Mid-Atlantic Conservation News
The I PASS Pledge by John Judy
When I see fish spawning naturally in the wild it
gives me great pleasure. It indicates to me that
the river I’m fishing is healthy, the habitat
is in good and the fish are strong and wild. What I
am seeing, in most cases, is the pay off for the
catch and release, the limiting of harvest that so
many of us have practiced over the years.
That’s why I am growing increasingly
concerned by a trend I am seeing within the fishing
community, especially among fly fishermen. As more
and more fisheries are managed through natural
spawning more and more fishermen are beginning to
target the fish when they are most vulnerable, on
the nest sites. It’s not always through lack
of understanding either; this has become a broad
based trend, often led by the most knowledgeable
fisherman in the industry-- the guides and fly shop
owners.
I don’t mean to be speaking from a pulpit
here; I’m not naïve on this subject; I
certainly understand the reasons for wanting to
target spawning fish. I’ll freely admit I
know most of what I know on this subject because of
my own bad fishing practices in the past. I fully
understand that with some species like salmon and
east coast steelhead it may be the only chance you
get to catch a fish on a fly. I know with other
species like trout it’s a one of a kind
opportunity. The spawners are usually in shallow
water where they are easy to see and easy to
locate. The biggest fish are always amongst them
because the bigger fish are always the most
successful spawners.
It’s easy fishing too--even for beginners.
Unlike most fish, spawners are actually hard to
disturb. They are drawn to their nesting sites by
powerful urges and are very reluctant to give them
up. Natural caution has been thrown to the wind so
no matter how many mistakes you make you
won’t driver them away. At worst they will be
spooked momentarily; all you have to do is stop
fishing and they’ll come right back.
They take flies and lures aggressively too. This is
not because they are feeding but because they are
defending the nest sites. A nymph or lure passing
through will be taken as a threat to the eggs. The
fish will charge it aggressively. So there’s
little doubt that if you can find a good spawning
site you’re going to become a very successful
angler. It’s a huge temptation for any
fisherman. It’s not easy to step a way.
You’re giving up some of the best fishing you
will ever experience. No wonder the guides, with a
commercial interest at stake, are drawn to bend the
rules and the ethics.
But there is another side to this debate that needs
to be considered. Unfortunately, as with most
things that come too easy, there is a cost for
disturbing the fish on the nest. For every spawning
fish you catch today, there will be fewer fish in
the future. Spawning fish are usually in a weakened
condition. They are often quite dark in color and
very soft to the touch. Much of the energy that
would normally go to feeding and building strength
has gone into the reproductive process. The fish
may have fungal infections and other spawning
injuries. Stressing these fish by making them fight
on the end of a line can only weaken their
condition further, reducing the chance for survival
and successful spawn. More over wading fisherman,
walking through the nest sites, will cause
mortality to the eggs and the young fry that are
buried deep in the gravel.
While none of these disturbances in and of
themselves are going to destroy the fishery;
collectively they have a larger impact. In the end
it’s not the one angler who does the harm.
It’s the one fisherman and the next, and
next; that is a problem. It’s the cumulative
impact that will damage the fishery.
There’s no good practical way regulate
against this damage either. Rules against fishing
in spawning areas are, for the most part,
impractical. Spawning sites move and change every
year so signs to mark these places would be
difficult to maintain to say nothing about the
visual pollution they would case. Closing areas is
not always a good option either. You have to be
very careful with this kind of regulation because
you could be throwing out the baby with the bath
– you cold be limiting your own over all
ability to fish as much as you are protecting the
fish during the spawn. On my home river, the
Deschutes, if we closed it during spawning we would
loose the Salmonfly hatch--the best fishing of the
year.
In the end we must do this one angler at a time.
It’s up to us as individuals. If you are a
dedicated catch and release fisherman it only makes
sense that you would back away from spawn grounds
as well. We practice catch and release because we
all want the fish to be fruitful and multiply. We
want them to succeed. It makes no sense to release
fish so they can spawn and then turn right around
and target them in the act of reproduction. It goes
against everything we stand for.
In an effort shed a little more light on this
subject and to spread a little more understanding,
I have created the I PASS pledge. I PASS is a
simple acronym that means “I pledge to avoid
spawning sites.” It’s the next step you
should take after saying I’m going to
practice catch and release. When you agree to pass
up the spawning grounds you are making a simple
statement that says, “The health and well
being of the fish means more to me than my own
personal gratification.”
To take the pledge you must first educate yourself
as to what spawning sites look like. Here are the
signs you should look for:
1. Light colored circular patches in the gravel
indicating recent disturbance.
2. Small depressions and mounds in the gravel
indicating nest sites and eggs.
3. Large numbers of fish concentrated in shallow
water over fine gravel bottom.
4. Fish that hug to a site and refuse to move
even after disturbance.
5. Fish that are dark and soft and somewhat
poorly conditioned.
Be aware, while some sites are easy to see others
can be quite subtle. It's possible to be fishing in
an area for a little while before you actually
recognize it as a spawning bed. However, once you
understand that it is a spawning area you have to
be willing to set your own desires aside. Even if
the fishing is good (as it probably will be) you
have to step up and say, “I’m going to
move on down river and look for another opportunity
where my action won’t cause quite so much
harm.” Perhaps the toughest one all, if
you're with a guide who you suspect has put you on
a spawning area; you still need to ask to move
on.
One more thing; this project, the I PASS program,
is one angler’s effort to do something good
for the fishery. It’s a little like a pebble
in a pond but it won’t work; it won’t
ripple outward, if you don’t tell others.
Anything you can do to pass the pledge on will be
greatly appreciated.