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County officials oppose ‘Trophy Trout’ designation
By Lynn Hotaling
It’s not typical for elected officials to receive standing ovations at the conclusion of a public forum.
But that’s what happened Tuesday (June 29), when Jackson County leaders voted unanimously to oppose a plan to alter fishing regulations on a nine-mile stretch of the Tuckaseigee River and classify it as “trophy trout waters.”
Jackson County Commissioners, who made their decision after listening to citizens’ heartfelt pleas for almost two hours, all spoke in favor of preserving access to the river for all the county’s citizens.
Each commissioner’s remarks inspired the 200-plus crowd to stand up, clap and cheer the decision most in attendance favored.
Commissioner Joe Cowan brought the crowd to its feet when he told listeners, “You can bet we’ll stop this proposal.”
In question was a proposal from John McGrew, owner of Tuckaseigee Trout, a trophy trout fishery located on the river between Cullowhee and East LaPorte. McGrew’s plan, which he terms a “Trophy-Slot Limit” trout management program, would mandate fly fishing only and impose a two-fish-per-day limit for the stretch of river between the Cullowhee Dam and the confluence of the river’s East and West forks at the N.C. 281/N.C. 107 intersection.
Sheriff arrests McGrew
By Lynn Hotaling
Introducing himself during Tuesday’s (June 29) public hearing led a local fishing outfitter directly to jail.
John McGrew, 58, of East Rogers Road in Cullowhee, was arrested and charged with misdemeanor larceny during a forum called to take citizen comment on McGrew’s proposal to change current fishing regulations on a nine-mile stretch of the Tuckaseigee.
Sheriff Jimmy Ashe took McGrew into custody after a witness identified him as the man who Sunday morning (June 27) stole a petition from Jimmy’s Mini Market in Tuckasegee.
According to Calvin Sims, one of some 25 speakers who spoke in opposition to McGrew’s plan, the stolen petition contained some 300 signatures of people against the proposal.
Sims was listed on the arrest report as the owner of the petition.
The store clerk who was present when the petition was stolen identified McGrew as the man who took it, Sheriff Ashe said. An incident report was filed Tuesday morning, and he took the matter to a magistrate as soon as the witness positively identified McGrew, Ashe said.
When Commissioners’ Chairman Stacy Buchanan called a 5-minute recess, Ashe asked McGrew to step outside and placed him under arrest.
McGrew was taken before a magistrate and placed in custody under a $1,000 bond, Ashe said midway through the hearing.
By the time the hearing was over, McGrew had posted bail and was released from jail.
In speaking with reporters after the hearing, McGrew denied stealing the petition.
Additional charges may be filed against McGrew in connection with an incident at Middleton’s Grocery Store in East LaPorte, the sheriff said.
An August 10 trial date has been set.
McGrew, who spoke first, said his proposal represented a “change in philosophy” for officials with the N.C. Wildlife Resource Commission, the agency charged with management and oversight of the state’s fisheries.
But most speakers weren’t buying what McGrew was trying to sell.
“(The proposal) is elitist; it stops kids and local people from fishing the way they want to fish,” said James Calderbank, owner of Moonshine Creek Campground and Middleton’s Grocery.
Calderbank’s sentiment was echoed in different words by most of the 25 or so who spoke in opposition to McGrew’s proposal.
Only three spoke in favor of the proposed change, and only 10 or so raised their hands when Commissioners’ Chairman Stacy Buchanan asked for a show of hands to indicate how many were in McGrew’s corner.
“I hope you’ve looked around you,” Buchanan said to McGrew as he pointed to the standing-room-only crowd. “You told me there wasn’t opposition.”
Tom Hunnicutt, who said his family is from Sylva but that he now lives in Northern California, said regulations like McGrew proposes are needed to “draw in tourists.”
Christmas tree grower Tommy Beutell of Tuckasegee spoke of McGrew’s work with conservation groups and said McGrew seemed genuinely interested in the fishery.
“What Mr. McGrew proposes has a great deal of merit,” Beutell said.
Ed Heeg of Buncombe County drew the crowd’s ire when he said, “The thing that bothers me is that so much of what I’ve heard is based on ignorance and misinformation.”
Heeg went on to say that he is convinced McGrew’s proposal is not based on greed or any intent to limit anyone’s access to the river.
But most of the other speakers seemed equally convinced that McGrew’s plan is an attempt to restrict access.
“The proposed rules seem to me to be limiting fishing opportunities,” said John Wittekind, who pointed out that all of McGrew’s proposed changes (except 24-hour-per-day fishing) can already be followed by any individual who chooses to do so.
“I’m totally opposed to this outsider’s deal,” said Harold Norman. “It doesn’t hurt me to fly fish next to a little boy that’s fishing with bait.”
McGrew’s proposal would limit children’s access to the river, said Roy Ginn, and it would also eliminate one of the few stretches (of the Tuckaseigee) open to bait fishing.
“If McGrew wants to fly fish, let him,” Ginn said.
Ray Crawford’s words were stronger.
“I believe (McGrew’s plan) is a covert attempt to privatize the river,” Crawford said. “It’s greed masquerading as a conservation effort.”
Richard Conley called McGrew’s proposal a “backdoor approach to commercializing the river,” and Calvin Sims labeled it “self-serving.”
Sims also said he had gathered close to 1,500 signatures on petitions opposing McGrew’s proposal.
Many of the speakers told of catching their first fish in the Tuckaseigee and of teaching their children and grandchildren to fish in the river.
The night’s youngest speaker was 12-year-old Tori O’Neill of Cullowhee, who said she was “appalled” when she learned of the proposal to limit that stretch of river to fly fishing only.
Pat Clayton, who said he’d fished the Tuckaseigee all his life, said the reason McGrew is misunderstood is because “if you hear him speak more than two places, you hear more than two stories.”
In the end, county commissioners, who had been asked by McGrew to endorse his proposal before a July 13 meeting he has scheduled with the Wildlife Resources Commission, voted to send the opposite message.
“The section of the river McGrew wants to privatize should stay open,” said Commissioner Roberta Crawford. “We talk about preserving our mountain heritage. There’s no better way than to ‘just say no’ to this proposal.”
“I’m concerned about the exclusion of local people,” said Commissioner Eddie Madden. “I’m a fly fisherman, but I recognize that fly fishing is not for everyone.”
“The basic principle here is common sense,” said Commissioner Brian McMahan. “The river’s been here since the dawn of time – God created it. I’m not in favor of this resolution. The Tuckaseigee is our river, and we need to keep it open.”
Commissioners will recommend to N.C. Wildlife Resource Commission officials that they “disapprove any changes to the current regulations as they pertain to the Tuckaseigee River. County officials plan to attach a copy of the minutes from Tuesday’s public hearing to that recommendation.
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