Jellystone regulation changes

There are a couple changes in the Yellowstone Park regs for next season.
The one that may most affect many visiting fly fishers, bringing flies from
home, is that BARBLESS hooks are now REQUIRED. I've tied exclusively
on factory produced barbless hooks for several years, but, if you're tying
up for a Park visit ... smash BEFORE you tie, the smashing breaks a certain
% of hooks ( and ime, weakens a whole lot more, but you'll find that out
later when you wonder "where did the point go?" )

"Larry L" wrote in
:

There are a couple changes in the Yellowstone Park regs for next
season. The one that may most affect many visiting fly fishers,
bringing flies from home, is that BARBLESS hooks are now REQUIRED.
I've tied exclusively on factory produced barbless hooks for several
years, but, if you're tying up for a Park visit ... smash BEFORE you
tie, the smashing breaks a certain % of hooks ( and ime, weakens a
whole lot more, but you'll find that out later when you wonder "where
did the point go?" )




Smashing barbs might not be enough, depending on how much trouble the CO,
ranger, mountie, or whoever patrols Yellowstone, wants to give you (often
directly proportional to how much trouble you give the ranger!). I've
heard tell of places that use a piece of stocking nylon to test for barbs,
and mashed down barbs did not always pass this test.

--
Scott
Reverse name to reply

On 23 Feb 2006 20:32:59 GMT, Scott Seidman wrote:

I've
heard tell of places that use a piece of stocking nylon to test for barbs,
and mashed down barbs did not always pass this test.

That's what they use on the barbless waters in GA I've fished. I haven't read
the Yellowstone regs yet, but here you can't even carry barbed hooks when you
are fishing those waters, and the fine is around $50 for each barbed hook you
have with you.
--
Charlie...
http://www.chocphoto.com

"Scott Seidman" wrote

directly proportional to how much trouble you give the ranger!). I've
heard tell of places that use a piece of stocking nylon to test for barbs,
and mashed down barbs did not always pass this test.



On my 'home water" is fly only, and barbless is required. The water also
gets poached a fair bit by bait drowners. Fly fishermen complained to
DF&G about the poaching and requested more enforcement. The local (
brain-dead and very, very, very, very lazy ) warden got a talking to from
his boss when the fly fishers pointed out that he never bothered with the
rough ( slight hill, maybe 1/4 mile ) walk in to check the most poached
place out, you ONLY saw him in his truck ...ever. Well, now, he walks in
sometimes and brings his nylon stocking and checks only fly fishermen and
writes you up if he finds a fly in your box, let alone on your tippet, that
snags that stocking in the slightest. I actually kinda hope he
'catches" me some day on a factory barbless hook... I'll be interested in
what the judge has to say when I go to court ... I'll be interested in what
his boss has to say, too.

Yes, he HAS been known to comment while writing up a 'I tried to smash it
enough" fly fisherman, "That's not MY problem, you fly guys wanted more
enforcement and you got it !"

"Larry L" wrote in
:


"Scott Seidman" wrote

directly proportional to how much trouble you give the ranger!).
I've heard tell of places that use a piece of stocking nylon to test
for barbs, and mashed down barbs did not always pass this test.



On my 'home water" is fly only, and barbless is required. The water
also gets poached a fair bit by bait drowners. Fly fishermen
complained to DF&G about the poaching and requested more enforcement.
The local ( brain-dead and very, very, very, very lazy ) warden got a
talking to from his boss when the fly fishers pointed out that he
never bothered with the rough ( slight hill, maybe 1/4 mile ) walk in
to check the most poached place out, you ONLY saw him in his truck
...ever. Well, now, he walks in sometimes and brings his nylon
stocking and checks only fly fishermen and writes you up if he finds a
fly in your box, let alone on your tippet, that snags that stocking in
the slightest. I actually kinda hope he 'catches" me some day on
a factory barbless hook... I'll be interested in what the judge has to
say when I go to court ... I'll be interested in what his boss has to
say, too.

