Practising On A Closed River

[bigalcal]

I work with a few friends that want to learn how to fly fish. We are going up to the Waiporous area for the long weekend and I thought it would be great chance to teach them how to cast. Is it illegal to practice casting on a closed river? We would just have a line and a leader and a piece of yarn. I assume it probably is, but I just wanted to check.

 

I can't wait 'til June 16!!

[Taco]

I'd assume it isn't either but be prepared to do a lot of talking to an enforcement officer. Make sure you ain't within 200' of a fishin' hook when practicin' on the stream and you may get away with it. May long will be one of Morton's zero tolerance weekends, why push your luck, grass cast or find some open season water.

[dryfly]

I LANDED a rainbow on a yarn indicator on the OM once....hit indy .. got teeth stuck in yarn and tangled in leader ... landed it. Try to explain that in a closed river.

 

Stay on the grass or you will be wasting time trying to get out of a lot of tickets and remember they can take all of your gear. Just not worth the possible hassle and they will be on full alert looking for potential law breakers.

Perhaps more importantly, it will waste the time of officers who have more important things to do.

[jksnijders]

 

 

I was fishing the Crow early in the year a few years ago, packed up and headed home without taking off my waders. Driving north past Maycroft, and a hell of a storm to the west, so I headed into the Oldman to see if I could get a pic or 2. Pulled off the road, standing beside my truck, and a CO drives by. Brakes slam, lights go on, comes over, had to tell him the story behind the waders, he was pretty sure I was going fishing. All was well after I explained the situation, but all it took was seeing me in waders before June 16.

[headscan]

I'd call F&W to find out for sure. But overall I'm in agreement with Taco and dryfly - grass is a perfect place to start someone casting and why waste the time of the officers especially on a weekend that's already going to be very busy for them.

[theiceman2]

Tough one. It all depends on if you feel like explaining yourself to the wardens. I wouldn`t attempt it after as case of beers.

[bigalcal]

I was fishing the Crow early in the year a few years ago, packed up and headed home without taking off my waders. Driving north past Maycroft, and a hell of a storm to the west, so I headed into the Oldman to see if I could get a pic or 2. Pulled off the road, standing beside my truck, and a CO drives by. Brakes slam, lights go on, comes over, had to tell him the story behind the waders, he was pretty sure I was going fishing. All was well after I explained the situation, but all it took was seeing me in waders before June 16.

 

Thanks all for your feedback. I would hate to waste a CO's time! I was also thinking about camping at Racehorse Creek "pre-season" and checking out how the river direction may have changed over the winter down near the Gap. I would probably need my waders to cross some sections. That may require some explaining if I encountered a CO. I'll wait until after May long when they are bored!!

[jack]

Techically, according to the definitions in the regs, it is permissable.

 

"Sportfishing – means angling (using hook and line), bowfishing or spearfishing, but also includes using a minnow trap, seine net or dip net to collect bait fish for personal use.

 

Sportfishing Seasons

 

CLOSED – means all forms of sportfishing are prohibited."

 

Now the C.O.'s wasting time responding to reports of fishing on a closed stream, should be addressed by first discussing it with a C.O. manager, then calling C.O.s Service report centre and advising them who you are, what you are doing and the times, dates and specific location and reference your discussion with the C.O. manager.

That was the scenario at a closed river in B.C. and I was advised of the steps to take by a senior regional C.O.

[Guest Sundancefisher]

A buddy of mine was on a closed part of the Bow River with his 5 year old daughter and her fishasaurus fishing rod. This thing was shorter than an ice fishing rod...as thick as your wrist and cast a giant dinosaur bobber with a fake fishing hook... Not really a fishing rod.

 

Anyways...a fish cop stops them...and rights them up a ticket. He explained profusely that his daughter can not possibly catch a fish with the rod not to mention the water was only a foot deep and shallow for ever.

 

No such luck. He obviously fought the ticket and the judge laughed and threw it out immediately upon seeing the rod.

 

Moral of the story...annoy a fish cop and loose a day of your life that would of been spent better fishing!

 

[trailhead]

Well it's good that the legal system has judges that actually do the job of judging. As for the fish cop he was doing his job too. A fishing rod is a fishing rod, even if it is a toy. The judgement was made later. I forgot my license at home once and the fish cop took all my gear and I had to go to his office with my license to reclaim it.