Mike,
I agree that the consolidation of some of the special reg areas converted some streams that hitherto allowed limited harvest into all year C&R when they really lacked the conditions to hold trout all year. We have one of those cases in my neck of the woods. This was a stream that had long had a FFO section which had allowed harvest during the season and eventually was converted to DHFFO allowing harvest in the summer. This reg remained in effect until a few years ago when it went C&R. This stream almost never holds trout over the summer (2009 was a rare exception) and now the fish just die off. Personally, I would have preferred to see it converted to DHALO but I suspect that this might have resulted in some protest by FFers. So they made it C&R and the stocked fish die off to keep the FFers happy that no spin fishermen intrude. Sure, the dead stockies feed the turtles and crayfish etc during summer but I'd certainly prefer to see some of those fish be harvested by anglers.
I agree that the consolidation of some of the special reg areas converted some streams that hitherto allowed limited harvest into all year C&R when they really lacked the conditions to hold trout all year. We have one of those cases in my neck of the woods. This was a stream that had long had a FFO section which had allowed harvest during the season and eventually was converted to DHFFO allowing harvest in the summer. This reg remained in effect until a few years ago when it went C&R. This stream almost never holds trout over the summer (2009 was a rare exception) and now the fish just die off. Personally, I would have preferred to see it converted to DHALO but I suspect that this might have resulted in some protest by FFers. So they made it C&R and the stocked fish die off to keep the FFers happy that no spin fishermen intrude. Sure, the dead stockies feed the turtles and crayfish etc during summer but I'd certainly prefer to see some of those fish be harvested by anglers.
