01-20-2011, 08:55 PM
I think you all have been taken hook, line, and sinker. I think there is a reason he picked the lake with the most angler hours and bait used in the state to make his point that bait shouldn't be allowed at Strawberry. In fact, I think a couple of you are gut hooked currently...might want to check into that.
I'm a fly fisherman 99% of the time. I use bait when I ice fish. And I have used bait to take my daughter out fishing with me as well (just turned 4 years old). I have nothing against bait, and I don't think they need to disallow bait at Strawberry. The fishery is doing great. No reason to fix something that isn't broken. But I think the old "what will the kids do" argument is old and tired. My daughter has 10 times more fun having me cast out a fly and bubble and her reeling it in than me casting out a bubble and powerbait and her being expected to sit there and watch it. It's by far the most boring way to fish in the world, and if kids were introduced to the other types they'd enjoy it just as much...if not more. It's just that most parents don't want to do that because it takes too much of their time fishing. If you just have to bait a hook every once in a while and cheer them on here and there you still get time to fish yourself. If you have to help with tangles, help with casting every minute or so, etc, you aren't fishing yourself. I think that's the real reason behind it for the vast majority of people. Again, I'm not saying bait should be disallowed, or even that it's bad. But that excuse that is frequently thrown out on this topic is lame and doesn't hold water.
PS- My daughter (she was 3 at the time) LOVED going out in the back yard and casting the 6' 2 weight fly rod I have waiting for her this summer. In fact, she had just as good of a time doing that as she did up at trial lake tossing powerbait and catching fish this summer. So my personal experience that kids won't enjoy fly fishing is hog wash. Just have to be willing to spend your time helping them enjoy it rather than you enjoying your own time fishing.
[signature]
I'm a fly fisherman 99% of the time. I use bait when I ice fish. And I have used bait to take my daughter out fishing with me as well (just turned 4 years old). I have nothing against bait, and I don't think they need to disallow bait at Strawberry. The fishery is doing great. No reason to fix something that isn't broken. But I think the old "what will the kids do" argument is old and tired. My daughter has 10 times more fun having me cast out a fly and bubble and her reeling it in than me casting out a bubble and powerbait and her being expected to sit there and watch it. It's by far the most boring way to fish in the world, and if kids were introduced to the other types they'd enjoy it just as much...if not more. It's just that most parents don't want to do that because it takes too much of their time fishing. If you just have to bait a hook every once in a while and cheer them on here and there you still get time to fish yourself. If you have to help with tangles, help with casting every minute or so, etc, you aren't fishing yourself. I think that's the real reason behind it for the vast majority of people. Again, I'm not saying bait should be disallowed, or even that it's bad. But that excuse that is frequently thrown out on this topic is lame and doesn't hold water.
PS- My daughter (she was 3 at the time) LOVED going out in the back yard and casting the 6' 2 weight fly rod I have waiting for her this summer. In fact, she had just as good of a time doing that as she did up at trial lake tossing powerbait and catching fish this summer. So my personal experience that kids won't enjoy fly fishing is hog wash. Just have to be willing to spend your time helping them enjoy it rather than you enjoying your own time fishing.
[signature]