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Dear Editor:
I am sitting in my recliner at home looking at my "Guide to Wisconisn Trout Fishing Regulations 2019" and wondering where, of my favorite streams, I might be able to navigate along the bank to fish. At 80 years of age, hip boots and wading nearly guarantee a bath. Walking the stream bank as I've done for years, is nearly impossible because weed growth nearly presents a jungle because of the very few numbers of fishermen creating a path. Maybe I can crawl under a bridge.
I caught my first trout more than 70 years ago and since have seen many changes in fish and stream management.
With trout numbers at a nearly unbelievable high, I am amazed at how restrictive regulations are.
As a former member of trout Unlimited, it seems these people view trout as toys - something to be played with and then put back.
In the old days, trout were regarded as a food source and nearly everyone with fishing gear was a player. These people never heard of catch and release of three fish all under 12 inches. I guess we can keep the cat happy, but not plan any fish feeds. If I have more than ten trout in my freezer I'm a criminal.
It's so sad never seeing a kid fishing. It'd be nice to substitute their game device with a fishing rod and a can of worms and then go to grandpa's trout stream. That's how the people making these laws got their start. There is no mention of young people in their law book. They should be exempted from the artificial only law.
After viewing page after page of color coded reductions on both numbers and size, it very nearly makes one wonder, are we trying to stock pile fish? We don't want to wake up "Old Mother Nature" since she might not quit at three trout under 12 inches.
Regards,
Bill McLimans
Livingston, WI