Trouts Fly Fishing

House Bill 1188… a real game changer

In a huge step forward for the states recreational boating community, the Colorado state senate passed a revised House Bill 1188 last Monday night, paving the way for the a ultimate resolution to the age old question of who ultimately owns our states rivers.  For those of you not up to speed on this legislation, House Bill 1188 addresses the issue of whether commercial and recreational boaters have the right to float through private property without fear of civil prosecution.  If passed, the bill would make it legal or commercial and recreational (private) boaters to pass through private property so long as they do not touch the river bottom or banks.  In addition, it would allow boaters to navigate (portage) around hazardous obstacles that may pose a safety risk, without the risk of civil prosecution.

But haven’t boaters (commercial and private) always been allowed to float through private property?

The answer is yes, that is until now.  This particular bill was conceived as a result of a civil lawsuit filed by a private land owner Wilder on the Taylor, who was attempting to bar access to their property by Scenic River Tours, a commercial rafting company. (click here to see a letter from the land owner to the rafting company)  The land owner has claimed that by floating through their property, the raft company was trespassing on their land.

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Patagonia’s NEW Online Fly Fishing Catalog

Patagonia has gone paperless for their 2010 Spring Fishing Catalog, with this new online edition just released today.  Check out page 12 for some familiar faces from Trout’s Fly Fishing.

Trout’s Logo Hat Contest Entry | Eagle River Rainbow Slab

Trout’s Logo Hat Contest Entry #3, Greg Connor with a beautiful 21″ rainbow trout taken off the Lower Eagle River.  What did the fish eat?  A size 12 Squirel Nymph of all things.  That’s definitely a great way to start off the spring fishing season.

Dream Stream Renamed in Honor of the Late Charlie Meyers

This was posted today in the Denver Post:

It’s official. The “Dream Stream” portion of the South Platte River connecting Elevenmile and Spinney Mountain reservoirs will become the Charlie Meyers State Wildlife Area on May 1. The change was unanimously approved by the Colorado Wildlife Commission on Thursday during its monthly meeting.

The move honors the longtime Denver Post outdoor writer and editor who died Jan. 5 after a two-year battle with lung cancer and frequently fished along the river.

Longtime friends and associates of Meyers agreed the tribute was especially appropriate because of his involvement in bringing the stretch of river into the public domain, accessible to all fishermen and helping maintain its quality by encouraging sound resource management.

“He was definitely a catalyst,” said Eddie Kochman, who was the Colorado Division of Wildlife’s aquatics manager when the DOW acquired the property and established catch-and-release fishing regulations for the approximately 3 1/2 miles of river between the reservoirs.

Florida Snook Population Have Taken a Hit

Although the numbers are staggering, and prospects of a good 2010 fishing season are slim, many seem to believe that the long term outlook for Florida Snook remain good.  This film does make a good point regarding the loss of habitat for this species, and many others.  I wish Florida a speedy recover from this epic event.