Covid 19 Ethics

[jimforrest]

Moral (maybe legal) question:  Is it still ok to be fishing on the rivers that are open in the world of social/physical distancing, particularly in areas with few people near the river?  I'm in the Cochrane area, and there are lots of places away from public paths/walkways available.  What about traveling to other destinations (ex. Crowsnest) as the  weather warms up, if it ever does?  What are others thinking/doing these days?

[Frenchcreek]

There is social distancing, if/when you need to go out for essentials. Then there is self- isolation as in stay home. So hopefully fishing folks can figure out what’s best to do. I’m doing both of the above.

[bowbonehead]

whatever you do it needs to be a solo event...... not the three guys in a drifter I saw as I was driving down deerfoot on Thursday...... pretty sure they were not a family group

[SilverDoctor]

If we start stretching things beyond family units and staying in place, the Gov. may decide to shut down the season completely. Here is where a few may kill it for everyone by looking for loopholes. 

[murray]

I totally agree with Silverdoctor.  Surely we can just hang on for a couple of months.  

[Fly007]

Hopefully anglers can see the big picture and not get in the same mindset as golfers. 

Stay Healthy

[yonderin]

Province has shut down staging areas in the Pass.  As in you're not even allowed to unload your sled and take off for a ride by yourself which would be less close contact than going to the store.  Can't even park within a kilometer of them.

How do you think they'll view fishing access points?  Or even people "randomly" parked alongside the road?

[toolman]

So, people are allowed to walk their dogs down to the river to fetch balls and sticks, but, I'm not allowed to go sit on a rock along the shoreline by myself if I'm carrying a fishing pole?

What the.... Ahhrrroooooo!!!

[bowbonehead]

I think you need to pick your spots ..... the off leash area and parking lot off southland and deerfoot is a gong show and should be monitored for numbers or else shut down ......

[Bcsteel]

In Ontario MNR has asked anglers to keep a rod distance apart. Still see trucks with multiple guys travelling to fishing areas.they will surely screw things up for everyone. No overnight camping anymore and trailer sites are now shut down. Parks conservation areas also closed.

[yonderin]

In Montana they've advocated a four trout distance.  Obviously they haven't seen the size of the ones I catch.

[scel]

I suggest that you think about it this way...

If you were to seriously get hurt and require emergency care, would you go to the same hospital if you suffered a similar injury at your home?

If the answer is 'no', then do not go. This disease can very quickly over-run a medical system.

If we stick to this path, I am cautiously optimistic that we could see a relaxation in the mitigation strategies in the next few weeks especially if local health care networks are not unnecessarily stressed.

[MMAX]

Obviously this social or physical distancing thing hasn't filtered up to the great white north. In the small town I live in, if someone lights a campfire, it attracts people like flies. Yesterday one of them had a fire in his driveway and there had to be about 8 of them standing around it after a time. Just have to shake my head. Can't wait for some open water so I can go sit by myself on my pontoon.

[Jayhad]

I'll fish solo or with my boy within an hour of my home. I don't have to come in contact with anyone. Its easy. 

Or if you have a 22' or larger jet you can fish a couple buddies. Haha

[1961flyman]

Imagine if only 50% of Calgary Anglers "Go Solo" like Jayhad. Pretty easy to imagine with rampant unemployed and bored, frustrated citizens.

I would think that every run or 2 or 3 will have a person in it.

Our Government is trying to lessen the overall problem of Transfer by hoping to instill an old term which still has great resonance.

"Short Term Pain, For Long Term Gain.

STAY HOME !

[BowLurker]

On 4/12/2020 at 2:02 PM, bowbonehead said:

I think you need to pick your spots ..... the off leash area and parking lot off southland and deerfoot is a gong show and should be monitored for numbers or else shut down ......

Last time I was down there (Sue Higgins) it was business as usual. Nobody is immune to this (dogs included)...even one that has contracted, suffered and survived. 

I went out to a spot 5min from home and promptly got swamped, by complete accident. Luckily I did not need medical attention, and made it back to my place, cold, but unharmed.

I'm bursting to get out there just like everyone else, but we need to stay home!

-M.

[dwday]

A buddy of mine went to 4 different access points yesterday just to go for a drive. He counted 68 vehicles parked at those spots. I think we are gonna see some changes 

[rudedawg]

"He counted 68 vehicles parked at those spots."

