I am NOT for ALL Catch and release on the Cumberland River. The main reason is that we stock enough trout in that river each year and pay to stock them that there is no reason to do it. The new slot limit is already working to increase the size of the trout.
Beyond that is the fact that when the river was dammed the State and Feds promised that the river would always be stocked to replace the fish that no longer in the river due to the colder temperatures. This was so that there would always be fish for people to take home.
While I do understand what the Fly Fishermen want I just do not feel that we need to provide trophy trout to the State of Tennessee which would be the main beneficiary of a 100% Catch and release rule.
I too like to eat trout and find them quite good.
Could we make a section of the river Catch and Release ONLY?
Not really practical. It would have to be an extremely long section of at least 20 miles and where would you place it?
Sorry fly guys, I can not be with you on this. It just does not make economic sense. Too many people fish the river to take fish home. It also does not make sense to do it and then send all those trophy fish down stream to the guys in Tennessee. No offense to Tennessee but we already suffer from their Stripers coming up stream to fatten on trout in the summer and fall and those stripers then go back down stream for the most part in winter.
Cut the number of fish taken home or increase the slot, but NO To 100% catch and release.
Jim Dicken
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This is my opinion and no one elses...