The state of the Livingston

[Andrew]

Took some buddies to the Livingstone recently for a first fly fishing trip and was a little mortified at the look of some of the fish we caught... faces and lips absolutely torn up, seems those fish have all had more piercings than a punk rocker... I wonder how many times a day these fish get caught and hooked with the pressure on the Livingstone as it is... Maybe we need some signs up to promote better fish handling?.. maybe there needs to be closures to let the fish recover? Interested to hear if people have been noticing the same thing and what they think about the situation.
Andrew

[slivers86]

Sadly,
this becomes quite common at this time of year, and the shutdown of the major water sheds in the southwest of the province only hurt it worse. I'm just staying away from a lot of those streams, to avoid disappointment, or going to areas that don't see a lot of pressure!

[dodger]

Yep the Livingston gets hammered by fisherman. I stopped fishing it 7 years ago due to crowds and seeing many a fish damaged.

Dodger.

[Chief16]

I have caught many fish this summer with a mandible missing, a couple times both. Alberta just has so much pressure it is hard to get anywhere that the fish haven't been caught before, especially cutts. One of the trips I noticed a fish missing both was actually an overnight back country float where not many people get to and still seen evidence of fish being caught before.
On the plus side, we know C&R works! Even if it leaves the fish with scars however.

[pikergolf]

The one and only reason barbless should be law, but it's a biggy. Alas people can't stand the thought of loosing a few more fish even if it is good for the fishery.

[Andrew]

barbless would help but I assume alot of people must just rip the hooks out of the fishes mouth too... There's lots of variables that may cause this damage to the fish and sometimes it is unavoidable, but in the scope that you see it on the Livingston to me it says a lack of knowledge on how to handle and unhook fish or just a lack of caring about the resource.

It just makes me sad to see that one of our most well known cutthroat rivers has its fish in such a dire condition... If I was some sort of fishing tourist to Alberta whose experiences were casting amidst the empty cheetos bags and used condoms while floating down the bow and catching some of these alien looking fish from the Livingston, I kind of doubt I'd want to come back...

Andrew

[Chief16]

The one and only reason barbless should be law, but it's a biggy. Alas people can't stand the thought of loosing a few more fish even if it is good for the fishery.

Both very good points

[The Reel Deal]

The one and only reason barbless should be law, but it's a biggy. Alas people can't stand the thought of loosing a few more fish even if it is good for the fishery.

Treble hooks should be barbless at the very least!

[cougarcreek]

I to have given up going to the Livingston and Oldman. Did check it out early this year but there was so many people on the river I didn't even take my rod out. This was one off my favorite places to go but the crowds and conditions of the fish have ruined the experience. Not sure of a solution unless we go to some system that reduces fisherman numbers by some draw system like you see on some steelhead rivers in the east. Really hope it does not come to that but this rivers cannot sustain this pressure.

[FlyTheory]

Treble hooks should be barbless at the very least!

I totally agree. Barbed trebles are so bad for fish, barbless aren't as bad.

[Barnes19]

Treble hooks should be barbless at the very least!

I strongly agree with this!

[bigrfish]

Should be single barbless in streams as it is in BC...No need for trebles in streams.