What Would You Do?

[Tcw]

Driving home, crossing the new Highwood Bridge outside of High River tonight, I notice a car parked in plain sight, and then saw a fellow standing on a gravel bar fishing.
Highwood is closed.
I did not stop to tell em.
I did not call F&W, and now thinking I should have.
But would this be too minor for them or would they be intrested in the new fishing spot to come, just to give them one more spot to check on.
Would you have stoped, or called it in?

[ishootbambi]

reminds me of the guy a news photographer took pics of a posted on the front page of the local paper a few years back in the middle of april. i wonder to this day if that photog was just playing coy?

[Mariko's Rod]

ABSOLUTLY CALL. let F&W decide if he is clueless, Playing dumb, or a habitual poacher. I bet a guy would be suprised how many people play dumb but know exactly what they are doing.

[uplander]

I would of called there's usually a chance that if he's fishing out of season he doesn't care for the regs that are in place or he's just misinformed. At worst he gets a fine and learns the rules and at best you just stopped a poacher who may have been taking fish home.

[gl2]

well not to be harsh but you needed advise on reporting this?. i would have stopped and if i couldn't i would have at least called it in. f&w are busy but there are a couple of officers in high river and they would have come. doesn't matter if he was just misinformed or not. the rules are printed and free, if you are too stupid to read them then you deserve every penny of the fine you get.

[fishermansfriend]

I wouldnt have called anyone nor will i ever call to ruin someones day, If you concerned enough to make a post why not go down and remind them of the rules and regs.

I know im gonna be hated for this but...

Lets do our best to keep alberta rat free... If he gets caught and fined its on him.

[Pikecrazed]

I personally would have stoped and kindly inform him that this body of water is closed at this time of if he had told me p$s off then would cal f&w

[gl2]

I wouldnt have called anyone nor will i ever call to ruin someones day, If you concerned enough to make a post why not go down and remind them of the rules and regs.

I know im gonna be hated for this but...

Lets do our best to keep alberta rat free... If he gets caught and fined its on him.

ruin someones day? lmao. why do i need to read the rules and remind every stupid sob out there that cant read, what the rules are? and rat free? spoken like a true criminal. the resource is all of ours and fragile so why not protect it for all of us.

[fishermansfriend]

So im a criminal for having an oppinion. Go police the river...:)

[ReconWilly]

That is a scenario that i wound not hesitate to report, its my position to worry about the fishery itself and not guilty offenders regardless if ignorance is a factor, responsibility always lies on the user.period.

[Mariko's Rod]

I wouldnt have called anyone nor will i ever call to ruin someones day, If you concerned enough to make a post why not go down and remind them of the rules and regs.

I know im gonna be hated for this but...

Lets do our best to keep alberta rat free... If he gets caught and fined its on him.

perhaps POACHERSFRIEND would suit you better?

[Guitarplayingfish]

I'm with Pikecrazed, I would tell him in person and if he disregarded me and kept fishing than I would be calling F&W... :snapoutofit:

[fishermansfriend]

I personally would have stoped and kindly inform him that this body of water is closed at this time of if he had told me p$s off then would cal f&w

Perhaps that'd be the best route.. alot of people are just mis-informed.

[tacklerunner]

I personally would have stoped and kindly inform him that this body of water is closed at this time of if he had told me p$s off then would cal f&w

Perhaps that'd be the best route.. alot of people are just mis-informed.

No excuse. If he has a fishing license, he should have read the regs. If he has no license, he should be fined accordingly. Black and white.

It's the law!

[mosbos]

I would have called it in. A couple of years ago I fished Rock Lake and there were 3 guys from Ontario fishing with bait. They would also cast out their rods with bait and then head back to their campsite and come back to periodically check on their rods. They were breaking a few rules. I was a little out numbered and there was no cell reception up there. I took down their license plate and took photos of their bait rigs. When I got back to Hinton I called the rap line and the F & G officer met up with them the next morning. He wasn't able to charge them as he met up with them on the way out but they got the regs explained to them and I'm sure they figured out that they were reported by me. The officer phoned me back and thanked me for reporting it in. The way I look at it is they probably checked the regs a heck of a lot better for the balance of their trip and I may have prevented some future poaching/rule breaking by making the call. There is no way the rule breakers will be educated or caught unless other fisherman help out with the RAP lines. F & G is way too under staffed. They may not catch the guy you report at the time but they may increase their patrols to the area and catch him at a later date.