Remember, more cars at those spots doesn't always mean more people. Last time I was skiing in the backcountry (mid-March) my buddy and I arrived in separate vehicles, as did the next three skiers. I guess social distancing trumps climate change.

Last week I counted 2 dozen cars at a remote access point downstream of Policeman's, a place where 10 cars would be a busy day in normal times. I was prepared for a gong show on the river, but that trailhead accesses 4-5 km of fishable shoreline and I only saw a few other anglers during the day. Nobody in the walk 'n wade community is violating social distancing norms just by choosing to spend a few hours on the water, maintaining a couple of casting-lengths, or more, spacing. Social distancing does not mean solitary confinement.

On the other hand, a handful of jet boats passed by that were not solo trips, and I'd have to call that out as "non-compliant" (pretty sure these were not guided trips, though).

[bcubed]

7 minutes ago, rudedawg said:

"He counted 68 vehicles parked at those spots."

Remember, more cars at those spots doesn't always mean more people. Last time I was skiing in the backcountry (mid-March) my buddy and I arrived in separate vehicles, as did the next three skiers. I guess social distancing trumps climate change.

 

Prob the same day were out in K country. figured that Tryst had 25 cars at it, but then figured most were meeting out there seperatly. We did that for a day in Commonwealth. Unfortunately we bared the brunt of the idiots at Elbow Falls/Prairie (even though i dont understand how you hike within 6 feet of another person)

Considering the OHV crowd got them to back off from OHV bans, sure hope they dont touch fishing..

[jgib01]

4 hours ago, bcubed said:

Prob the same day were out in K country. figured that Tryst had 25 cars at it, but then figured most were meeting out there seperatly. We did that for a day in Commonwealth. Unfortunately we bared the brunt of the idiots at Elbow Falls/Prairie (even though i dont understand how you hike within 6 feet of another person)

Considering the OHV crowd got them to back off from OHV bans, sure hope they dont touch fishing..

OHV crowd are continuing to "lose their minds" over even the backed off plans... read the comments in the Minister's Facebook post on the matter @DevinDreeshen4AB. 

71% of wildfires caused by people, I think is what was said in the stat quoted in the video.  Maybe a total shutdown on the back country and forestry management areas is actually in order <cue barrage of assorted flying fruit and vegetables>

 

 

 

[dwday]

You can totally social distance on the river or trail but that’s not the issue. The issue is with having all those people in the parking lot. I don’t think it’s a problem but the government does. That’s why they closed the parks down

[trailhead]

Didn't close the parks down. You can go into the parks just can't use a motorized vehicle. Walk, hike or bike is fine.

[bcubed]

39 minutes ago, trailhead said:

Didn't close the parks down. You can go into the parks just can't use a motorized vehicle. Walk, hike or bike is fine.

You can’t get past highway 66 on highway 40 unless you own property. Get a fine if you park within 1 km of a PRA, can’t park in a staging area. Not sure why they didn’t just straight up close 

[scel]

6 hours ago, dwday said:

You can totally social distance on the river or trail but that’s not the issue. The issue is with having all those people in the parking lot. I don’t think it’s a problem but the government does. That’s why they closed the parks down

The goal is to give people incentive to stay at home by eliminating the freedom that allows us to travel.  As well, the problem was a huge uptick in outdoor activities.  Parks require maintenance and upkeep.  More people in the parks means more people to maintain the parks.  Unfortunately, people do not seem to understand how to take care of their own garbage.   Closing parking lots drastically reduces upkeep and reinforces social distancing.  Cigarette butts, pop/beer cans, fast food wrappers...these are all things that go up to an individuals mouth, and then someone has to clean it up.

It frustrates me because I am not one of the people who abuses these resources, but I am the kind of guy who will put my empty coffee cup into a garbage can.  If I notice I have an extra empty cup in the car, I will also put it into the garbage can.  Despite my good intentions and relative innocence, I have just become part of the problem.

[dwday]

I agree with your whole statement. If people were a little smarter and paid more attention parks and trailheads wouldn’t be shut down right now and we wouldn’t be in this position. I live in Banff and that first nice weekend everyone flocked to the popular trails. There were well over a hundred cars at Johnston canyon and parks saw a problem so they shut down trailheads. If people were smart and spread out more and like you said not threw garbage around we wouldn’t be in this position. That is what will probably happen at river access points as well