The Future Of Our Wild Rivers

For Most fisherman a perfect day fishing consists of being on a majestic mountain stream with tumbling waterfalls, wide open meadows and the wild splendor of the surrounding forest. Whether you enjoy a quite day by yourself, or you would rather share the day with friends, fishing is the perfect way to escape all the stress and frustration that life constantly throws your way. Being on the water, locating a rising wild trout, and throwing that perfect cast right over his nose. With a savage rise, the peace is broken by the fishes areal performance and fierce runs that makes your heart and your reel sing. The intense battle between you and the fish, and finally after the trout gives you all the fight it can muster, "the release".

Catch and release is a phrase that many anglers are starting to see posted on there favorite wild trout streams more and more these days. The reason for this is simple, wild trout are
a resource that can become endangered or completely extinct if regulations are not imposed to insure there protection from over harvesting. When native rivers are in danger of being "fished out", it becomes necessary to restock the river with hatchery fish, which is a terrible blow to Quality trout waters in our area. Just ask any angler who has hooked both native and planted trout to tell you the difference between the two, and they will
most likely give you a description similar to this.

Wild trout have such brilliant coloring, while with lack of clean and constant running water that you would find in a stream, "planters" are usually much more plain looking. In addition they will almost always have a loss of scales and damage to there fins from the transportation process.

From the time there born native fish are constantly having to contest with the current in the stream, and have plenty of space to move. Planted fish on the other hand are born in
hatcheries with little or no natural running water, and do not have the freedom of movement that native fish do. This makes wild trout genetically stronger, and they have much more stamina for those long battles with anglers.

Last and most importantly, when rivers are stocked, the chance of the waters becoming tainted with disease is greatly increased. In the past few years Whirling disease has
started infesting waters all over the contry. For those not familiar with the disease it affects trout by disfiguring there bone structure, which makes it almost impossible for thefish to feed, (they basically starve to death). Now we have found that the it was started, and is transmitted partly by hatchery raised fish. The it is then transmitted to the native stock of fish, and in time can completely eradicate almost all rainbow trout in the
infected river system.

Now with help from concerned anglers, and enormous support from the California Rivers Restoration Fund we can priotect and enhance our native fisheries. They have devoted much time, and effort to insure the protection of our local native trout waters and they are true advocates for our fish.

When the trout in native rivers are finally gone, we lose one of our areas most valuable natural resources and even if they are re-stocked, the replacements will never be able to
live up to there predecessor explosive temperament, strength and stamina. Who knows? Maybe some day we will be able to strap ourselves into machines that will simulate all of
our native trout waters for us. For me, I would rather strap myself into a car and drive to a protected native stream.

By Steve B Walser (Executive Director)
California Rivers Restoration Fun
(209) 532-7146