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I have a question about corn. I know it is illegal and not to be used anywhere in the state, but i was wondering why. I have been told that trout cannot digest it and it can kill them, is this true? I recently took a trip to henry's fork of the snake and there is a place called Big Springs which holds rainbows and cutts that range from 10 inches to 10 pounds. some of the fish look to be maybe about fifteen to twenty pounds also. They all sit under a bridge for the viewing pleasure and fishing is strictly prohibited! people usually toss bread to the fish, but I saw i guy dump two cans of corn out on top of the fish and I freaked out! Is anything going to happen to these fish? I would hate to see something happen to these fish as they have been there for years and years. I would appreciate some input. Thanks,
Hookjaw
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[cool][#0000ff]Rest easy. Those big fish are not going to die. Corn has a tough cellulose layer that is difficult to digest (by humans too), but the majority of each kernel is digested and passes on "down the line" and out of the system.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Corn is legal in most states and used to be legal in Utah. There are several "urban legends" about why corn was banned, but it most certainly was not because it clogged up the fish and killed them.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The most likely reason was because CHUMMING is illegal in Utah, and people were using corn both to chum and to fish with. Supposedly there were large areas of some lakes where the bottom was covered to a depth of several inches with "Niblets hackle". According to reports, this stuff then began to decay and caused water quality problems.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have fished with corn in other states and have caught and "autopsied" fish that had eaten corn. I have never observed any fish clogged with corn. It seems to go through just fine.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I am from Idaho and return to the Big Springs area whenever I go back up to Island Park. Those big pretty fish definitely get the angler inside charged up. And, people feed them a whole lot of junk food, for sure.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The funniest story I heard (not witnessed) was about the guy who wore a pair of bib overalls out onto the bridge. He had the bottom of the pockets cut out and lowered a baited hook down through his pants leg into the water. Supposedly he hooked a big trout, battled it in and hoisted it up through his pants (ouch). He was busted as he shuffled across the parking area with one leg flopping wildly.[/#0000ff]
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pretty funny storie Pat. I used to fish with corn in Calif. back in the 70's. never seemed to harm any of the fish. carp like it also. back then I was on a kick of checking the stomach of all the fish I kept. I found 1 piece of corn once and it was payle looking and pretty messed up. later chuck
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[cool][#0000ff]Got a question for you, Chuck? Wondering if you could weave an ear of corn into one of your creative rod wraps. Then...would you be subject to getting busted, since the law prohibits the "possession" of corn while on the water?[/#0000ff]
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For a few years, back in the 60s, don't recall exactly when, believe it or not it was legal to chum in Utah. It wasn't long before people learned that an easy way to chum was to use a sling shot and shoot a can or corn out into the water (while fishing from shore). From a boat one didn't even need a sling shot. If one can of corn was good, two or three must be two or three times better! I can only imagine how much corn was put into our reservoirs. Once while fishing Scofield with my parents an older couple arrived just as we were getting ready to call it a night. In the morning we got up early and started fishing. The fishing was especially good that morning, and when the older couple got up they said that it was probably good where we were fishing because the night before they had punched several holes into a can of dog food and thrown the entire can out into the water where we were now fishing.
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Thanks for the input, I was pretty upset for a while there. By the way Henrys fork was a great fishing as it always is. I also fished the Madison above the Ennis bridge and did very well. I landed 8 nice browns within about an hour all in the 16-19 inch range and managed to land a beautiful cutt-bow that almost most looked like a steelhead. The cutt-bow stretched almost 20 inches. I had a great time as i do every year and I'm looking forward to next year. I try to fish a new spot every year, do you know of any other hotspots around that area?
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[cool][#0000ff]That whole area up there is just one big fishin' hole. When I was a kid (stone age days) we used to spend a couple of weeks following the salmon fly hatch up the Madison and a couple of other rivers up there. It was scary for a kid to stand on the bank and watch browns the size of salmon snatch big old stoneflies off the surface within a couple of feet of where you were standing. Not the same these days, but still plenty of gooduns for those who are good...and lucky...and time it right.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]You know, as much as I enjoy catching big fish, I also enjoy backroading into some of the "trickle creeks" up there and playing with little brookies and cutts. Lots of those up there.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]One of my favorite playrooms used to be the outlet from Henry's Lake. I would park on a road, go through the fence, dodge big old Hereford bulls, fight skeeters and deerflies and trudge a long ways across the meadows to the almost invisible (from the road) outlet. Slow and meandering, there are a lot of good sized brookies, cutts and cuttbows in there for either fly flingers or spinner nuts. And, since most anglers are a bit lazy, you can have long stretches of that lovely meadow water all to yourself.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Also used to do well on the "Coffee Pot Rapids" stretch of the river up there. When I was a kid the road down was narrow dirt road. My mother and aunt used to get out of the car and walk while my dad or uncle low geared it down to the river. Used to be some bodacious bows in there. Broke the heck out of my old three section steel telescope pole.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Yeah, not much prettier than the Island Park waters, flowing naturally and crystal clear through weed beds that hold some surprising trout. Of course, most of those trout have seen every fly and lure there is and it takes something special to coax one to your offering.[/#0000ff]
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