The Root River : A Crumbling Fishery for a Serious Angler.
I have been fishing the Root River in Racine Wisconsin for 20 years, most of the time in the fall for Kings and sometimes in the winter for steelhead. There has always been many fisherman and many fish. The Root River draws anglers because it brings a fall run of salmon some pushing 35 pounds! Catching these fish on the fly has burned some completely vivid, awesome, and lifelong memories in my head. First and foremost it is not easy for most serious fisherman to all of the sudden share spots and large fish with others.
Because of this there are some unwritten and some very real laws to help the fisherman get along, catch fish, and like any sport keep a fair playing field as well as good sportsmanship. Here are the UNWRITTEN RULES:
1. Do not be stupid.
2. If you want a good spot get your butt out of bed early and claim one
3. Do not walk through a fishing hole. There is only one way and that is around.
4. If you snag do not go in after it. If you could afford a license, you can afford to lose a few flies
5. Do not be stupid.
6. Do not sleep until 8 eat a nice breakfast and expect to walk up and squeeze into a top spot ( also see rules 1,2,5)
7. YOU CANNOT KEEP A FISH THAT IS FOWL HOOKED (real law) sooo do not waste everyone life by trying to tow a tale hook salmon against the current. Break it off genius.
8. There are fish limits for a reason, do not steal, sell, net, harpoon, or SNAG them (see rules 1 and 5)
9. We do not care where you are from and what they did there or how you were raised. If your dad was stupid don’t pass it on. Your in America now follow rules 1 and 5
10. FISH Sanctuary. I am just guessing but I am pretty sure you cannot fish there (see rules 1 and 5)
11. Get a license
12. I love casting spoons. However casting them in 2 -3 foot of water in the middle of fly fishermen may be breaking rules 1 and 5
13. There is no fishing before the official start time. I am fairly certain that’s why they made one
14. No night fishing in the rivers does not mean hey lets night fish in the rivers
15. Just because you look like a fisherman doe not mean you are one. Manners… Get Some
This weekend we saw almost every one of these rules broken. I asked a friend if he removed all of the fisherman who broke rule #1 how many would be left, he said “ out of all of them here and not here lined up along the entire river 30.” Unfortunately the fun of catching these fish no longer out weighs the endless quagmire of stupidity. As each season passes the amount of sad pitiful characterless wanna be fisherman doubles and the salmon numbers seem to go down. Racine (sorry if you live there) is a dirty nasty town and not a fun place stay. The truly sad part of this is that if the city and state agencies got their heads out of their $%$, and invested in clean up, education, stocking, marketing and shoreline/river up-keep, improvements, and construction this could have been a win win for everyone. You know the saying there is never a DNR agent around when you need one, goes double at the Root. I have read and been told that in other states and fisheries the fishing is better, the areas are nicer, and the anglers in general follow rules 1 and 5.
One of these years this smart young man will be spending his fishing dollars at a real salmon run. By next season unfortunately my anger will have dulled and my endless need for fishing will still not be quenched and I will most likely break rules 1 and 5 and go back.
Oh I almost forgot Root River Report: Water and fish are numbers low. Few fish hooked. Biggest fall run of pee brained scaled slimy want to be anglers to date.
I am only 16 and I agree one hundred and ten percent on these rules. I hate trying to learn to fish correctly and some jerk comes up real close to me and either crosses my line or snags the fish. Fishing the river can be fun, only if people follow rules 1 and 5. So people, if you can't follow these rules, please don't fish the river, go to the one in South Milwaukee.
ReplyDeleteI am only 16 and I agree one hundred and ten percent on these rules. I hate trying to learn to fish correctly and some jerk comes up real close to me and either crosses my line or snags the fish. Fishing the river can be fun, only if people follow rules 1 and 5. So people, if you can't follow these rules, please don't fish the river, go to the one in South Milwaukee.
ReplyDeleteI have been fishing the root river for at least 60 years,since they introduced trout and Salmon in the river, the fish g has gotten way out of hand, way to many people foul hooking and snagging them, only to just take the eggs and leave the fish. They they don't care about anyone else on the river unfortunately these people are form Illinois. This weekend the cars down at the river95% of those cars and trucks will have Illinois plates on them, they know when the fish are in the river before the locals do. They stand there and try to snag them as the swim by are they just keep flogging the water in the shallow areas until the hook one in the back. It's ridiculous. And again they only want the eggs to sell back in Illinois.
ReplyDeleteSad to hear If they put some funds into the area and beefed up the dnr presence would be a huge improvemnet.
DeleteLove it. These are a fisherman's commandments. My friend I started fishing that river in the early 90's and every time at least once a day I have to voice my opinion at someone on regards to your newly ritten rules/commandments. Ill be looking forward to fishing soon and ya you'll know me when you cross one of those simple rules when I point it out so let's all be respectful. And to all be safe...
ReplyDelete