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Officials seek input on proposed ‘trophy waters’
By Lynn Hotaling
Citing the need for citizen input before voting on a proposal to endorse the creation of “trophy trout waters” on a nine-mile section of the Tuckaseigee River, county commissioners will hold a public hearing Tuesday, June 29, at 5:45 p.m.
Area residents are invited to attend and share their views on a proposal by John McGrew, owner of Tuckaseigee Trout, a trophy trout fishery located on the river between Cullowhee and East LaPorte.
McGrew’s proposal would change the designation of the Tuckaseigee from the Cullowhee Dam to the confluence of the river’s East and West forks from hatchery supported to what McGrew terms a “Trophy-Slot Limit” trout management program.
Plan would mandate fly-fishing, two-fish limit on
Tuckaseigee River from Cullowhee Dam to N.C. 281
If approved, such a designation would mean fishermen in that stretch of the river would be limited to two trout per day and would use only artificial flies with a single barbless hook or single-hook dropper fly. Fish longer than 15 inches would have to be released, and McGrew’s proposal would make it illegal to possess any lures that don’t fit the criteria or to possess or kill any trout longer than 15 inches while fishing in that area of the Tuckaseigee.
Current regulations allow anglers to use the bait of their choice and harvest seven fish per day with no size restrictions.
McGrew’s proposal calls for fishing season to be open all year, with fishing allowed 24 hours per day.
That section of the river is currently closed to fishermen during March.
Appearing before the Jackson County Board of Commissioners last Tuesday (June 15), McGrew said his proposal would represent a “whole new philosophy” for the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, the agency charged with management and oversight of the state’s fisheries.
According to McGrew, Wildlife officials currently view the river as a “catch-out pond.”
“We’re asking them to look at it as a sustainable river, as a manageable resource,” McGrew said, adding that he believes that section of the river is capable of supporting trout reproduction.
Commissioner Roberta Crawford asked McGrew if the proposal represents a “business proposition” for him.
“What we’re talking about is nine miles of river; I have one-half mile,” McGrew said.
Wildlife staff members evaluated a similar proposal from McGrew last year, and it was their recommendation to members of the state Wildlife board to continue managing that section of the Tuckaseigee as hatchery supported, said Mallory Martin, regional fisheries supervisor, and Scott Loftis, District 9 fisheries biologist.
McGrew’s proposal was turned down for several reasons, including lack of public support for the change, Martin said.
“We had no indication from the general public that they desire such a change,” Martin said. “We try to take public desire into account along with biological feasibility and protection of resources.”
Other reasons included the fact that McGrew’s proposal does not fit any of Wildlife’s existing classifications, said Loftis.
“We’ve managed (that stretch of river) as hatchery- supported for the past 10 or 15 years, and it provides an opportunity for a larger, diverse group of people,” he said.
According to Loftis, the delayed harvest section of the Tuckaseigee (from Jack the Dipper to the Dillsboro Dam) provides anglers a similar opportunity to what McGrew is proposing.
That section is stocked five times per year with hatchery-reared trout that average 10-14 inches, Loftis said.
“You could call delayed harvest ‘trophy management,’” Loftis said. “You have the opportunity to catch large fish.”
Under the delayed-harvest management, fishing is catch-and-release from October to June and catch-and-keep from June to October, Loftis said.
During the four months of catch-and-keep, regulations are the same as for hatchery supported trout waters, he said, with fishermen allowed to catch up to seven fish per day with their choice of bait and no size restrictions.
“A lot of our philosophy is built on public fishing opportunity,” Loftis said. “Public access and public fishing is paramount.”
Other classifications for trout waters include wild/natural bait (single hook, 7-inch minimum, four-fish limit), wild (artificial bait only, 7-inch minimum, four-fish limit), catch and release artificial bait only, and catch and release artificial fly only.
The Tuckaseigee and its tributaries provide anglers with five of the six fishing classifications, Loftis said. Currently there are no designated catch and release fly only waters in Jackson County.
“When you start putting all the pieces of the puzzle together, we try to provide diverse angling opportunities for a diverse angling public,” Loftis said.
Changing the classification of the Tuckasegee-to-Cullowhee section of the river is essential for the ecological health of the waterway, McGrew said Tuesday.
In his view, that stretch of river is capable of supporting a reproducible population of trout, but he says further studies must be done to prove his theory.
Without a classification change, fish don’t stay in the river long enough to be studied, McGrew said. Also, a decision to change that portion of the river’s management status would mean more pressure could be brought to bear on Duke Power to encourage timed releases of cold water to avoid summertime temperature fluctuations that stress the trout, he said.
If the decision is made to switch a section of the Tuckaseigee to trophy waters, McGrew proposes that Wildlife would need to stock 4,000 fish per river mile over about 18 months. After that, the trout population should become self-sustaining, he said.
The Wildlife Commission should also provide some trout food to supplement available food in the river, McGrew said. His group would find volunteers to distribute the food, he said.
When asked whether the classification change would benefit his guided fishing business, McGrew said, “Sure, and that’s my dream. But I also think it will help the county and be a boon to tourism.”
Tuesday’s hearing will take place in the Commissioners’ board room at the Justice Center and will begin with a 5:45 showing of a video McGrew has produced. McGrew will then have about 15 minutes to state his reasons for advocating the change.
Following McGrew’s remarks, members of the public will be invited to address the commissioners and share their opinions about the proposal.
McGrew said he hopes to have the endorsement of the county commissioners when he travels to Raleigh July 13 to meet with the Wildlife Commission’s Cold Water Fisheries Committee.
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