The bottom line is that we have an incredible influx of would-be anglers on out waters… and that influx has resulted in a choke.
How we react, NOW is important. I’m all for the renaissance.
But I’m against the “stupissance.”
We need to get smart, and get together.
An 8-boat flotilla enveloping a bachelor party, on a Saturday, during the pandemic… is bullshit.
It’s wrong. No matter what your permit allows… congratulations, you screwed up the river for everyone else for 10 miles.
Quality engagement.
Think on it.
3 Comments
Most of the rivers i fish you could cast across. Having 40 to 60 boats past by puts the fish down. Half the time they run over the fish I’m fishing to . The river flow is low. Near by is a junction of two branches which provides enought water for boat traffic . Boat traffic should be limited to rivers that
have adequate water flows.
As more and more people forsake the coastal and Nazi-like government strictures to move to,the Rocky Mountain area where the perception is the land and waters are wide open has resulted in a remarkable increase in fishing pressure period – whether walk/wade or floating anglers.
The increase in private, non commercial floaters is off the charts on most of the rivers now from New Mexico to Montana. How it is regulated is going to be interesting given everyone that owns a boat thinks they are ‘entitled’ to do what we see in “Rivergeddon”. I am in full agreement with the author’s comments.
Rivers are a public resource. Yes, they need to be managed and protected. But in the case of the above story, if these river users were not doing anything illegal, then there is no reason to be angry with them. Use your voice to create protections for your resource. Go to the agency meetings, submit public comments, etc. Getting angry at other people for exercising their rights as public landowners only shoots us all in the foot.
Be a leader, be a part of the solution.