I know, I know… Public Lands Month. We’re all supposed to hold hands and wax poetic about how much we love our public lands. I sure do. And I am one of the loudest, brashest, public land (and water) advocates anywhere (check my record if you don’t believe it).
But I gotta tell ya… it kinda sucks going to the put-in and seeing 35 trailers … on a Wednesday… in mid-September… where there used to be maybe one or two a few years ago. It kinda sucks seeing every pull-off (or hike-in spot) occupied by walk-waders on a remote stretch of water at 6:30 a.m. And it really sucks to see the literal piles of shit all over the public campgrounds and trails in places that seemed untouched not that long ago.
I’m not suggesting that we should love our public lands any less… I’m saying we should take care of them MORE. And I do not fault, one iota, any of you who are making some honest coin by showing clients a good time and pointing them down the road of discovery on America’s public lands. That is as it should be (but we can endeavor to make it better).
That said, I’m also sensing an up-tick in the “private” realm amongst anglers who simply want to avoid the carnival. And I’m not feeling like that’s a bad thing, if it’s done right.
To wit, take look at RareWaters in Colorado. It’s a WAY different concept than the “build fences for profit” concept that got everyone so pissed off several years ago. For the price it would cost to take your kids to a Broncos game, etc., you can fish in solitude, without a guide, and have a quality, unpressured experience. Moreover, part of what you pay goes to making the resources more sustainable and healthy, via RareWaters’ commitment to TU.
If people can fish in places that wouldn’t otherwise be open to the public. If it doesn’t cost more than an arm and a leg, and is still reachable for many… if that puts some anglers on water that eases pressure on public water for those who don’t want to pay…
Most importantly, if we’re not backtracking and taking access away, rather living in the “what is” scenario to create more opportunity, be that at a price… well, I’m just not feeling like that’s all that bad. But I’m interested, as always, in what you all have to say. And that also leads me to the much-anticipated, always lightning-rod AT E-Survey question…
