LF,

I propose one of the most detrimental factors to fishing mortality @ RF is the no wading rule. In many spots along the creek it is virtually impossible to properly revive a fish without wading into the water. In this instance I break the rule and wade in when releasing a fish there but most folks do not.

Of course if wade fishing was allowed the creek would be trashed and the fish population would be even worse off so it's also another example of life having no clear-cut answers to most problems.

Rocky Ford is-what-it-is it fulfills a niche in the sport fishing arena and it consolidates fishing pressure into an area that can both "handle it" and be sacrificed to it.

You compare antidotal fish kill evidence between a pay to play fishery with severely limited access to a fishery that sustains astronomical pressure citing 2 dead fish. Statistically that is nothing. If we are to believe even the more conservative estimates of C&R mortality then RF should be littered with dead fish (at least 1 a day on average I would guess).

The funny thing about the attitude of "they're just stockers, if I kill one they'll just put another one in", is that it's true. The regulations are even stacked against fish handling, in favor of maintaining water clarity (protecting the downstream hatchery's intake). That's the balance of Da Ford, it's not natural but it's balanced. It's the worlds best U-fish pond and thank god we don't have to pay by the pound or inch to fish there. I don't think you should try to vision it as something it simply isn't. It's far more a BLM amusement park than a nature preserve and it serves it's cliental well.

I'm also sure that if you put up gates, limited access, built a couple nice little cabins and some clean toilets you could convince plenty of people to come out there and pay $100 a day to fish it. Writers would come and fish it (complementary of course) and magazines would publish the articles exalting the wonderful desert spring creek fishing experience in the finest traditions of our sport. It would be hallowed ground, the riffraff would pause at the gates and dream of what it would be like to fish with the chosen in such a pristine setting. And there would be fewer dead fish. But then the question is; would it be a better fishery?

Not in my book.

Have fun
Paul