Brown Trout Petition for the Eleven Point

[drew03cmc]

I just fished the black canyon of the gunnison last weekend. The browns are completely taking over and the CDOW wants you to take browns out. They are trying to preserve what rainbows are left. All the rainbows in that section of river are wild fish. they are trying to protect the rainbows. I caught a 20 in brown right infront of a CDOW agent right after he checked my liscense and he told me to keep it. I didnt becuase I had about 5 hours left to fish and then a 4.5 mile hike back out of the canyon.

I only caught 3 rainbows during the 2 days I fished it. the other probably 50 fish i caught were browns. My point is that CDOW knows they made a mistake by planting browns in the river because it is demolishing the wild rainbow population by eating the rainbow fingerlings. Lets face it, a 20in brown can eat a lot of fingerlings. Hell a 15 in brown can eat a lot of rainbow fingerlings. For that reason I am against stocking browns in the 11 pt.

thats my story and im stickin to it

You realize they had a problem with Whirling Disease in the last few years, right? That disease affects the rainbows specifically. That is why you caught more browns than bows. I realize you spoke to a CDOW agent, but they are not always right. Think of Missouri's agents...they have their moments. Before blaming the reduction of the bows on browns please think of that. That outbreak has been VERY well published in numerous national fly fishing publications. Fly Fish America had an article about fishing the Gunnison Gorge last year in their trout issue, and lo and behold....(drumroll please), they were informed to not expect many bows due to the outbreak of whirling disease. The numbers of rainbows have been severely depleted. In the magazine, the six people who spent three days fishing caught ONE rainbow, and easily one hundred brown trout.

The browns would enhance a stellar fishery to possibly being a world class trout river if the fish grow to sizes exceeding 10#+ and are abundant. Now, I realize that is all speculatory, so why not stock the browns and see how they do. If nothing else, their life expectancy would not exceed 10-15 years, so after that, you would have your all rainbow trout fishery back that cannot sustain itself without additional stockings. Just what I think, and how I feel on the matter.

[ColdWaterFshr]

------- "The browns would enhance a stellar fishery to possibly being a world class trout river if the fish grow to sizes exceeding 10#+ and are abundant."-----------

Maybe thats whats at the heart of the matter.

I don't really want to see the 11 pt become a "world class fishery" because that would only bring more people and more pressure for development. I am sure browns would do well in this river and would quickly grow to very large sizes, and soon word would get out.

Be careful what you wish for. The 11 pt is my favorite river, and maybe thats because its not just about the fishing.

[jdmidwest]

Well said Coldwater...

There are evil forces at work here.

[Brian Sloss]

There is about 36.5 miles of the Eleven Point inside the national scenic and wild riverway designation. The middle 20 miles is the traditional trout water. The vast majority of the land is national forest and the little private in the trout water is legally bound with conservation easements and can't leave the family that owns it and can't be developed. The private land below 160 to 142 has easements for the most part as well. The river will not be developed nor do I want it to be. I just want to make a good fishery better, no evil power at work here, just want to see some big browns since the rainbows are not sustaining themselves.

[gonefishin]

If Rainbow aren't self sustaining in the river why would Browns be?

Maybe it should be managed for SMB or some other natural fish.

[jcoberley]

The web site I am listing say nothing about trout being the reason the hellbenders are declining. You can read about them at this web address http://www.ozarkhellbender.com/ I think it is insteresting to read about them as I have only seen 2 in my life.

[hornyheadchub]

If Rainbow aren't self sustaining in the river why would Browns be?

Maybe it should be managed for SMB or some other natural fish.

EXACTLY. I'd rather catch a smallie, goggle-eye, or pickerel any day over a troot.

I think I'm gonna start a poll, no make that petition to erradicate ALL trout from the 11pt.

Give the Brown Bass their river back.

[duckydoty]

Duane Doty

Springfield, Missouri

I'm infavor of brown trout being introduced to the Eleven point river

[motroutbum]

yes i knew that they are suffereing from WD. so are just about everyother river out here. THe agent also mentioned that. but do you know what whirling diesease does. it makes affects the spinalcord formation and makes the trout swim in circles. Then the big bad brown trout come and eat the fingerlings suffereing from the diesease. You do know that it only affects rainbows that are less than 2 years of age?!?!

Im done with this thread if you have any other qualls with my view pm me

[jdmidwest]

Well I have noticed that since Greer to Turner has the new regs and the Rainbows have declined, the Smallmouth fishing has gotten better. I was given the low flows and the warmer water temps the credit, but it may be the decline of the trout.

I do not want to stop the MDC from the stocking of rainbows in the 11pt, the fishery between Turner and Riverton is excellent.

How about a world class brown bass stream? Wait a minute, MDC is trying to make it that also with restrictions in place already.