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 Post subject: Covid 19 and fishing
PostPosted: Sun Sep 27, 2020 7:02 am • # 1 
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Location: Rusagonis, New Brunswick, Canada
(I introduce this topic with considerable trepidation, because I am never quite sure what otherwise objective topics are currently considered 'political' or 'partisan', particularly in the USA. So, if this is one of those topics, I trust the moderators will shut 'er down immediately, and no hard feelings. )

So here goes: Have you found your angling experiences altered this year as a result of the current pandemic, and if so, how? Inability to travel? Crowding on certain waters? Closure of seasons/infrastructure? Limitations on group sizes? Personal/familial illness?
I'll go first: Season started two weeks late because of uncertainty from government as to whether it could be opened safely. Once opened, crowding restrictions at boat ramps, and boat sharing/travel in same vehicle rules were implemented, and subsequently relaxed when it became evident that our province, as a result of early implementation and compliance, plus border closures, was an oasis of health (200 total cases to date, 2 deaths, no new cases for weeks at a time.). Also, almost all tournaments were cancelled. But many people found themselves unable to go to work due to closures, and so pressure on streams and lakes increased significantly as a result of more 'leisure' time. We are still a rural population, and participation in fishing is high. As our season wraps up, I find I have fished somewhat less often this year, in part due to not being able to travel to MA, VA, and SC as I have in previous years, in part to fish. I fear that the additional pressure on local fish populations, in conjunction with an unprecedented drought starting in June and still in progress, will affect angling for several years to come. The shrinking of riverine habitat to a few cold water pools has made trout populations extremely vulnerable, and much of our angler community is still a 'hook and cook' bunch.

You guys?


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 Post subject: Re: Covid 19 and fishing
PostPosted: Sun Sep 27, 2020 11:46 am • # 2 
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Posts: 617
Location: Oklahoma
At least for me the pandemic has not interfered with my fishing. However, the cellulitis in my left leg accompanied by severe sepsis that caused me to spend 3 weeks in the hospital back in April and May, has definitely impeded my fishing. For a month or two following my hospitalization, my left leg and ankle were still somewhat painful and definitely weak, so I didn't trust myself to wading in the creeks. As I continued to have swelling, I finally sought the expertise of a vascular surgeon who performed an angioplasty to a branch of my femoral artery. I have improved considerably since then, but I had developed a stasis ulcer on my left ankle which has yet to completely close and heal. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks I will have healed enough to actually get in the river. I have a group of friends coming in to meet me on the nearby Blue River to camp for a couple of days and fish for smallmouth and spotted bass. I have at least managed to get in some fishing from easily accessible creek banks at a nearby stream, and I was even able to catch a few brookies at a small stream in Montana back in July. Hopefully next year will be a better year for all of us. I am ready to get back to what we consider normal. Brent, I'm with you in hoping that nobody tries to subvert your post into a political shouting match. We get enough of that from TV and Facebook. This forum is supposed to be a restful oasis from everyday worries.

Larry


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 Post subject: Re: Covid 19 and fishing
PostPosted: Sun Sep 27, 2020 1:07 pm • # 3 
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Location: Rusagonis, New Brunswick, Canada
[quote="Canoeman1947"]
This forum is supposed to be a restful oasis from everyday worries.

Amen, brother. As is fishing.


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 Post subject: Re: Covid 19 and fishing
PostPosted: Sun Sep 27, 2020 2:12 pm • # 4 
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Location: Coppell, TX
I fish in my home town and the Covid pandemic has affected my fishing somewhat. With some folks not working, the fishing pressure has increased with some keeping the fish (as clearly evident by their tossing the fish into coolers). I have plenty of ponds to fish so I have needed to move to another canal/pond if the one I intended to fish was occupied (I walk the banks so I look for locations with no fisherman). I noted that when I did have an opportunity to fish the locations where fish were being taken, my catch (and release) was diminished at those specific sites.


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 Post subject: Re: Covid 19 and fishing
PostPosted: Sun Sep 27, 2020 5:06 pm • # 5 
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Location: Rusagonis, New Brunswick, Canada
Thanks, Jim!


