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More issues afoot in SW Oregon, as miners seek to establish their rights to go for the gold along Sucker Creek, a tributary of the Illinois River. It's an interesting little battle involving miners, environmeddlists, and bureaucrats, made more tense by the fact that gold is now running at around $1500 an ounce. Miners are asserting their rights under an 1872 law, environmeddlists are crying and wringing their hands, while the bureaucrats are sitting around with their thumbs up their collective butts. Naturally, the media paints it as the environmeddlists want it to be portrayed: greedy miner wants to degrade "critical" salmon habitat.
Is there any such thing as "non-critical salmon habitat"? No. Virtually every stream that I used to fly-fish 30 years ago for trout is now closed because it's "critical salmon habitat". West fork of Hood River was wonderful for trout; it's been shut down for years. Salmonberry River is short, but has great holes - it's been shut down as well. I haven't purchased a fishing license in at least five years, because there's no point. All the places I used to enjoy on a day trip or an overnight are closed.
For years, I used barbless flies and most often simply let up on the line, let the fish "spit" the fly. Catch-and-release at its finest; no handling needed. That ain't good enough for our environmeddlists and their bureaucrat buds. Fine. They can do without my money.
All you're supposed to do is admire the scenery. If you absolutely have to, you might be allowed to do some wind-surfing (until they decide that your sp50 sunscreen "might" pollute the water).
