The Northern California Fly Fishing Board

While the org I work for has not been involved in the McCloud/Pit relicensing, I've started to get really curious about exactly what is going to be in the draft license that was supposed to be posted to the project website yesterday (and if it is there, I can't find it).

I did read a couple of "Technical Memos" that lay out the Lower Mac's fishing and boating suitability at different flows. The results look pretty clear to me. Flows that anglers find as ideal are too low for boaters. Flows that boaters feel were acceptable for white water boating were not acceptable to anglers. Looking at the survey results I don't see a good compromise lurking around the corner.

The project website is: http://www.mccloud-pitrelicensing.com/
The rafting memo is TM 24 (search for it). The fishing memo is TM 58 (search for it). Some interesting data in there for those that fish the Mac about catch rates, usage, etc.

When and if they post the draft license I'll let folks know.

B-

guess what the fisherman are going to get hosed. The whitewater river rapers are going to get their releases.

Well, I can't imagine how that could possibly by the conclusion that folks come up with, but I don't like the whole lot of nothing that is coming from the negotiations. I want to see things in black and white. It is possible that higher flows could be instituted in the off-season, I guess... and the one thing I've hears is a return to seasonal flows... not really normal for a river to flow at one fixed flow all year, maybe starting high in the Spring and tapering off... but that won't benefit any of the fish species that might otherwise have benefited... the Bull Trout are gone and the Salmon have been cut off. So... only one group would benefit and that's the rafters, but this really is a situation where either one group wins or another, no win-win from my vantage and the anglers have a really historic claim to the McCloud. So, I'd hope that would slide a 50-50 call to more like a 90-10 call.

I don't want to jump to conclusions, but I want to see more info... hear from the folks in the talks to see what direction the wind is going.