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 Post subject: Re: Covid 19 and fishing
PostPosted: Sun Sep 27, 2020 6:24 pm • # 6 
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Joined: 05/28/18
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Location: Tucson , Hellazonia
It gave me time to get my jon boat running again , does that count ? Everybody knows there aren't any trout streams in Tucson so it hasn't affected my fishing here at all . It's always sucked here .


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 Post subject: Re: Covid 19 and fishing
PostPosted: Sun Sep 27, 2020 7:35 pm • # 7 
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Location: Rusagonis, New Brunswick, Canada
Ron: Do you pursue anything besides trout?


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 Post subject: Re: Covid 19 and fishing
PostPosted: Sun Sep 27, 2020 7:37 pm • # 8 
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Joined: 05/28/18
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Location: Tucson , Hellazonia
Sometimes fish for Pike and Walleye . None of those in this area either .


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 Post subject: Re: Covid 19 and fishing
PostPosted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 12:34 am • # 9 
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Joined: 04/04/18
Posts: 211
Location: Idaho
It has affected my fishing only in that after the early spring there was consistently more fishing pressure this year than I have ever seen, and I suspect a bit more fish harvest as well. I've been skunked a few times this year which doesn't happen much -- not that I'm a particularly good fisherman mind you, but there are usually a few small bluegill around willing to eat even a ham-fisted presentation. Or maybe I'm just out of practice, as I've been too busy with work, a young family, and building a house to fish much this year.


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 Post subject: Re: Covid 19 and fishing
PostPosted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 4:46 am • # 10 
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Joined: 06/13/16
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Location: Southwest Florida
No.


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 Post subject: Re: Covid 19 and fishing
PostPosted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 7:53 am • # 11 
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Location: Rusagonis, New Brunswick, Canada
lka wrote:
Or maybe I'm just out of practice, as I've been too busy with work, a young family, and building a house to fish much this year.


:lol I hear ya. My son who also has a young and growing family, is building a house this year, about 15 km upstream of where I live, in the 'trouty' end of the watercourse. He owns 600 m (yds?). of stream frontage, and he hasn't touched a trout all season. (because I'm such a good dad, I've dropped by a couple times just to make sure they're still there ;) )
brent


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 Post subject: Re: Covid 19 and fishing
PostPosted: Mon Sep 28, 2020 2:43 pm • # 12 
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Other then items I want to purchase being sold out all of the time such as split shot. Nothing has changed for me... Well other than my location that is :lol


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 Post subject: Re: Covid 19 and fishing
PostPosted: Wed Oct 21, 2020 1:53 pm • # 13 
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Joined: 02/06/13
Posts: 136
2020 for me just sucks in general - I wouldn't have gotten much fishing time in due to taking a second/ side job for paying down some bills anyway, so in a sense the year was set to be a leisure-time disaster for me regardless of Covid's presence. However, it's been less than expected anyway, because my side gig is working at the local fly shop and I spent all spring and summer telling people what hatches are/ should be going on so I had some idea of how many people were getting out without even setting foot in a river. I live in the eastern suburbs of Minneapolis/ St Paul so I got to see a LOT of people heading out to my favorite streams.

I can't wait for deer season and some long, long hours sitting quietly in solitude with nothing but the birds, breeze, and irritated squirrels for noise. And regardless of what happens politically, I can't wait for 2021. Hopefully it's not the 4 Horsemen bringing us Christmas presents this year.


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 Post subject: Re: Covid 19 and fishing
PostPosted: Sat Oct 24, 2020 8:58 am • # 14 
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Joined: 07/20/18
Posts: 244
COVID 19 has been a double edged sword for me when it has come to fishing.

On the one side, I've had significantly more time to fish as I've only been in the office three days per week since March. On the other, I've had to scrap a number of planned trips.

The end result has been me spending more time learning my local waters. While I may not have had the opportunity to visit Belize as planned or even make a trip to RI to fish Striper & Blues with my cousin, I have spent countless hours exploring little blue lines on my LA topo map. Many have turned out to be little more than muddy ditches or, worse, inaccessible prime water, but the few gems I have found have been well worth the trial and error.

