09-27-2006, 07:06 PM
A few years ago I got involved in a verbal tussle here on BFT over this very issue. The result was that I pretty much stopped posting ever because some won't listen to reason and can't stand logic. But I'll say it again and then leave for a few years once more.
Instead of jumping on the "water users are fish killers" bandwagon we ought to thank them for letting us use the water before they do. They have every right to all the water that THEY OWN. That is not state water. That is not DWR water. That is not fisherman water. That is their water. In a lot of reserviors they let the DWR stock fish for us. We ought to be grateful for that use while it lasts.
I don't think for a minute that the water users intended to kill any fish. I think they intended to preserve water for next year and the
result is that a lot of fish died. It is a loss no doubt but I also think that if anyone came to your place of business and changed how you did things to the point that the next year your family's livelyhood was at stake, you would resent it too. They only do what they feel is best for their livelyhood.
So, can we just accept that fact that until WE fisherman are willing to cough up enough CASH to BUY some of the water, we don't have much right to verbally lynch the rightful water owners? And until then we should cut them some slack. I loving fishing as much as anybody, but there is more to life than just fishing.
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Instead of jumping on the "water users are fish killers" bandwagon we ought to thank them for letting us use the water before they do. They have every right to all the water that THEY OWN. That is not state water. That is not DWR water. That is not fisherman water. That is their water. In a lot of reserviors they let the DWR stock fish for us. We ought to be grateful for that use while it lasts.
I don't think for a minute that the water users intended to kill any fish. I think they intended to preserve water for next year and the
result is that a lot of fish died. It is a loss no doubt but I also think that if anyone came to your place of business and changed how you did things to the point that the next year your family's livelyhood was at stake, you would resent it too. They only do what they feel is best for their livelyhood. So, can we just accept that fact that until WE fisherman are willing to cough up enough CASH to BUY some of the water, we don't have much right to verbally lynch the rightful water owners? And until then we should cut them some slack. I loving fishing as much as anybody, but there is more to life than just fishing.
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