All Is Not Lost!:  No doubt, by now most everyone has heard about the law suit in California that is preventing many waters in the state from being stocked with fish by CDF&G.  If you're familiar with this area at all the law suit could have proved to be devastating for Alpine County as the county's only source of income is from tourism and its pristine rivers, lakes & streams draw thousands of sportsmen and outdoor enthusiasts to the area every year. 

Fortunately the settlement of the suit does allow stocking of waters where entities other than the state have held stocking permits in recent years.  This just happens to be the case with Alpine County.  The County's plan will be to accelerate its stocking program early in the season to allow CDF&G to complete Environmental Impact Studies on waters such as the East and West forks of the Carson River so that they may be moved to the "Stockable Waters" list.  At a recent presentation to Alpine County board of supervisors, CDF&G estimated that the studies on the Carson river could be completed in as fast as 2 weeks once conditions were suitable to do the studies.

The County hopes to move up their stocking program in order to provide early season angler's with the same quality fishing experience that they have come to love when fishing in Alpine County.

Mono County waters have not been affected by this law suit and areas such as the East & West forks of the Walker river, Topaz Lake, Twin Lakes, and Buckeye & Robinson creeks will continue to receive their normal stockings.  If you were thinking about leaving the rod an fly box out in the garage this season you'll need to re-think your plan because we'll have plenty of fishing opportunities in the area after all!

In October 2006, Pacific Rivers Council and Center for Biological Diversity, represented by Stanford Law students, sued DFG over fish stocking programs it has engaged in for more than 100 years, claiming that no Environmental Impact Report (EIR) had been completed for the programs. The result of the case was a court order requiring DFG to complete an EIR. DFG is engaged in the years-long and multimillion dollar EIR process, now scheduled to be completed in January 2010.

Paiute Paradigm?:  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports that their efforts to complete the court ordered Environmental Impact Study on Silver King Creek has been delayed. Unforeseen studies as well as additional studies and documents required for the State of California has created funding issues for the project.  The Service reports that the work will not be completed in time to poison the stream in the fall of the 2008 season, however they are holding out hope to complete their work and poison the stream in 2009.

 While the goal of the project for the Service is to restore the Paiute to its questionably "native range" it is not to restore what is currently a phenomenal wild trout fishery. Comments and questions can be addressed to:

Chad Mellison
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
1340 Financial Blvd. #234
Reno, NV 89502
775-861-6300

So we've been given another season's reprieve on Silver King Creek!  If you've never fished this area it is well worth the 3 1/2 mile hike into the canyon and you should make it a destination THIS season.  If the hike in and out concerns you, you can always contact Joe Cereghino of Little Antelope Pack Station at 775-315-6222 to make arrangements to be taken in and out on horseback.  You can also visit the Little Antelope Pack Station on the web at http://www.littleantelopepackstation.com.  Be sure and tell them The Angler's Edge sent you!

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