01-08-2013, 06:35 PM
[quote idtroutfool]To further expound on my answer to the original question wherein I stated I was not checked this year in 4 days of fishing but was checked 3 times in three days of fishing last year. This year I saw fewer people than last year. Twice I had the area I was fishing all to myself.
Flygoddess is right to say that one year of data does not establish a pattern. IDFG usually only does in depth studies on individual water bodies every 2 or 3 years so it may be another year or two before they reevaluate the ice fishing season. They do netting survey each spring on Henry's so lets look to those reports for a trend.
Henry's lake has had bad years before now that lasted for a long time. If I remember right Bill Scheiss talks about some of the history of the lake in his book and mentions some of the slump years. This latest drop in fish size actually began as far back as 2009. If we read the management reports for the Upper Snake region on the fish and game website we can see that all 3 species of trout were meeting size goals in 2008 but dropped in the 2009 netting survey. Spawning returns in 2009 also indicated an increase in natural spawing. Also in 2008 YCT were averaging a length of 453 mm (18 inches) so I don't think that the cutthroat are any smaller than usual. More recent reports haven't been posted yet.
I did catch a lot more brook trout this year that in years past. I know that large brook trout are the main draw for a lot of people but I think they should take a back seat to the cutthroat. Brook trout are also extremely prolific and have a tendency to overpopulate themselves to the point of causing stunted sizes in studies done on other lakes.
The utah chub population has increased signifcantly in the last 15 years and as far back as 2009, biologists were becoming concerned about that having an impact on the trout fishery. In the 2009 report they mentioned concern that trout size would continue to decrease due to limited food supply.
Several factors have contributed to the overall size decline not the least of which is natural cycles that are beyond the complete control of man. What we can't do is try to take management of the lake into our own hands. If we have hundreds of anglers all following their own rules we will do more damage than good. We need to trust that the IDFG is aware of each of the factors we have discussed and will do what is best for the fishery.
We can also be vocal about these concerns by contacting the IDFG directly by email through their "contact us" link on the website. Let them know that we don't want Henry's to become a family put-and-take fishery, that we want it to remain a blue ribbon, technical, trophy fishery. As much as I love ice fishing there, I love fly-fishing for the big cutthroat and hybrids even more and if further investigation shows ice fishing has a negative impact then I would support shutting it down earlier in the year.[/quote]
I am familiar with all the reports and studies you have mentioned, plus proud to say I am good friends with Bill. Like Mojo, I do believe what Bill tells me, as I did with Damon (also a good friend). Even talked to Dan several times....(we still need that cup of coffee though[
])
As far as contacting the IDFG about are concerns, have done that as well, but they do have an agenda. They have pretty much said (not in so many words) that the Fly Fishers that didn't want this change need to deal with it. There is a time where they have a plan and nothing will change that. I am sure that is true in any state.
The other way to look at it is as has been mentioned several times, Ice Fishing is making no impact...the number of ice fisherman down in 2012...then why have it?
Again, I don't care one way or the other. I am not anti-icefishing, I am just reflecting a question from those who did not want the lake to change.
For that matter, open it year round! Seriously, then there will be no impacting opener. There will be harvesting. What does closing it for four months really accomplish?
Curt, I am seeing there is still an interest in this topic, no beating a dead horse. It has not got out of hand and there is no name calling. Actually some great facts and that is a plus in any post.
In closing, Henry's can bounce back...all we can do wait.
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Flygoddess is right to say that one year of data does not establish a pattern. IDFG usually only does in depth studies on individual water bodies every 2 or 3 years so it may be another year or two before they reevaluate the ice fishing season. They do netting survey each spring on Henry's so lets look to those reports for a trend.
Henry's lake has had bad years before now that lasted for a long time. If I remember right Bill Scheiss talks about some of the history of the lake in his book and mentions some of the slump years. This latest drop in fish size actually began as far back as 2009. If we read the management reports for the Upper Snake region on the fish and game website we can see that all 3 species of trout were meeting size goals in 2008 but dropped in the 2009 netting survey. Spawning returns in 2009 also indicated an increase in natural spawing. Also in 2008 YCT were averaging a length of 453 mm (18 inches) so I don't think that the cutthroat are any smaller than usual. More recent reports haven't been posted yet.
I did catch a lot more brook trout this year that in years past. I know that large brook trout are the main draw for a lot of people but I think they should take a back seat to the cutthroat. Brook trout are also extremely prolific and have a tendency to overpopulate themselves to the point of causing stunted sizes in studies done on other lakes.
The utah chub population has increased signifcantly in the last 15 years and as far back as 2009, biologists were becoming concerned about that having an impact on the trout fishery. In the 2009 report they mentioned concern that trout size would continue to decrease due to limited food supply.
Several factors have contributed to the overall size decline not the least of which is natural cycles that are beyond the complete control of man. What we can't do is try to take management of the lake into our own hands. If we have hundreds of anglers all following their own rules we will do more damage than good. We need to trust that the IDFG is aware of each of the factors we have discussed and will do what is best for the fishery.
We can also be vocal about these concerns by contacting the IDFG directly by email through their "contact us" link on the website. Let them know that we don't want Henry's to become a family put-and-take fishery, that we want it to remain a blue ribbon, technical, trophy fishery. As much as I love ice fishing there, I love fly-fishing for the big cutthroat and hybrids even more and if further investigation shows ice fishing has a negative impact then I would support shutting it down earlier in the year.[/quote]
I am familiar with all the reports and studies you have mentioned, plus proud to say I am good friends with Bill. Like Mojo, I do believe what Bill tells me, as I did with Damon (also a good friend). Even talked to Dan several times....(we still need that cup of coffee though[
])As far as contacting the IDFG about are concerns, have done that as well, but they do have an agenda. They have pretty much said (not in so many words) that the Fly Fishers that didn't want this change need to deal with it. There is a time where they have a plan and nothing will change that. I am sure that is true in any state.
The other way to look at it is as has been mentioned several times, Ice Fishing is making no impact...the number of ice fisherman down in 2012...then why have it?
Again, I don't care one way or the other. I am not anti-icefishing, I am just reflecting a question from those who did not want the lake to change.
For that matter, open it year round! Seriously, then there will be no impacting opener. There will be harvesting. What does closing it for four months really accomplish?
Curt, I am seeing there is still an interest in this topic, no beating a dead horse. It has not got out of hand and there is no name calling. Actually some great facts and that is a plus in any post.
In closing, Henry's can bounce back...all we can do wait.
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