From all i've read here and heard from other reliable sources, the elk is becoming a must-fish trout river. That said, please, please, please do not let it become what the caney has. I loved fishing the caney, key word: loved, past tense. It was a bad trip if i didn't manage a 20+" brown or three, even during low flows. Now, i feel like i fight crowds and wonder what happened to the fishery more than fishing.
Being a smaller river, i doubt the elk can sustain the pressure the caney recieves, especially if the meat hunters bombard it. I know everyone is entitled to their limit of trout, but being a responsible angler means not taking fish home just because you can every time you hit the water. Ultimately, we are the stewards of the waters we fish, and as such are charged with protecting the fish we love to catch for not only ourselves, but for future generations, as well.
I have been guilty of disclosing too much info in the past, and while i may not be solely responsible for the decline of some of my once-favorite small waters, i share in the blame. In another thread, this issue was debated in a "my right to fish where i want" vs "i don't want to draw too much attention" manner, and i have to side with the "less attention is better" argument. Yes, i do ask for advice here, but more often i can search archivef posts for all i need...something ANYONE is capable of doing. Remember that when you post grip-n-grins with a detailed report because that post will be around much longer and more accessible than you think.
Rick, awesome fish. I enjoy reading your reports while thinking "if i caught fish like that, as often as he does, i'd never stop smiling!"
Sorry for the longevity, but this is a sorta sore spot with me.
Chris
|