Nice Trout On The Spring River

[laker67]

The fish shouldn't be too hard to see because they will be sitting right in the middle of a big circle of really clean rock called a redd.

Especially all of those 10 pound fish......I need those guys around to guess the size of the fish I have caught!!

Does it not count unless they are hard to see?

[Brian Wise]

Does it not count unless they are hard to see?

No, no...not the point I was trying to make. A rainbow spraying eggs all over the place, obviously pulled off of a redd and one guys walking through redds while he is landing a fish.......It's pretty obvious those guys just need to be informed or "edu-ma-cated" you might say. Is one of them a guide? I would personally hope a fly fishing guide would inform those guys to keep "his" river as awesome as it can be -- as guides are just as big of a resource for conservation as AGFC or MDC.

I understand that it is seriously cool to catch a 22" rainbow, and that is one really nice fish (although I would bet my life and well being that it isn't over 5 pounds, much less anywhere near 10) but smashing through redds and spraying eggs all over the place like it was a Super Soaker isn't cool, especially since there is probably more rainbow trout spawn success in the Spring River than anywhere else in Arkansas.

[KATroutman13]

I agree with Brian, there is no way that fish is even in the ballpark of 10 pounds. I also have to agree that those guys were likely tromping all over redds to land that fish. On a side note, that one kid who was just walking to walk was killing me. Get the net off of the other kids back and net the fish, it will be easier that way.

But Brian, are you telling everyone here that you have not or will not be pulling rainbows off of redds on the NFOW? Or that you did not target browns on the same?

[Brian Wise]

But Brian, are you telling everyone here that you have not or will not be pulling rainbows off of redds on the NFOW? Or that you did not target browns on the same?

Exactly. Not trying to sound all "high and mighty" here but the NFOW has no choice but for the spawn to work......the rainbows don't get a second chance and it kind of sucks when someone so close (i.e. the Spring River) is profitting from the rainbows in spawn. All that does is show everyone how NOT to 1. Handle Spawning Fish, 2. Take care of your resource, and 3. Do wild fisheries anything but harm.

(Sorry if I get on a soapbox here but we had a nice little conversation on Facebook about this and the photos of redds they were posting that they were playing off as a dinnerbell sign.)

The Spring River is a great fishery and I, personally like fishing it....there are a TON of stockers in that river to eat and mess with and big fish to catch................but this is the only time of year you ever see photos of the big fish from the Spring River which is a shame.

[Ham]

I've heard that the water chemistry on the Spring River is not conducive to natural reproduction of the trout on that river. Have there been any studies of reproductive success by the trout done on that river?

[Jason R.]

Anyone else think that fly looked like it was kinda... not in the fish's mouth? I mean, it was close- but I'd call that one foul hooked. Not that I wouldn't be pumped to foul hook that thing (though it does not look like its close to 10 pounds). It sure is a lot easier to snag em off a redd...

[KATroutman13]

Exactly. Not trying to sound all "high and mighty" here but the NFOW has no choice but for the spawn to work......the rainbows don't get a second chance and it kind of sucks when someone so close (i.e. the Spring River) is profitting from the rainbows in spawn. All that does is show everyone how NOT to 1. Handle Spawning Fish, 2. Take care of your resource, and 3. Do wild fisheries anything but harm.

(Sorry if I get on a soapbox here but we had a nice little conversation on Facebook about this and the photos of redds they were posting that they were playing off as a dinnerbell sign.)

The Spring River is a great fishery and I, personally like fishing it....there are a TON of stockers in that river to eat and mess with and big fish to catch................but this is the only time of year you ever see photos of the big fish from the Spring River which is a shame.

Brian,

Your post is nonsensical, to me. Do you fish for fish on redds or not? Do you guide people to fish for fish on redds?

[Justin Spencer]

But Brian, are you telling everyone here that you have not or will not be pulling rainbows off of redds on the NFOW?

I think he said exactly, meaning he does not, but I'll let him speak for himself.

There are plenty of fish to be caught in the super fast riffles nymphing here that it is easy to pass up the redds during the rainbow spawn. I personally would feel extremely guilty pulling a wild fish off a redd knowing that this is the only way we get more fish in this river. In stocked rivers I couldn't care less if people pull them off redds (although in some rivers it could hurt wild populations), but agree with Brian that teaching it or bragging about it on you tube could harm wild fisheries like ours here on the NFoW. I have attempted to fish for Browns on redds here (never caught one by the way) but they supposedly do not successfully spawn here so if I were to catch one, it doesn't run the risk of hurting the population.

[KATroutman13]

Justin,

If that is what he is saying, then I think he needs to remove several of his videos from Youtube and avoid any further January trout odysseys. Time for some blog clean-up, too.

[Trout Commander]

Justin,

If that is what he is saying, then I think he needs to remove several of his videos from Youtube and avoid any further January trout odysseys. Time for some blog clean-up, too.

Are you under the impression that all trout caught in January are caught off of redds?