Blue Ribbon Waters

[JohnScott]

In the opening post on an interesting thread on the Fly Tying Forum yesterday, there was a reference to Blue Ribbon waters.

Just wondering what your thoughts / opinions are about that phrase and how you use it, if at all ??

John

[ducksterman]

I pretty much use it with Pabst...even though it is Easter ...the devil made me do it

[Longs for Cutts]

Blue Ribbon Waters: waters where tourists go to fish shoulder to shoulder in parts of the country where it isn't usually necessary for nice-sized fish and is counterproductive for numbers. See for example Soda Butte Creek next to the road or the Madison at $3 Bridge.

Incidentally, Soda Butte is almost certainly in the top three destinations for people visiting my shop, and I've guided on it a grand total of once since 2009. It's just too crowded and the fish are just too scarred.

[herefishy]

Our favorite river in Colorado has been considered for "gold medal" designation a few times and the locals all try everything in their power to keep it from happening with the resulting crowds - hope they always succeed.

[Icemanxxxv]

Blue Ribbon in Missouri is wild unstocked trout. Less presure than the Red and White ribbon areas. Less pressure than the Red or White because they are artificial unscented methods and small wiley trout. Heading to Rolla Thursday night to fish the Little Piney and Mill Creek.

[whatfly]

Not an expression I use. It is a common expression used to characterize destination waters by people who are in the business, almost exclusively.

[sharps]

Iceman's description for Missouri is exactly correct. A designation adopted by Missouri Dept. of Conservation for our creeks and streams that will support natural reproduciton of trout. No live bait, soft plastic lures, cheese, dough baits or corn. Flys and hard bodied lures only with a limit of one fish of at least 18 inches per day....and you don't catch many of them. I don't keep them when I do. For the wife and I there are much better tasting fish than trout!!

[Chuck S]

Blue Ribbon and Gold Medal varies from state to state. The better ones are based on actual fishing and fishing conditions instead of other factors.

[Dave E]

Hi John,

How many field guides for fly fishing have been printed with the title " Blue Ribbon Trout Streams of Pick a State " ? Who selected the waters to be included in those publications?

I know we would occasionally use the Blue Ribbon reference when promoting travel and within that context, where you know the mind set of those who you are communicating with, there's never an eye batted. In that context it's just a phrase, that doesn't require the mind to linger. In most instances, it has little more informational worth than an advertiser using the phrase fast action to describe a rod, or a material company calling something olive or dun. All of these are open to interpretation, individually and collectively.

My two cents, Dave

[moucheur]

Some state fish & game depts designate particular rivers/streams as "blue ribbon" waters and manage them differently from the undesignated ones.