Brookville Mtg.

[trent]

www.in.gov/nrc/2403.htm

Not sure if anyone fishes the Brookville tailwater, but there are some meetings going on about new proposed regs. I think the state has gotten some pressure to move to artificial baits or even creating a flies only section.

[Slartybardfast]

Patti of Reel Women said one of the meetings was very hostile with some Brookville residents.

[barryl]

We have a problem of looking in the rear view mirror in Indiana. By that I mean everyone wants it to be like it was, that's not realistic. What people need to realize is you just can't go back, but you can lean from the past and try not to make the same mistakes. "Those who forget the past are destine to repeat it" I have not had the pleasure to have fished Brookville yet, and the way things are going I very well never will. What a loss of a great possibility.

[krebsie]

Some one fill me in? What's happening with Brookville? Past and present.
Krebsie

[barryl]

The best one to talk to would be Patti. But just in talking to her at Hoosier Outdoor Experience she was saying that the people of the Brookville area are very resistive to any outside influence. Example, T.U. and Reel Women & Men tried to do some habitat work by placing boulder structures. The local people bussed into the meeting numbers in protest. Why?,because once a year they have a canoe event and they felt the boulders would pose an obstruction to the event. For the most part it sounds like the leave us alone we don't want or need help attitude. A turtle lives it whole life in a shell when it dies whats left is an empty shell, great if your a turtle but not if your a community.

[trent]

I'm pretty sure Patti has a login for this board. If someone has her email, would you be willing to email her and ask her to post some background and insight?

I've never fished it either, but it sounds like there is a question of who's resource it actually is.

[barryl]

I have her email right in front of me I'll be glad to drop her a line>

[trouthuntress]

Well it's a long story guys but I will do my best to fill you in. For the past ten years or so TU has been raising money to stock trout in the Brookville tailwaters. They provided the funds, man-power to make it all happen. Volunteers would help out with the stockings and river clean up. Then recently the state took over the stockings but of course TU continues their efforts to improve the stream.
We installed temperature probes that collect data so we could see how the stream is doing regarding temps. There was discussion on doing stream improvements in stages. Plating some trees to provide shade in hot areas, as well as installing some boulders to provide cover.
The first project was the boulder project and four days before the scheduled date Brookville town people found out about it and demanded they stop the project.
They then bussed in to attend the meeting scheduled by the Natural Resource Committee. DNR had set up a web site where suggest reg. changes could be submitted. They received an overwhelming number of suggestions, and so the meeting came to be.
At the meeting the people of Brookville were very upset and felt that we (flyfishermen) are trying to take their stream away and make changes that would not include the local people.
They feel the stream is in their park and therefore belongs to them and changes are not welcome.
Unfortunately the truth of the matter is that the fishery does not provide sufficient protection for trout. Brookville is a very rare fishery in central Indiana. We do not have another trout stream nearby so it makes sense to treat it special and to protect it as much as possible. We have overwheling evidence that the brown trout are indeed holding over. Numerous fish over 20 inches have been caught and we have photos to prove it.
The regs as it currently states is you may keep one brown trout over 18 inches. That sounds like a pretty conservative number however the problem is the mortality rate for browns under 18 inches is very high due to the liberal fishing practices such as bait fishing.
We would like to see artificials only used in the stretch of water between the two bridges. Keep in mind this is only a two mile stretch. Bait would still be allowed right below the dam and at the confluence.
This proposal was completely unacceptable by the locals because their argument is they have always fished with live bait.
As you can see...this is a very difficult debate as everyone has a different opinion on the subject.
The NRC has scheduled a second meeting (this time in Brookville) for October 8.
I plan on being there and will keep you informed. For more information you may want to visit the Central Indiana T. U. site and go to the discussion forum...there you can clearly see how heated this topic really is.

I am very dissapointed that this has turned into an "us vs. them" issue instead of everyone working together to make this a fantastic trout fishery for many folks to enjoy.
Trout fishing in Indiana is a very rare resource and it is a shame to treat it like any other fishery.
I hope we will come to a peaceful resolution to all of this, but somehow I doubt it.

[trent]

www.centralindianatu.org/troutdiscussionforum.html

Here's a link to the site Patti mentioned. I haven't read through the posts yet.