Emergency Trout Rules Shake Arkansas’ Fly-Fishing Heartland

The Norfork National Fish Hatchery is the nation’s largest federally owned stocking facility. Photo courtesy of Steve Dally

A massive rainbow-trout kill  at the Norfork National Fish Hatchery—the nation’s largest federally owned hatchery—in recent weeks is one of the factors that has led the The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) to establish new, much stricter regulations on some of the states most famous big-trout waters:

[C]atch-and-release fishing of all trout in the 45 miles of White River tailwater flowing below Bull Shoals Dam to its confluence with the North Fork River–known to most fly anglers as the Norfork–along with catch-and-release trout fishing on the entire length of the Norfork.

Trout waters below the White River-North Fork River confluence, from the Norfork Access boat ramp to the Highway 58 bridge at Guion, will have a two-trout-only limit with normal length and daily limits (only one trout over 14 inches). All tackle restrictions previously in place still apply.

The Little Red River and Upper White River) are affected, as well. Under the recent AGFC order, anglers in those two tailwaters may keep just two trout up to 14 inches.

There is plenty of debate about how bad the situation is and what the future holds, and author Lynn Burkhead cover all the angles is a comprehensive article on the issues.

Click here for the full story in Fly Fisherman

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Source: Fish2