Small Stream Question

[fj40]

Any idea how long it takes for small stream fisheys to recover from being caught and start to feed and live a normal life again. I recentley fished a small stream and touched a lot of fish working my way upstream. Upon finishing fishing and reflecting on my day I started to feel like maybe I should treat them more like I would a quail hunt and not shoot the whole covey but catch a fish or two out of a hole then move on to the next one leaving some of them untouched. I thought that I should get my 11 year old out there but felt I should not go back out there the next day and try to hook the same fish. Give them a break. Love my small steam and want to do my part to keep it healthy. Any thoughts? Dave

[Darian]

Uh,.... Where did you say that stream was???.... Just kidding. :p

Actually, your feeling about the stream sounds like a good idea even if the Trout are not impacted by fishing every day. Of course, a lot depends on whether your stream is well known and fished by other anglers. If that's the case, your plan might not work.

You could take your son out and allow him to fish while you take photo's and maybe educate him on the local flora/fauna on one of the days you would elect to fish. 8)

[dickwhite]

While fishing with my kids and teaching them to handle fish properly it seems that not all trout are the same. Brookies seem to be the most resilient and to be able to recover from a 5 yr old beginner fly fishers handling. Rainbows are much delicate. Just like in food safety Time and Tempurature are the real keys.

Just got back from hiking with the kiddos (now 7 and 12) in the John Muir Wilderness. Wow, what an area. 40-50 fish days on all dries.

Dick White
Tahoma Meadows B&B