A native brook trout from the North Maine Woods. Photo: Charles Hildick-Smith
A couple weeks ago, we posted a story about some conventional anglers in Maine who are suing to gain access to waters that have been off-limits to them. In an essay in The Piscataquis Observer, well-known Maine fly fisher Al Raychard argues that such regulations are valuable tools for protecting native fish, especially brook trout:
One of [the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife’s] primary responsibilities is to protect Maine’s fish and wildlife resources. That is exactly what the department is doing with heritage trout waters while still allowing anglers to fish them.
The same is true for fly-fishing-only waters, which appear to be at the heart of this lawsuit. Study after study has shown trout caught on flies and artificial lures generally have higher survival rates than fish caught on bait. Artificial lures are less likely to be swallowed deeply and cause less tissue damage.
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