Radical Changes for Catch and Release Areas

Catch and Release at Bull Shoals

THE Norfork Tailwater Catch and Release area would be almost tripled in size and barbless single fly only rules abolished under major changes being proposed by fisheries managers for Arkansas tailwater regulations for 2010.

More than half the Norfork Tailwater would become C&R, only the Upper part of the River left under open regulations, as part of a raft of new regulations being put to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commision by Commission trout biologist Jeff Williams

The current ”single, barbless, hooking point regulation” for the Bull Shoals, Rim Shoals and Norfork C&R Zones would be abolished  and replaced with “artificial lures and flies only” regulation.

Fly fishers might enjoy the freedom of  2-fly “dry and dropper rigs” and an end to the controversial cotton patch testing for barbless hooks. But allowing multi treblehooked  jerk baits, plus an expansion of other spinning lures into catch and release zones is expected to ignite a major battle with the fly fishing lobby

The Journal two weeks ago reported on a controversy (Where Is The Logic? – April 2) again rearing its head over the fact barbless trebles were allowed in the Bull Shoals but 2 fly rigs were not.

 

AGFC fisheries biologist Jeff Williams yesterday unveiled the proposals to the Journal ahead of a period of public comment in May. The proposals will go before the Commission for a vote in August.

Mr Williams said he expected some resistance from fly fishers to the proposed changes for artificial lures, but said that the science showed that such techniques did not increase mortality significantly.

Currently a two-fly rig is prohibited in the C&R areas.  However, the scientific literature does not  indicate that a two-fly rig would increase hooking mortality nor would a barbed fly or treble hooked artificial lure.  The key to post-release survival is to not hook the fish in the gut, which is up to 5 times more likely with bait fishing. 

I have recommended for the upcoming regulation cycle that the single, barbless regulation be replaced with artificial lures and flies only.  I know that will make a few people unhappy, but the science just does not indicate that single, barbless is significantly more effective. 

Mr Williams said that he had also recommended a major increase in the size of the Norfork C&R zone, possibly the most significant proposal in the whole package. The upstream boundary of the C&R area would move from Otter Creek upriver to the bottom of Long Hole. At the lower end the C&R boundary would be in the vicinity of the River Ridge resort.

Mr Williams said that the changes to the C&R area would allow significant extra protection for stocked fish to grow.

 In addition, we will be stocking the C&R Area with fingerling rainbow trout of a wilder strain sometime this summer.  We have evidence that these fish perform better than our domestic-strain stockers (11 in). 

 He also said that the Sylamore C&R Area on the lower end of the White River would be abolished.  Data from population samples and the U of A studies indicate that this area is not working as a result of high summer water temperatures in that area.  Minimum flow modeling indicates that the additional flow will not reduce water temps sufficiently in this area.