What to do with poachers

[salvelinusfontinalis]

Today I was fishing a FFO section of a limestone spring that is on private land. I walked the path downstream, which at times is next to the water and then fished my way back up. In one of the areas that the path gets close to the water, is a gigantic hole. I had just walked past this area less than 40 minutes prior but this time was a beer can right next to the path and the stream. I carry a sling pack and promptly picked it up to put in my pack. It was half full and cold, heck it even had condensation still on the can. Made me pause for a second and then it hit me that someone was poaching the stream and heard me coming. I dumped the beer out and put it in my pack. I walked back to my car, took off my waders and put away the rod.

I drove down to the lower end of the FFO area and walked back up the trail. This time I had sneakers and jeans on so I was a bit more quiet and nimble. I approached two men, baiting the hole and drinking beer. When I said very loudly, HEY GUYS HOW IT GOING! They dropped everything and ran up the hill. The landowner has told me to call the police when I find poachers but I just didn't have to time to sit and wait for an officer to show up.

The question is what would you have done?

I took their worms, rods and what was left of a 6 pack of cheap Mexican beer and drove home.

If I had more time I would have contacted the landowner, which their house was less than 200 yards away and the police as they had asked. Under normal circumstances, you should always contact a WCO and never confront poachers.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

Next time kick their @sses.

 

[jdaddy]

salvelinusfontinalis wrote:
Under normal circumstances, you should always contact a WCO and never confront poachers.

^ this.

 

[jayL]

Never right to try to take the law into your own hands. Call the authorities.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

Nahhh...kick their @sses! You could take them, Sal!

You gonna ebay their rods now?

 

[pete41]

guess you have never been knifed,huh Sas ?

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

They are currently in a dumpster here in ephrata.

I dont think the ebay crowd would want a rod thick enough to catch a shark but brittle enough for a red breast to break it

 

[zenherper]

The other day, I saw a guy and his family spin-fishing a small class A that can't handle a lot of pressure, let alone harvesting 5" wild browns. He happened to be walking back to his truck when I noticed he was carrying a stick with 4 very small (around 5 inches) wild brown trout strung along it. I politely approached him to inquire, and he quickly acted like he didn't understand English. He hurried his children along and got into the truck and then quickly drove off.

I was seriously upset. I, like you, was unsure what to do.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

Hahaha I wasn't being serious! Sal has met me and fished w/ me. He knows that despite my size, I'm pretty laid back. I would NEVER kick someone's @$$.

 

[csoult]

Your avatar exudes a calming influence. Ha! I always think your screaming even when the conversation suggests otherwise.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

Haha! That's just my heavy metal face. Its what happens when I listen to Iron Maiden.

 

[Maurice]

Plate numbers and descriptions and call the WCO. No need to wait. Log the call. Its currently illegal to harvest an trout on non ATW waters. And for a private FFO area, its not likely its an ATW.

Poorly handled IMHO.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

Maurice,

FFO only areas designated by the landowner and not by the PFBC do not fall under FFO regs to a WCO. A WCO would do nothing in this case, they didn't harvest a fish and there was not a car around. I thought the car part was confusing also.

 

[JackM]

They're locals. I would have ignored them or called the police to report them as trespassers as the landowner instructed you.

 

[RichK]

If you called the police, they would have asked who you were, and what you were doing there: "So you're not the landowner. Is that correct?" would be the likely response. Law enforcement doesn't usually drop what they're doing to respond to this sort of thing. It woud be best to have the landowner's phone number, and inform them so they can call the police. Just make sure that the landowner gives them a GOOD description of you (along with your name), so that you're not confused with the other guys. I fish two local stocked lakes, and the county rangers ignore the guys without a fishing license. It used to bother me, but that's just the way it is.

 

[slay12345]

I spoke with our local waterways conservation officer about a similar experience I had on Donegal Creek this past summer. I tried calling the the report an infraction phone number listed on their website but it was after hours and I could only leave a message. He said to call the local Non-emergency police number and explain the situation and their dispatch would be able to contact him. He would then be able to go investigate.

Depending on the time of year the WCOs concentrate on different areas and types of fishing. This happened to be during the beginning of bass season, so there was less attention spent patrolling the cold water fisheries.

Sal's experience would have required the police to show up on this particular stream. As it is posted private by the land owners except to fish. If you are not FFO then you are trespassing.
Similar to the location in this picture.

 

[Troutbum82]

Nothing makes me angrier than seeing a bunch of ignorant disrespectful slobs killing wild trout and leaving trash laying on the ground. I have never ran into a poacher in person but i have seen the aftermath . The problem is that the fish commission is spread so thin they cant keep up. So its up to us to report violations. I think it is our responsibility as fly fishers and conservationist to help protect what we love and appreciate so much.

 

[1wt]

[color=0000FF]I think it is our responsibility as fly fishers and conservationist to help protect what we love and appreciate so much.[/color]

I agree! I always pack a small pistol in a pocket holster when I go fishing. I have a CC permit, so it's legal.
Next time you could yell "freeze" with a gun in one hand and a cell phone in the other. Take pix of the poached trout and the poachers...... if they can't speak English too good, who cares, the cops will be there soon.
You don't have to knife fight them or chase them up a hill...... just approach quietly with gun and phone in hands.
That's what I would do! If they would attack me, I would shoot them and make sure they were dead (so they wouldn't get a lawyer and sue me) and then call the police!

 

[Gorosaurus]

..we are talking fish, here.

 

[1wt]

Gorosaurus wrote:
..we are talking fish, here.

So very true! But the good people just can't look the other way any longer!!
Sometimes you just have to put your foot down for something you love.

Even more terrible than poaching is the tossing of trash in our pristine trout streams. I'll speak out about that!!