Originally Posted by
ycflyfisher
I'm not a lawyer or a LEO and I wouldn't claim to know any more than most anglers about CA law, but I don't see this as cut and dried as you seem to.
"Article 1. 2.00 (b) b) Snagging is prohibited. Snagging is defined as impaling or attempting to impale a fish in any part of its body other than inside the mouth by use of a hook, hooks, gaff , or other mechanical implement."
To me the word attempting seems to more than just imply willful intent to snag; where "impaling" is successful willful intent, and "attempting to impale" is unsuccessful willful intent.
Agree that pegged beads have the potential to snag, but so does every other fly pattern. I've inadvertently snagged fish on refused dries (skated and dead drifted), subsurface patterns under a bobber, and on patterns design to fish on downstream presentations under tension. I'd further argue that anyone who hasn't, just hasn't fished enough.
I've never done anything except own up and pay the fine for any infractions of the law I've ever been ever been cited for, and I don't peg beads, but if I did in the manner that Gregg is describing and was cited for it, I'd be showing up for court.
The real problem IMO is we've just got too damned many laws in the People's Republic and more than just a few of 'em are written way too ambiguously.