Some Thoughts On Quality Fishing...

[Tim Smith]

I just don't know what else you can use? Quality can go a lot of different directions, and in my opinion requires a lot of judgement from the fisherman. A world class designation would need to impress far and wide and I don't what beyond size and numbers could do that. The John Day smallies are no different then your Colorado brookies, someone put them there so you might as well enjoy them.

Our fish could use a lot of help, but the MDC is timid and doesn't want to interfere in the harvest of native fish anymore then they have to and the DNR is lost in the money pool.

You're right the brook trout are the same as the John Daly smallies. I'm not saying don't fish for exotics but I am saying don't support that fishery. I'd fish John Daly for smallies and I'd probably enjoy it. But I'd be very sure no one made a buck off me when I did and I'd be much more likely to creel any exotics I caught there.I target exotics a big percentage of the time I fish specifically to keep pressure off the natives. But I don't want more exotics back in those streams. If possible, I want greenback and cutthroat and the natives brook trout replaced. I want native steelhead and salmon in the John Daly.

The difference comes (as it has in the John Daly and other systems) when the DNRs and business interests line up behind the exotics and try to spread them around even more.

Why not add economic and environmental sustainability to your criteria for size and numbers?

[mic]

... at my age, I just like to feel my rod throb.

Ron, good thing I want to go on another float with ya... so all let this one slide So many ways to go with this one.

[mic]

For me it is all about the outing. For example, when I went on my trip to Montana. I almost had to pull out the "customer's always right" card with my guide. He kept telling me I needed to float the Yellowstone. I wanted to be up in the Mountains wading streams. I was right, what a lifetime experience. I'm not saying I would have loved the float and even catching a nice trout, but I don't think it would have been a nice as being deep in the woods and a boulder strewn creek. Plus, I caught such a diversity of fish.