uliwon Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 AS promised.... Here are some comments worth reading about the present AMP process on the Skeena watershed. There are lots of opinions on this....but this is written by a man I have a great deal of respect for who was there from the start. http://www.bulkleysteelheadanglers.com/Sit...%20Response.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricinus Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Thanks for the link, the report is an excellent read. The Steelhead fishery is a B.C. resource and they can manage it anyway they see fit. If I don't like the rules I'll go elsewhere. The sad thing is the business people who are going to take a hit didn't even get a say. Regards Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMasson Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Actually, one of the issues here is steelhead are also a federally managed fish that spend most of their lives in the ocean and not in BC's rivers and streams. Thanks for posting the article Uliwon. Made for some very interesting late-night reading! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taco Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 good read, thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
headscan Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 One of the biggest things that stands out to me is the difference between perception and reality. "I still recall vividly an impassioned performance by the then most prominent guide on the Bulkley who told an MOE convened public gathering he had personally counted over 400 anglers on the Bulkley upstream from Telkwa the day after the “big rains” came. The instantaneous counts under identical circumstance during the creel survey period revealed the maximum number of anglers never exceeded (as best I recall) about 150." Kind of makes me think of all the threads here where guys are complaining about overcrowding on the Bow. It's also sad that even though they proved the reality was different from the perceptions that launched the AMP, they still went ahead with it. Actually, one of the issues here is steelhead are also a federally managed fish that spend most of their lives in the ocean and not in BC's rivers and streams. Agree 100%. Even though we aren't B.C. residents some of our tax dollars are being spent on steelhead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uliwon Posted February 9, 2009 Author Share Posted February 9, 2009 Interesting related story... back in about early july 2001 my little sister got married in Calgary...I was fishing in Kamloops and came out for the wedding with a buddy who was just going to fish while I was busy.... Well the old man couldn't wait to get the hell out of a house full of wedding mad women...we hit Fishtales for licences, I bought all the biggest streamers I could get my hands on...(as in over 4" ones...I think I found three)...penciled in a shuffle and blasted down to MacKinnons... Upon arrival I just about puked at the sight of 12 plus trailers in the lot! It was noon and I could still see three boats down at the first corner... the Old man told me it was nothing..."welcome to the new Bow river" he says... Well, after hearing nobody was fishing streamers, ("the fish were not on them") I couldn't wait to tie on 4" of fun and rip the bank... I got a 22" brown out of the Boat launch before the boat hit the gravel....moved 6 more down the bank once we got moving, and probably had the best day I ever saw since about 1988...all they while a boat hatch surrounded us all day.... SO...sometimes pressure is relavent for sure....I have days on the Bulkley this year, personal fishing right in telkwa, where I had 6-8 grabs in 3 hours on dries behind guys flogging tips and half-a-kitten flies... but slow days make for excuses, and pressure becomes an excuse for slow days... The pressure on the Skeena has dropped off by like 35% in recent years, but they type of pressure has changed....mostly more boats...especially pontoons. Guys in Pontoons don't pull into a run and split it up...they all go occupy the top of each run near each other, not allowing much room to share the water....pull in below them and you are a turd (agreed), pull in above and wait and they get their feet stuck in the rocks and don't move... Makes you want to get a sled? yeah...thats what is happening too...so then there is that issue... So you see where the locals and guides get their panties in a knot...more and more access denied, more boats....what to do, what to do? Funny, I guess I do have some thoughts on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reevesr1 Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 but slow days make for excuses, and pressure becomes an excuse for slow days.. This is universal. Saltwater equivalent: "I was really on them until that other boat showed up and shut everything down!" What I usually ask is "How long after you arrived did you start catching?" Usually the response is "right away!" With my followup "then why didn't your boat shut them down?" Everyone always looks to blame someone else when they are not catching. It's the easiest thing to do. Sometimes the reason is relevant. Quite often it isn't. Maybe someone could teach a course in causality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birchy Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Rick.. we both know that it's YOUR fault that I couldn't catch any fish yesterday! Big jerk. This was an excellent read. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricinus Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Scott, I think your frustration with guys taking over a run is shared by everyone, resident and non-resident alike. Nobody seems to rotate thru a pool, they just monopolize it for the day- especially our nonguided(ha-ha) friends from Europe. We don't bother fishing the Bulkley above Smithers because its like a bloody regatta there. Even saw guys with jet skis roaring around. A lot of the problem is lack of access points, so unless you have a boat you are forced to fish a few areas which get very crowded and if everone parks their azz in one spot it gets pretty frustrating. I think its going to be crowded even if nonresidents are restricted. Don't know what the answer is. As far as the proposed new regs, the 8 day max stay or the one day a week for locals is not a big problem for me. The show stopper is the lottery, I'm not going to bid on a river and pay all the fees only to find its blown out and I can't move to another system. This is ridiculous and there is no way I can afford to play the game. Anyhow, I guess I'll just wait and see what happens Regards Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uliwon Posted February 10, 2009 Author Share Posted February 10, 2009 I think the lottery is just an idea...far too impractical an idea, impossible to enforce...not like the Dean where there is a captive audience...as in, where you going to go hide? 8 day max restrictions and possibly some models from Quebec Atlantic Salmon fisheries, where, for the last decade, they have been limited pressure and regulating the fisheries fairly well.... we also have to get the Government to put the Steelhead revenue where the fish are....not into a conservation trust fund so Elk can graze better in the East Kootenays....I love Elk....BUT... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
headscan Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 A local take on the issue... http://www.bclocalnews.com/bc_north/terrac...s/38386774.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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