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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (July 18, 2018)
Wednesday, July 18, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon 29 METOLIUS: Regulatory change could make enforcement easier Continued from page 1 keeps anglers from catching spawning trout and eliminates the potential for trampling their nests, called redds, while wading in the river. Fly fish- ing and spin fishing with lures and barbed hooks are allowed from Bridge 99 downstream to the river’s mouth. The upper river was first desig- nated catch-and-release only in 1983. In addition to designat- ing the Metolius River all fly fishing only, other proposed regulation changes include catch-and-release for all spe- cies, which would eliminate harvesting mountain white- fish that can now be taken; single, barbless hooks below Allingham Bridge, specifying that no bait fishing is allowed; and changing the reference to Lower Bridge from Bridge 99 in the fishing regulations booklet to be consistent with signs on the river. One of the things these potential changes would do is simplify the regulations for fishing on the Metolius River. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, which man- ages the fisheries and fishing on Oregon’s waters, develops rules that attempt to accom- modate a broad range of anglers who may be interested in catching different species of fish using a variety of fish- ing gear and meth- ods. However, this can also result in complicated or confusing regulations and some anglers may find them- selves inadvertently fishing illegally. More understandable rules would minimize that as well as making it easier for Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division troopers to determine if an angler is breaking the law. Jeff Perin, owner of The Fly Fisher’s Place in Sisters, is all for the regulation changes. “I think it’s a real good idea for a number of reasons,” he said, noting that he recently saw some kids rigging up spinning outfits above the Camp Sherman Bridge, well upstream from where spin fishing is allowed. “It would simplify the regulations. A lot of people don’t know where the Camp Sherman, Allingham and Bridge 99 are,” which are used as reference points for sections of the river with different fishing rules. Perin is also concerned about bull trout poaching, which is an ongoing problem on the remote stretch of the river below Bridge 99. “It’s not the fly fishers that are fishing illegally,” he said. “It’s the bait and rapala crowd” — referencing a kind of spin fishing lure that resem- bles a minnow and is espe- cially effective for catching large bull trout. He has also spotted people sneaking into Candle Creek Campground below Bridge 99 with bait. Eliminating spin fishing from the river would make it easier for law enforcement officers PHOTO BY JIM YUSKAVITCH Anglers fly fish the upper reach of the Metolius River above the Camp Sherman Bridge. to identify poachers. Bull trout are designated as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act. Two Oregon State Police officers patrol the Metolius River, Senior Trooper Scott Sogge who patrols the river from Candle Creek C a m p g r o u n d u p s t r e a m and Senior Trooper Chuck Lindberg out of Madras who keeps an eye on the lower reach to the mouth. This spring, troopers seized 15 ille- gally caught bull trout on the lower river and arrested the suspected poachers. To get the regulations on the Metolius River changed, proponents will have to con- vince ODFW that it’s a good idea. Despite support from anglers locally and around the state, ODFW fisheries biolo- gists are not enthusiastic about the proposal. ODFW District Fisheries biologist Brett Hodgson, in Bend, is reluctant to take spin fishing off the menu for Metolius River anglers as that would reduce angling oppor- tunities. He’s also skeptical that an all-fly-fishing-only designation would help with the bull trout poaching prob- lem, which he views as a law enforcement issue rather than a conservation issue. “We don’t want to limit angling opportunities for people who want to spin fish because of a few bad eggs,” said Hodgson. ODFW is working closely with the Oregon State Police to ratchet up the law enforce- ment presence on the river and have been seeing some positive results. According to Hodgson, poaching on the reach around Bridge 99 has fallen off considerably, although it is still a problem on the lower, more remote stretches that are harder to patrol. Hodgson isn’t concerned about the overall impact poaching is having on fish populations. “The redband population on the Metolius is robust and the bull trout population is probably the healthiest in the state,” said Hodgson. But proponents are press- ing ahead, and ODFW has received around 300 emails from anglers in support of the regulation changes. Nevertheless, to be successful, advocates will ultimately need to show fisheries managers that their proposal will ben- efit the fish enough to justify eliminating spin fishing from the river. — Serving all of Central Oregon — Sandy Goodsell Principal Broker Jonathan Hicks Broker ABR, CDPE, CIAS, GRI, SRES 541-480-0183 865-335-6104 LICENSED BROKERS IN THE STATE OF OREGON goodsellandhickssellcentralor.com HOWELLS REALTY GROUP NEW The Exclusive Onsite Realtor for Black Butte Ranch Listing! 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