[gl2]

Highwood River
from headwaters downstream to Kananaskis Country Boundary & tributaries (except Storm Creek)
June 16 to Aug. 31 – Brook Trout limit 2; Other Trout limit 0; Mountain Whitefish limit 5 over 30 cm; Bait Ban.
Sept. 1 to Oct. 31 – Brook Trout limit 2; Other Trout limit 0; Mountain Whitefish limit 0; Bait Ban.
Nov. 1 to June 15 – CLOSED
from Kananaskis Country Boundary downstream to 500 m above the mouth & tributaries (except Sheep River).
June 16 to Oct. 31 – Trout limit 0; Mountain Whitefish limit 5 over 30 cm; Maggots are the only bait allowed and only in the river from Aug. 16 to Oct. 31.
Nov. 1 to June 15 – CLOSED
within 500 m of the mouth (See Bow River – the portion from the Western Headworks Diversion [W.H.D.] Weir downstream to Carseland Weir.)


dont know how this is misleading or how you could interpret it any differently.

[gl2]

perhaps POACHERSFRIEND would suit you better?

bawhahahaha. just spit pop all over my computer. thanks for the laugh.

[Mariko's Rod]

I would have called it in. A couple of years ago I fished Rock Lake and there were 3 guys from Ontario fishing with bait. They would also cast out their rods with bait and then head back to their campsite and come back to periodically check on their rods. They were breaking a few rules. I was a little out numbered and there was no cell reception up there. I took down their license plate and took photos of their bait rigs. When I got back to Hinton I called the rap line and the F & G officer met up with them the next morning. He wasn't able to charge them as he met up with them on the way out but they got the regs explained to them and I'm sure they figured out that they were reported by me. The officer phoned me back and thanked me for reporting it in. The way I look at it is they probably checked the regs a heck of a lot better for the balance of their trip and I may have prevented some future poaching/rule breaking by making the call. There is no way the rule breakers will be educated or caught unless other fisherman help out with the RAP lines. F & G is way too under staffed. They may not catch the guy you report at the time but they may increase their patrols to the area and catch him at a later date.

Nailed it! too bad he couldnt lay any charges there but probably scared them straight. who knows how many illegaly cought fish they would have squirled away on their trip if you wouldnt have said anything.

[Lefty-Canuck]

I personally would have stoped and kindly inform him that this body of water is closed at this time of if he had told me p$s off then would cal f&w

I did the very same thing last year @ Coal Lake....I was driving by to go gopher shooting and a lady and two kids were casting off the boat launch. I pulled in and went to say hi...

I kindly told them the lake was closed for another 10 days....she said wow thanks for letting us know and I gave her a copy of the regs. They quit fishing immediately and packed up. If I got told to stuff it.....I would have made a phone call.

Some people are all about trying to fish but not all about learning the rules.

LC

[BeeGuy]

Some people just want to wet a line. This includes people who haven't fished ever or for decades, tourists, single mom's with kids etc.

As we've seen on this forum with some of our most veteran members, reg's are often mis-interpreted, mis-read, missed, or ignored.

Be a good citizen, not a militant *****. Sometimes F&W do need a call. Use your judgement.

[fishermansfriend]

I did the very same thing last year @ Coal Lake....I was driving by to go gopher shooting and a lady and two kids were casting off the boat launch. I pulled in and went to say hi...

I kindly told them the lake was closed for another 10 days....she said wow thanks for letting us know and I gave her a copy of the regs. They quit fishing immediately and packed up. If I got told to stuff it.....I would have made a phone call.

Some people are all about trying to fish but not all about learning the rules.

LC

Again i agree this is the best option, Sorry if i offended anyone.. I for one do follow regs as well as do my very best to stay informed since im new to the calgary area... But to say i am a criminal because i wouldnt call the cops or fish and wildlife. Gotta love some of the members on here.:snapoutofit:

[Rodger]

What if it was a homeless person would you still call?

[fish gunner]

I personally would have stoped and kindly inform him that this body of water is closed at this time of if he had told me p$s off then would cal f&w

×2 I feel it is our responsibility to do as much as possible to educate fellow anglers. if they choose to ignore a friendly, buck up. the let the F&W have em. a call never hurts.

[fishermansfriend]

What if it was a homeless person would you still call?