Yes, he HAS been known to comment while writing up a 'I tried to smash
it enough" fly fisherman, "That's not MY problem, you fly guys wanted
more enforcement and you got it !"



I was having an argument once with a CO that started at a public
commentary meeting. After that, I believe that if the guy saw my car,
he'd come find me. I took to wearing my license displayed.

That said, most CO's I've dealt with--even that one-- are fine upstanding
guys with a passion for the outdoors and the environment. In New York
State, they have a fine academy, and the State Troopers often steal them
away with more money. They guys that stick around really want to.

Just don't give em trouble. My buddy Smiling Joe was ice fishing last
winter. The guys down a little from them gave the CO some lip. One of
the guys didn't have his license on him, so she "let" them go back to the
truck to get it. While they were gone, she wrote them up for leaving the
tip down unattended!!

--
Scott
Reverse name to reply

"Scott Seidman" wrote


That said, most CO's I've dealt with--even that one-- are fine upstanding
guys with a passion for the outdoors and the environment. In New York
State, they have a fine academy, and the State Troopers often steal them
away with more money. They guys that stick around really want to.




Indeed .... I certainly didn't mean to belittle in any way the vast majority
of DF&G wardens. They have my great respect and full support.

"Larry L" wrote in
:


"Scott Seidman" wrote


That said, most CO's I've dealt with--even that one-- are fine
upstanding guys with a passion for the outdoors and the environment.
In New York State, they have a fine academy, and the State Troopers
often steal them away with more money. They guys that stick around
really want to.




Indeed .... I certainly didn't mean to belittle in any way the vast
majority of DF&G wardens. They have my great respect and full
support.




Wasn't taken that way, even a little bit. The guy picking on fly fishermen
for asking for enforcement is out of line.

--
Scott
Reverse name to reply

In article ,
lid says...
On 23 Feb 2006 20:32:59 GMT, Scott Seidman wrote:

I've
heard tell of places that use a piece of stocking nylon to test for barbs,
and mashed down barbs did not always pass this test.

That's what they use on the barbless waters in GA I've fished. I haven't read
the Yellowstone regs yet, but here you can't even carry barbed hooks when you
are fishing those waters, and the fine is around $50 for each barbed hook you
have with you.

Do they actually enforce this? It's an asinine regulation in the first
place, but $50 a hook?

If I'm fishing somewhere that happens to require barbless I'll mash down
the barbs when I go to use a fly, but I'm not going to go through all
my flies ahead of time.
- Ken

wrote in message
...

Do they actually enforce this? It's an asinine regulation in the first
place, but $50 a hook?

If I'm fishing somewhere that happens to require barbless I'll mash down
the barbs when I go to use a fly, but I'm not going to go through all
my flies ahead of time

It goes without saying, don't go fishing in GA on the barbless waters. (when
I left in 1997 there were only two). Charlie is correct. For first time
offenders who didn't argue they would generally let you return to your auto
with a warning.

On Thu, 23 Feb 2006 14:49:34 -0800, wrote:

In article ,
says...
On 23 Feb 2006 20:32:59 GMT, Scott Seidman wrote:

I've
heard tell of places that use a piece of stocking nylon to test for barbs,
and mashed down barbs did not always pass this test.

That's what they use on the barbless waters in GA I've fished. I haven't read
the Yellowstone regs yet, but here you can't even carry barbed hooks when you
are fishing those waters, and the fine is around $50 for each barbed hook you
have with you.

Do they actually enforce this? It's an asinine regulation in the first
place, but $50 a hook?

If I'm fishing somewhere that happens to require barbless I'll mash down
the barbs when I go to use a fly, but I'm not going to go through all
my flies ahead of time.

A ranger told me they enforced it, but I had all barbless so I don't know if he
would have fined me or not. There are signs in the parking area to leave your
barbed flies in your vehicle.
--
Charlie...
http://www.chocphoto.com