Beaverhead/Big Hole River Use Rules to Remain Essentially Unchanged

Awhile back FWP initiated use restrictions on the Beaverhead and Big Hole Rivers. In a nutshell the new rules restricted float outfitting and non-resident float fishing on one section each day of the week on the Big Hole and one section of the Beaverhead on Saturday and another on Sunday. In addition float outfitting was closed from Tash Bridge to Selway Bridge (thru Dillon). Also outfiitters were restricted to however many use days they owned based on previous years use. The rules are in effect from 3rd Saturday in May (Opening Day trout season) thru Labor Day.

The reason was to give residents a chance to escape the increasingly heavy guide boat traffic and to allow citizens the chance for a less chaotic overall river experience.

They came to be known as Citizens' Days and as you might already know or suspect among citizens a rousing success. I suppose there are outfitters and guides out there who are bent but I don't any. As for non-residents most of the complaints I've heard are more along the lines of discrimination abuse and less about the restrictions per se...

In Montana with most things concerning rivers and wildlife and such in due time there is a mandatory review period. FWP goes about the area holding town meetings where everyone is allowed to bitch and moan or rant and rave as the case maybe. In the end usually not much comes of it, the status quo is maintained and life goes on...Essentially as to River Use Rules that is what happened this time around but...

At the time nobody thought much about the lower two miles of the Beaverhead river coming under River Use restrictions. But depending who was doing the interpretation outfitters wanting to access the upper 7 miles of the Jefferson suddenly found themselves in a dilemma. Do I waste a Use Day for two miles of fishing or do I hope the right warden comes along, the one allows floating thru with clients as long as the rods are disassembled...In other words because not all wardens intrepreted the law the same way you just might get a ticket regardless. To avoid the hassle most outfitters simply stopped guiding on the upper Jeff.

Amid numerous complaints FWP is now considering exempting the lower two miles of the Beaverhead from the existing River Use Rules. In the overall scheme of things not such a big deal but I suppose for some yet another example of too many rules, too much hassle, too much government intervention...like hell man, all we wanna do is go fishin'.

Big Hole River Use Rift Brewing

With the river use rules up for review this spring it should come as no surprise some non-resident anglers and I suppose some outfitters and guides would take advantage of the opportunity to change things more to their liking. The surprise to me though is that the Big Hole River Foundation would allow itself to become embroiled. The Foundation was chartered in the first beginning on the premise of protecting the river from abuse--dewatering, pollution, over-crowding, et al. The River Use regulations were put in place primarily to allow citizens the chance to dodge the increasingly heavy boat traffic--largely outfitters and guides but increasing numbers of non-residents--real or imagined--were tossed into the mix as well. In a nutshell the River Use restricts float fishing by outfitters and guides and non-residents, a sort of rest-rotation system, on one section of river each day of the week. For instance Divide to Melrose is closed on Sundays from Opening Day through Labor Day. And another section is closed on Monday and so forth.

As a guide the only problem I have is my aging, scattered brain doesn't program so good anymore and I have to use flash cards to keep it straight. I suppose there are outfitter and guides out there who have a big problem with the current system but I honestly don't know any...haven't heard any bitching other than most think generally a waste of time but most just say hey, who the hell cares there's a lot of river so just go somewhere else. I have heard non-residents whining, oh poor me, a heinous example of blatant discrimination...to which I say get a life, like there are far more pressing problems out there to fret and fume...

Back to the Big Hole River Foundation: My two cents says they are making a huge mistake getting involved in the first place. No matter how it flies--and I can't imagine FWP changing things at least not much--by taking a stance somebody's gonna be PO'd. And as we all know a PO'd customer is not a happy camper and highly unlikely to continue lending support--which of course all foundations large and small depend on for their very existence. So there you have it. Yes, yet another rant by a tired old man, sorry I just can't help myself...maybe I need to check myself into rehab? Nah, I ain't that far gone...