I am sure a few people in here would. They're the kind of people who get jollies from doing that kinda of stuff.

If you really care about the resource why not go and talk to them yourself. Then again the people who would rather pass quick judgment are also more than likely socially awkward.

[gl2]

Again i agree this is the best option, Sorry if i offended anyone.. I for one do follow regs as well as do my very best to stay informed since im new to the calgary area... But to say i am a criminal because i wouldnt call the cops or fish and wildlife. Gotta love some of the members on here.:snapoutofit:

calling someone a rat because they follow the rules is the very worst attitude you can have in my opinion. you want to think like then fine, i could care less but don't teach that junk to others. i wondered why the op might be hesitant to call f&w (the right decision) and things like that are exactly the reason why people don't. its not about being a rat its about following the rules and that guy choose not too so why should i care if he gets a ticket. I will agree that i have confronted people and i have called it in, both decisions get made on the spot. i hold no authority and am not looking to get into confrontations on the water so the rap line is a very good tool for us outdoorsmen and we should use it.

[Mariko's Rod]

What if it was a homeless person would you still call?

If he were homeless I doubt he would be driving his CAR down to the river to get a line wet. and yes I would call and get my jollies from reporting a POACHER!

[gl2]

What if it was a homeless person would you still call?

i would call it in if a homeless person parked his car in plain view and was fishing closed waters. i would also wonder how much provincial/federal support he gets.

gas from calgary- 20 bucks
rod/reel combo(cheap)- 20 bucks
fishing license- 30 bucks


why didn't he fish the bow??????....lol

[jts1]

I wouldnt have called anyone nor will i ever call to ruin someones day, If you concerned enough to make a post why not go down and remind them of the rules and regs.

I know im gonna be hated for this but...

Lets do our best to keep alberta rat free... If he gets caught and fined its on him.

:party0052:

[BeeGuy]

Is that avatar pic from this spring? get down south?:party0052:

[Tcw]

I really did think about going back to inform the younger fellow of his wrong doings, but the way my day had been, I just plain did not feel like a possible yelling match. I do feel I should have called. My bad.
I guess both of us are in the wrong.I should have stopped or called; and he should either known better or have been charged.

[Alberta Bigbore]

perhaps poachersfriend would suit you better?

lol!!!

[ReconWilly]

The system in place is there to help curb vigilanty style justice and other scenarios from ending in escalated confrontations or even violence, if you complain about the lack of enforcement but are not willing to do your part when its your turn to do so, how is anything EVER going to change? Its about the resource, and if your concerned thats all that should matter, save the ''poor me'' scenarios, i'm not above the law and neither is anyone else.

[Lefty-Canuck]

Each circumstance calls for a different reaction in my eyes....

Last year I spoke with the lady and her kids....she was thankful and packed up. She left with a copy of the regs....

I confronted some poachers keeping undersized fish who were catching them and tossing them in long grass to pick up later....called RAP.

I talked to some guys who had 3 "live" undersize pike in a bucket and were eager to show me.....I kindly told them they needed to be 63cms long and that I know the fish were too short and I also know they have a chance to live if released immediately.....which is what they did, said thanks and they also left with a copy of the regs....

This was all at the same place within 150 yards of each other....

LC

[chubbdarter]

Driving home, crossing the new Highwood Bridge outside of High River tonight, I notice a car parked in plain sight, and then saw a fellow standing on a gravel bar fishing.
Highwood is closed.
I did not stop to tell em.
I did not call F&W, and now thinking I should have.
But would this be too minor for them or would they be intrested in the new fishing spot to come, just to give them one more spot to check on.
Would you have stoped, or called it in?

Tcw....I know your a kind soul at heart, from the help you provided at the event.
But somethings to consider.

You dont have godly powers to determine a criminal. Calling the plate in to a Officer may reveal they are repeat criminals. Being a kind and informative good will ambassader is fine but i suspect most times it ends in the criminal saying under his breath......WHAT A IDIOT.

What if you do approach and discover they have 20 trout in a bag? Do you call? They now know who you are. For those that say so what, your the same type that would walk down skid row with hundies pasted to your forehead and be singing " it will never happen to me"

If its a innocent mistake let a officer decide their fate, if its a repeat offender only the Officer cant determine that.

[horsetrader]

Tcw....I know your a kind soul at heart, from the help you provided at the event.
But somethings to consider.

