4oz flyfishing kit Re: [pct-l] 1 lb flyfishing rig

[jeffmoorehead1 at cox.net (Jeff Moorehead)]

My last post on this topic:

 Ilja, my original; post was for people who fly fish. Your response to me
indicated that you assumed I am a 'trout snob' and, as a result, your post
had a certain aire of snobbery about it. If I seemd offended, I was a bit. I
really intended the post to be for people who enjoy the art of presenting a
fly to a fish as naturally as possible, playing the fish, and then releasing
it. That is fly-fishing. I am a biologist who specializes on insects. I have
fished all of my life. To me, this is one rewarding past time that I like to
pass on to others whenever I can. There was no 'see-how-I-do-it' snobbery
intended in my post.You can have as much fun as I do by throwing your
leader-fly rig in the water and jerking out the trout to fry up for dinner.
That is your idea of fishing. Mine is much different but my post was
intended for people who enjoy fly fishing. My concern about thru-hikling was
to find a rig that would allow me to practice my style of fishing and keep
it close to one pound. I did and I shared it, hoping that others might want
to consider this pastime on their hike. This was not about fishing styles
and we are bordering on starting a flame war because this is as personal as
politics and religion.
    I work at UCSD and have been leading trips into the the native ranges of
Golden trout for the past 4 years. My caution: don't believe everything you
read. Simply obeying the limits or the legal restrictions is not always the
best conservation policy as you may know from countless other examples.
Currently there is a study being conducted out of UC Davis concerning the
early genetic ranges of the Golden trout. The researchers may press our
congress to lable these varieties as rare and endangered following the
extensive DNA study being done. This is a current study. Watch for breaking
news in the upcoming months. If this happens, the regulations will surely
change.
   The history of the Golden trout is complicated but requires an
understanding of the geomorphology of the Kern River drainage system. It's
too complicated to address here, but let me know (off list) if you are
interested in hearing about it. Although the Golden Trout has been
transplanted outside of its original native range, this does not make it an
'exotic' species. As an example, the Cottonwood Lakes are a genetic
repository for the Goldens, who were never native to this system of lakes.
Nontheless, fishing is off-limits there. Golden trout are being
competitively displaced by exotic brookies and genetically displaced through
hybridization with European rainbows (not Kern River rainbows). Efforts are
under way to save this native species. You can do your part by ALWAYS
RELEASING GOLDEN TROUT, even though you are legally allowed to keep them.
Keep the brookies and the rainbows, but release the natives...

End of post on this subject.