fishing" only, i.e., no hatchery fish is a courageous but not too popular gesture. Most fish-game departments are judged by how many tons of trout were stocked--and whether it outdid last year. So you can be sure many waters will be "sweetened before May 29. Perhaps a "cull" will be included here and there, a spawned out 3-4 pounder. When these fish have been in the water for a time, they can be considered a genuine catch. My own standard of measurement is that is a stocker has survived a winter in his natural realm he can be considered a "wild" fish. Otherwise, it isn't that much of a challenge, or accomplishment. accomplish-ment. As a kid stalking dazed hatchery fish I noticed some were having temperatureitis, adjusting from tank to new habitat. In this condition they were not hungry, and actually difficult to catch for a time. But when they became acclimited, they will eat just about anything. Since this is true, it is too bad most are sought with garlic cheese and bite-sized marsh-mallows. marsh-mallows. Spinners work fine. After seeing a few insects drift by, they might even succumb to a barely similar royal coachman. But this is not a purist's attempt to make planters extinct. Hatchery fish have their place. Huct Finn days are fine, too, if the trout are actually caught with hook and line. The "scrambles" where everyone jumps in to grab a limit with hands and nets are out of place. They degrade the art of fishing. To a certain extent opening days and hatchery trout do that. Yet, if anglers are willing to pay for it, that's what they'll get. It may cost more in the future. But whether the hatchery rainbow is a trout or not, many license buyers seem to be able to get along with it. At least for opening day. Some don't go after that anyway. |