Fishing ban sought on river

The state Fish and Game Commission is set to consider a two-month fishing ban on the lower American River as a way to ward off poaching and preserve the steelhead trout population.

The ban for February and March, if approved, would be the first in years along a 26-mile section of the river from Nimbus Dam to the Sacramento River. That stretch is one of the region's most popular, meandering through the American River Parkway, where anglers logged 265,000 hours fishing in 2007.

A fly-fishing organization representing 7,000 Northern California anglers is asking the state commission for the ban, which would interrupt the steelhead trout season.

Unusually low river levels below Nimbus Dam make fish more susceptible to "snagging," an illegal method that is difficult to prevent, a branch of the Federation of Fly Fishers said in a letter to the commission.

"We make this request with a heavy heart," the letter said.

As popular as the American River is, flush with fish and within easy reach of nearly 2 million people, continuing dry conditions warrant extreme measures, said Fair Oaks resident David Ford, who wrote the letter.

"They're not going to be happy," he said of anglers, "me included. But if we're ever going to save the wild fish, we have to do it."

The commission will consider the proposal when it meets Feb. 7-8 in San Diego. The panel could deny the request, adopt an emergency measure effective immediately, or ask for more discussion, including a public hearing, said Jon Fischer, deputy executive director of the commission.

The commission's staff has not made a recommendation on the request. Commission members couldn't be reached for comment Thursday.

River levels so low that people can stroll across the American give fish less room to spread out, which makes it easier for snaggers to spot them, Ford said. Steelhead spawn during February and March, another condition that makes them easier snagging targets, he said.

Fish, including steelhead, are supposed to be hooked in the mouth with a lure or bait. But illegally caught fish are hooked by a line dragged through the water until it snags somewhere on the fish, sometimes on its back.

"It brings out the worst in people," Ford said.

The lower stretch of the American has nearly shriveled into a muddy ribbon compared to its typical rippling abundance because of stingy dam releases, according to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

That isn't likely to change during the next two months because, even with the recent storms, there isn't enough snowmelt to spare more water, said Ron Milligan of the bureau's Central Valley Project.

The flow in the lower American was at 1,038 cubic feet per second Thursday, compared to a year ago, when it was 1,747 cfs.

On some North Coast streams, fishing stops when flows fall below a certain level, resuming when water rises, Ford said.

"Why isn't it true for the Central Valley?" he said.

The group is seeking only the two-month ban from the commission, but noted it would support the same kind of trigger for the lower American.

Beneath the looming concrete mass of Nimbus Dam, a half-dozen men stood thigh-deep in the muddy flow Thursday morning. Stalwarts of their sport, determined against the icy wind, they cast their lines and waited. And waited.

Gene Dragon, 74, cocked his head as he watched from the rockbound shore, calculating his odds. Should he join the ranks of the hopeful? Or should he climb into the warmth of his truck and head for his Rancho Cordova home?

Not a good idea to deny everyone all this fun, Dragon said of the proposed ban.

"When they see snaggers here, they get on them in a second," he said, summing up a kind of river justice.

As Dragon geared up, Nick Torres, 60, waded ashore, done for the day.

February and March will be slow months on the river for legitimate fishers anyway, he said. A moratorium on fishing, he said, is a small sacrifice for a viable steelhead population.

"If you want to keep it healthy and coming back, you have to," he said.

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