OCR Text |
Show iFftI' II TRA6L I Cliff Fretwelt I TROUBLED WATERS No other form of out door recreation rec-reation has acquired such a phenomenal following as has angling for game fish in inland waters. Whether a man goes after af-ter steclheads over in the Oregon Ore-gon country, packs into the high lakes of Utah, Colorado and Wyoming Wy-oming for the big natives or seeks a shady pool in Iowa for a day's bass and crappie fishing, it's all the same he's just another an-other member of a fraternity that's grown by leaps and bounds down through the years If he's a disciple of "cold water" wa-ter" fishing, the American angler ang-ler will steadfastly maintain that nothing equals the thrill of a line drawn taut by the lightning light-ning strike of a trout or the powerful pow-erful drive of a hungry salmon, On the other hand the "warm water" advocate will tell you that you can't beat a bass pond for enjoyment, a string of crappie crap-pie for taste or a wall-eyed pike for sheer sport. Though differing differ-ing on matters of detail both the game and pan fishermen are in complete accord respecting angling ang-ling in inland waters they'll tell you it's the greatest recreation recrea-tion in the world. But trouble, with an unfailing habit of forcing itself into even the most revered spots has intruded in-truded into the sacred world of inland fishermen. The popularity of fresh water game fishing has become so intense that proper stream and lake management and the adequate stocking of inland waters have become problems of no small moment. It follows, therefore, that a program of management for the conservation conserva-tion of inland fisheries is essential essen-tial to preserve the popularity of trout, salmon, bass, crappie and pike fishing. For without a plentiful supply of fish the sport would soon loose its zest. EACH STATE seems to have approached the problem of inland in-land fisheries conservation according ac-cording to the extent and needs of its population. Where trout abound the trend is toward trout propagation; when pan fish supply sup-ply the bulk of fishing, the move is for better management. In some instances stream and lake improvement form the backbone of the conservation policy, in other states the all out construction construc-tion of fish hatcheries and a subsequent heavy stocking schedule sched-ule are the accepted plans while f. few take into consideration the utilization of all types of inland in-land fishes as a means of decreasing decreas-ing pressure on one popular fish. A well rounded constructive management program should include in-clude all these lines of action, plus necessary restrictive fishing measures. Maybe then the mounting trouble that faces inland in-land angling could rje met head on. It becomes increasingly apparent appar-ent that to follow one set scheme of fisheries conservation will not meet the needs of the field. For what lasting benefits are to be derived from an intensified hatchery and stocking program if the preservation of suitable environment en-vironment is overlooked; how successful will any plan be if the adopted course by-passes several sev-eral species of fish to concentrate on one; and what would be the good of any of them without strong conservation laws, enforced enfor-ced to the limit? STREAM .AND LAKE im-provement im-provement is very much in its infancy. It gained considerable momentum under the old CCC program and the WPA, but many problems yet remain to be solved before habitat improvement im-provement reaches any degree of perfection. However, current data casts a favorable light upon up-on this one phase of inland fisheries fish-eries conservation. Nevertheless, it must be borne in mind that the process of improving the environment en-vironment for trout or salmon is an expensive procedure, calling for careful planning if the maximum maxi-mum results are to be obtained. Habitat improvement to date has been pretty well directed toward trout streams with little having been done to waters inhabited by pan fishes. The western states are notoriously notor-iously trout conscious. Consequently Conse-quently the fishing pressure on western trout waters has become terrific and in most instances has taxed production and stocking facilities to the limit. A FEW YEARS ago Wyoming, in an effort to decrease its "trout pressure," inaugurated a project of hatchery construction construc-tion augmented with the idea fish, namely the "warm water" dwellers. Trout were produced in hatcheries for trout waters, but in streams and ponds of the state not suited to trout propagation, bass, crappie and yellow bellied perch were planted. They took hold, but before even an open season was declared on them, the state publicized the sporting qualities and food value of these pan fishes. Wyoming's venture met with considerable success. During the first year that angling for bass and crappie was lega'ized pressure pres-sure on trout,fishing was reduced reduc-ed 40 per cent fishermen enjoyed en-joyed catching pan fish, and trout were granted at least the semblance of a respite. Thus a program of utilizing various types of fishes, coupled with an intensified trout production campaign cam-paign proved its worth in a move to conserve a state's inland in-land fisheries. BUT INLAND fisheries are still troubled waters. Transportation Transpor-tation into remote areas is less complicated with improved roads and recreational facilities inviting invit-ing the more timid souls back into erstwhile virgin fishing territory. ter-ritory. And as the years roll by the easily accessible waters are being scraped by a rapidly swelling number of enthusiastic anglers. So inland fisheries manage ment becomes imperative. And even though a conservation policy pol-icy is limited to a few lines of action, the limitation must be overcome by a coordinated use of all possibilities if game and pan fish angling are to continue as America's number one sport. |