Rules Cast Confusion On Anglers

Anglers could get in over their heads this year without ever setting foot in the water.

A slew of new fishing rules has been enacted for some of the most popular lakes and rivers in Idaho, Montana and Washington.

Be warned: In some cases, the rules change in midstream.

For example, Amber Lake in Spokane County opens for fishing on April 25. A new rule affecting anglers at the lake goes into effect a week later.

The rule will require anglers to release sterile rainbows that have been stocked in Amber. The trout are marked with clipped adipose fins.

This and other rule changes, such new catch-and-release restrictions on Rocky Ford Creek, are explained in the 1998 Washington fishing regulations pamphlet.

But most anglers aren’t aware of that because the pamphlet isn’t expected to be published and delivered to fishing license dealers until the end of the month.

No problem, the Fish and Wildlife Department says: Everyone should know the rules for fishing change on May 1, even though some lake seasons open March 1, while other lake seasons open April 25 and most streams don’t open until June 1.

Are you clear on this?

Idaho anglers shouldn’t feel too smug about the weird timing for regulation changes in their neighboring state.

The Idaho Fish and Game Department has a more rational system of putting its new fishing rules into effect on Jan. 1. Nevertheless, Idaho anglers have to be alert for exceptions.

In the 1998-99 rules pamphlet, released in January, Bonner Lake has been reclassified to a quality trout water. The general trout limit will no longer apply there. Instead, anglers will be restricted to a daily limit of two fish a day, none of which can be less than 14 inches long. Anglers will be allowed to use only artificial flies or lures.

This is good news for fly fishers and others who enjoy the quality of a trout lake that doesn’t get fished out by meat hunters in the first few weeks of a season.

Yet unsuspecting anglers are in for a surprise.

A January press notice that was easy to miss - the press even missed it - announced the lake was being opened as a salvage fishery through Oct. 15. That means anglers can fish it any way they want and keep as many fish as they like this season.

The lake is scheduled to be treated with rotenone this fall to kill competing species before being restocked with trout.

Thus, Bonner is listed as quality lake this year, but the quality fishing is a year or two down the road.

Montana’s new rules took effect March 1, although some anglers likely don’t know about the major changes on popular streams, such as the Clark Fork River.

To help counter declines among the icon of the region’s native fisheries, all cutthroat trout caught in the lower Clark Fork must be released.

The limit for rainbows has been reduced from five to three and the use of bait has been banned for all angling.

Anglers react differently to restrictive rule changes depending on the type of fishery.

For example, fishing at Lake Roosevelt is open year-round, but beginning May 1 Roosevelt anglers will be required to release any kokanee whose adipose fin has not been clipped to designate that it originated from a hatchery.

Many anglers vehemently oppose this rule, even though it is designed to protect wild kokanee that are spawning naturally in Columbia River tributaries.

The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Department also took plenty of heat for its new restrictions on the Clark Fork - but for a different reason.

“Most fishermen at meetings told us they wanted stiffer restrictions, such as total catch and release on rainbows as well as cutthroats,” said Don Peters, department biologist in Missoula.

Indeed, that’s what Montana did on notable Clark Fork tributaries.

Beginning this year, anglers must release all rainbow and cutthroat trout caught on well-known rivers such as Rock Creek upstream from Missoula and Fish Creek near Alberton.

To avoid making this too simple, these rules don’t go into effect until the third Saturday in May.

Even then, you don’t want to be too righteous if you’re chasing the elusive salmonfly hatch on Rock Creek in June and stumble onto an angler bonking a trout on the noggin with a rock.

Even under the new catch-and-release rules, anglers will be able to catch and keep brown trout and brookies.

You can contact Rich Landers by voice mail at 459-5577, extension 5508.