This past week there was an article in the Baxter Bulletin concerning the recent vote by the Norfork City Council opposing an increase in the size of the Catch and Release section on the Norfork River. Their main premise was that the change would be bad for the fishing related businesses in Norfork. I do not share their opinion. In fact, I feel that just the opposite is true. An increase in the size of the Catch and Release section on the Norfork would be good for their fishing related businesses.
I have some experience in this matter. I have been a no kill guide on the White and Norfork Rivers for the past fifteen years. If you go fishing with me, all of the trout we catch will be lovingly released. I fish almost exclusively on Catch and Release waters. This has been a wise decision for me, as my business has steadily grown over the years. All of the fly fishing guides I know do the same. How can this be? We are selling a fishing experience not fish. What my clients are looking for is a trophy trout fishing opportunity. They do not want to catch five stockers and put them in a zip lock. They want a shot at a true trophy, a big fish.
How do you get big fish? It is very simple; you leave them in the river for a longer period of time. For years, I have heard that ninety percent of stocked fish are removed from the river in less than ninety days. That does not give them much of a chance to grow.
Now, when you catch that fish, I pull out a waterproof digital camera and take a photo of it. I also carry a tape measure that I use to determine its length and girth. I email the photo to you and you can use it as a screen saver on your computer or you can print out a hundred copies and give them to all your friends. If you want a mounted fish, you can go to a taxidermist with your photo and measurements and he can make you a fiberglass mount for about the same price as a dead mount. The fiberglass mounts look better and last longer.
When I first started fishing here over twenty five years ago the fishing scene was very different. There were not any fly fishing guides. All of the lodges catered to bait fishermen and there were dozens of bait guides. The fly fishers were definitely in the minority. Over time, fly fishing became more popular. Now there are dozens of fly fishing guides, four fly shops, several lodges that cater to fly fishers and a great local fly fishing club with hundreds of members. Most of these fly fishers practice Catch and Release. As a result of the growth in fly fishing, the Catch and Release areas are receiving up to four times the angling pressure per mile as the put and take areas.
Currently these Catch and Release areas represent approximately five percent of the total river mileage on the White and Norfork Rivers. The proposed change would increase the total percentage to about six percent. It should be noted that all anglers are allowed to fish in Catch and Release sections. They must use barbless single hook artificial lures and release all trout caught immediately.
If we truly want to draw more fishermen to our area, there is one thing that will bring them here, a reputation as a trophy trout fishery. We cannot kill all of the fish in the river and achieve this goal. To get bigger fish we have to manage the trout just like we manage other species like deer or ducks.
That was the whole idea of the Trout Management plan. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission invited in the public and asked them what they wanted. Virtually all of them said they wanted bigger fish. Over a two year period the professional trout biologists studied the river, its food base and current fishing practices. There were a few gaps in their knowledge and they brought in a PHD from the University of Arkansas and he performed several studies over a two year period. They collated all of the information and determined that the best way to produce big fish was to enlarge the Catch and Release section on the Norfork River. At the same time a Catch and Release section on the White would be eliminated because it just doesnt work. These decisions are based on science.
Bigger fish will enhance our reputation as a trophy trout fishery and that will generate more business for all of us. This is not just increased guide fees but will also increase business for lodging, restaurants, gas stations and tackle shops. It will also enhance the quality of fishing for our resident anglers. A trophy trout is too valuable to only be caught once.
