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
I pretty much use it with Pabst:evil::evil:…even though it is Easter …the devil made me do it:evil:
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.
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.
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.
Not an expression I use. It is a common expression used to characterize destination waters by people who are in the business, almost exclusively.
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!!
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.
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
Some state fish & game depts designate particular rivers/streams as “blue ribbon” waters and manage them differently from the undesignated ones.
To me “blue ribbon” means “quality” or “significant” trout waters.
This could mean high number of trout per mile. It could mean difficult trout waters. It could mean hallowed waters with historical significance in fly fishing. It could mean pay to fish waters like Depuys Spring Creek. The meaning is derived from the context in which it is used.
I’d agree with and am also guilty of your statement above. When I hop on a plane to tourist fish I’m always fishing the “Blue Ribbon Waters”. When fishing local (ie driving less than 4hrs) I rarely fish the “Blue Ribbon Waters” and instead opt for the less well known but equally productive streams.
Yes I hear the term Blue Ribbon used aswell. Like a poster said in a previous post, here in Colorado a river gets Gold Medal designation. It has a very strict criteria:
The official criteria for Gold Medal Water is 12 trout per acre over 14" or 60 lbs. of trout per surface acre.
When a stream or river meets that criteria it pretty much gets the Gold Medal label whether anyone likes it or not.
Blue Ribbon Waters= a place with bluegills
That one gets my vote!
Wyoming G&F gives the designation to rivers and streams that are still natural, with the headwaters being untouched, or diverted for irrigation/other purposes. For instance, the N. Platte River is Blue Ribbon, in Southern Wyoming until just below Encampment Creek I believe, but the Grey Reef and Miracle Mile are not Blue Ribbon, though, many fly shops contend that it is in their advertisements.
The Snake River, for all its glory is a tailwater, and also not a Blue Ribbon River by the state’s definition.
It’s really interesting to look into what each state considers to be a blue ribbon fishery.
By your description of the Wyoming definitions, the Greys River would qualify ?? If it doesn’t, they need to change the definitions !!
I’ve heard the phrase “Blue Ribbon Waters” and the Colorado “Gold” thing on occasion but never paid much attention to it. In the post I originally refered to, the reference was to rivers in SE Idaho and SW Montana, and all the time I lived down that way, no one locally made any mention of blue ribbon this or that.
It’s not an expression that I’ve ever had occasion to understand or use, and the responses here have been interesting.
Thanks all, for some enlightment.
John