Chris


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 Post subject: Re: Covid 19 and fishing
PostPosted: Sat Oct 24, 2020 10:22 pm • # 15 
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Joined: 04/02/17
Posts: 221
Location: Colorado
It has here by the number of people allowed in the Rocky Mtn. Nat. Park at one time. You had to make reservations to get in. But in other areas outside the Park, it has slightly by bringing people to the creeks and enjoying the outdoors because they need to get out of the house. Not so much fishing, but just enjoying the creek and nature, so finding a spot to fish on the creeks without people swimming and wading, throwing rocks and such, is the hump to get over.

What's happening now, is the fires, 14 total in Colorado, and the two biggest, Cameron Pass Fire which started on the Poudre River, and has become the largest fire in CO. history and East Troublesome fire that had grown over 6,000 acres in an hour because of the winds, and now both have entered into RMNP. Plus the fires just north of Boulder threatening the town of Lyons where the St. Vrain Rivers are.

So all the areas I normally fish are being consumed by wild fires. Good news is, we are expecting a lot of snow tomorrow, so that should help the firefighters get the advantage, thank God.


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 Post subject: Re: Covid 19 and fishing
PostPosted: Sun Oct 25, 2020 5:57 am • # 16 
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Strange times indeed, my friends. Stay safe.
brent


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 Post subject: Re: Covid 19 and fishing
PostPosted: Mon Oct 26, 2020 9:15 am • # 17 
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Joined: 03/11/12
Posts: 298
Location: Suburban Chicago
Covid-19 has restricted my out of state fishing and overnight stays. Normally I make several trips to the Driftless areas of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa to fish. Other times times I fish some trout streams in central Wisconsin. This year I only went out twice to central Wisconsin (day trips only). This may have been a blessing in disguise as I spent much more time fishing local northeast Illinois streams and I discovered some very good bass fishing. The nicest thing was most of the streams were not heavily fished and most of the time I had the streams to myself. Not bad for suburban Chicago.
If you’re looking for an out of the way place to fish use Google Earth or Maps and use your state department of natural resources website.


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 Post subject: Re: Covid 19 and fishing
PostPosted: Tue Feb 16, 2021 2:35 am • # 18 
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Location: Tucson , Hellazonia
Well it's starting to get a little better here as my wife has had both her Kungflu shots and I just had my first one last week . Both Pfizer and no bad side effects . This means that I will be able to do my summer trip (still wearing a mask and social distancing ) without worrying too much but I'm so **** sick of this house I'm doing it anyways . Here's to a fishable summer .


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 Post subject: Re: Covid 19 and fishing
PostPosted: Tue Feb 16, 2021 8:36 am • # 19 
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Location: Rusagonis, New Brunswick, Canada
It IS lasting and lasting, isn't it. Even here, we're down to one or two new cases each day over the entire province, and we're still wearing masks, limiting our contacts and social distancing, as we have been for almost a year now. While the duration of the pandemic is clearly taking a physical and emotional toll, I believe the good news is that, after 110 million global cases and 2.4 million deaths, there is widespread acceptance that a) the pandemic is real, and b) certain individual actions will limit the spread. Here's to a great upcoming fishing season!


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 Post subject: Re: Covid 19 and fishing
PostPosted: Tue Feb 16, 2021 11:38 am • # 20 
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Location: Plano, TX
No Brent, it's all a hoax, a big conspiracy!!! It was started by Al Gore to make everybody think global warming is real and that we're all going to die by 2020. When that didn't work Nancy Pelosi decided to start this foolishness called Covid-19 so she would have something to blame on Trump because her first impeachment didn't do well. All the doctors, nurses, attendants, janitors, receptionists, valet parkers and pilots are all in on this and are fooling everyone into thinking Covid-19 is real. They really have fooled everyone because it's Covid-762542 that is the real culprit in this conspiracy.

Everyone have a nice day.


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