You dont have godly powers to determine a criminal. Calling the plate in to a Officer may reveal they are repeat criminals. Being a kind and informative good will ambassader is fine but i suspect most times it ends in the criminal saying under his breath......WHAT A IDIOT.

What if you do approach and discover they have 20 trout in a bag? Do you call? They now know who you are. For those that say so what, your the same type that would walk down skid row with hundies pasted to your forehead and be singing " it will never happen to me"

If its a innocent mistake let a officer decide their fate, if its a repeat offender only the Officer cant determine that.

What if you do appraoch them

Sound good to me

[huntsfurfish]

Some people just want to wet a line. This includes people who haven't fished ever or for decades, tourists, single mom's with kids etc.

As we've seen on this forum with some of our most veteran members, reg's are often mis-interpreted, mis-read, missed, or ignored.

Be a good citizen, not a militant *****. Sometimes F&W do need a call. Use your judgement.

Very well said!!!

Years ago, and not that many, a person was courteous and helpful, they/I would at least mention that you were doing something "wrong". How you reacted determined the need for any further action.

[KoldFusion]

I would stop and check out his gear. If he is sporting all brand new stuff I would ask if he was new to the sport.

If he said he was, I would not only tell him the river is closed but WHY it is closed. Toss him a Fishing Regs Book (I keep spares), write down the URL for this forum on a piece of paper. And field any questions he may ask.

I know that is not the proper thing to do. But some people do not have any mentors to learn from. They just have a hole in their life and are trying to fill it with a healthy activity. While there is no excuse for ignorance if the guy was new I don't think he would want to be a part of this sport if his first outing resulted in a hefty fine. People that are new to Sport Fishing need to learn the cause and effect of their actions.

Now... If his gear was beat, he looked seasoned, and was a obvious poacher I would take a picture of him fishing, get his plate numbers, description, and report him post haste.

When it comes to matter of policing, people should not get involved other than to observe and report. But I find most new fishermen not only are more than eager to talk to people about fishing, but are also willing to learn. With all the information they flood themselves with on how to fish, quite often they can over look the major details.

I seen three people buy WIN cards, gear, and licenses at Canadian tire a week or so ago in NE Calgary. The person at the customer service desk did not hand out one reg book to these new anglers. And from what I could overhear from those guys they had never fished in their life. I seen them in the parking lot, gave them a spare guide, and showed them how to read it. They had planned to fish near Princes's Island park in Calgary. So it was a good thing I was eavesdropping.

It was a win-win. I got to talk about fishing, I saved these guys from fines, and they learned about spawning and watershed closures, how to de-barb a hook and why.

I seen them fishing near Southland park the other day. Assh*#s are catching --and releasing-- more fish then me. :mad0030::sHa_sarcasticlol:

Poachers suck. But everyone can use a mentor to show them the ropes. If it wasn't for my step father teaching me when I was young, that guy on the river could have been me.

[ryanheartssteelhead]

CALL. All the information is available.

[Redfrog]

I don't think BGSH gets down that way, so I'd just toss the guy and all his gear in the river and phone BGSH and let him know.:)

[nekred]

Just call... like I used to say it is not up for me to judge people just to arrange a meeting with the authority...

[Chris84]

Tcw....I know your a kind soul at heart, from the help you provided at the event.
But somethings to consider.

You dont have godly powers to determine a criminal. Calling the plate in to a Officer may reveal they are repeat criminals. Being a kind and informative good will ambassader is fine but i suspect most times it ends in the criminal saying under his breath......WHAT A IDIOT.

What if you do approach and discover they have 20 trout in a bag? Do you call? They now know who you are. For those that say so what, your the same type that would walk down skid row with hundies pasted to your forehead and be singing " it will never happen to me"

If its a innocent mistake let a officer decide their fate, if its a repeat offender only the Officer cant determine that.

Agreed. Its the Officer that needs to make the judgement. To each their own, there have been some good perspectives posted on this thread so far.

I would call it in and let the Officer do their job and know that I have done my part, I don't need to be a hero and confront them (not saying this is necessarily wrong, I just wouldn't do it).

[nekred]

or fire a warning shot!....:fighting0030:

[marlin1]

I called out to some guys fishing on a closed section of the Bow years ago to inform them it was closed . Was told to F off . Made the call and they ended up writing 6 or 7 tickets that day and we walked away with 100$ . :)