Need some clarification!

[merkyl09]

Reading the language in the rule books can be frustrating sometimes as I am new to fly fishing and want to keep fishing. My brother in law and I are curious if we are limited to only fishing the waters listed in the extended season section of the rule book? Or is that only if you are harvesting fish? To me that sounds like you are limited on where you can fish if you want to keep fish. We only catch and release and love to fish small tribs and brook streams. Does anyone have any clarification on this or am I better off just contacting the fish commission and getting a solid answer from them.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

You can pretty much fish anywhere year 'round, with the exception of Approved Trout Waters. ATW are closed from March 1 til the first day of Trout Season. Other than that, if you're not harvesting, have at it.

 

[merkyl09]

So in that language, harvest is the key word correct? I was under that impression but it wasn't something I wanted to test out without being sure.

 

[Fishidiot]

merkyl09 wrote:
So in that language, harvest is the key word correct?

Yes.

Sasquatch is on target.

Where it gets confusing is regarding where one can fish for trout during the closed season in March on a catch and release basis.
This topic has produced many hundred of replies to dozens of threads here on this forum and comes up every year. Those of us with many years of fishing experience don't completely agree as the regs are a bit vague on this and the topic involves complicated stocking boundaries, county lines, stream classifications, and some other gray areas.

However, there is some consensus (with a few exceptions)that as long as you practice C&R and are not within the boundaries of an ATW during the closed season....you can fish for trout.

 

[merkyl09]

Fantastic! I appreciate everyone's speedy and informed response. My brother in law and I have been going back and forth trying to decipher the language and ended up just being frustrated. I figured I would try here knowing someone would have the answer. Thanks.

 

[mikesl]

Another related topic has to do with some of the precautions one should take when fishing in the fall and winter.
Fall is spawning season for the wild browns and brookies.
It is considered poor form to wade in stream sections where trout nests ("Redds") may be present, since there is a real possibility of trampling eggs.
The most critical areas are those with fine loose gravel bottoms. The trout eggs stay in the gravel over the winter and hatch in the spring.
So, basically from mid fall, after redds first appear, until sometime in early spring, care should be taken not to wade across soft gravel bottoms while fishing wild trout streams.

 

[salmonoid]

merkyl09 wrote:
So in that language, harvest is the key word correct? I was under that impression but it wasn't something I wanted to test out without being sure.

Keep in mind that even if your intent is to not harvest, if you accidentally kill a fish, you're in violation of the regulation. A WCO could prosecute you and would likely win the case. So it's not so much harvest or not that matters; it is immediate return of the fish to the water and it lives to see another day that ultimately matters.

That being said, I see no reason to not fish year round and have done that for the past ten years or so, with full confidence that I am operating within the confines of the regulation. There's a small risk that I might accidentally kill a fish during a no-kill window, which would put me in violation of the regulation, but that's a risk I'm willing to take.

 

[merkyl09]

Thanks again for the pointers and tips. I appreciate the info on spawning. It being the first year that I really have concentrated on trout fishing, there has been a flood of useful info thrown at me from all kinds of sources. Conservation and proper care of the surrounding environment has always been high on my list of priorities. Thanks again for all the info.

 

[huntfish]

+1 on mikesl's post.