[OSMB-News] OSMB News: Board Rejects Motor Restriction on South Fork Coquille

[Randy H Henry]

For Immediate Release	Date: Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2009

Board Rejects Motor Restriction on South Fork Coquille

The Oregon State Marine Board rejected a proposal to restrict the use of motors on a portion of the South Fork Coquille River in Coos County between Powers and Broadbent. The Board came to the decision during the regular quarterly meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 6 in Portland.

Bank anglers, drift boat operators and local landowners petitioned for the restriction in spring of 2008. The rule was requested to reduce social conflict between aggressive motor users and other individuals fishing or living along the waterway. The waterway's healthy return of hatchery-reared winter steelhead draws hundreds of users during the January and February season. In response to the conflict, several private landowners have closed or restricted access to the river over their property.

"Steelhead are a popular fish and really draw the anglers," says Randy Henry, Operations Policy Analyst for the Marine Board. "The Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife has worked with the Salmon Trout Enhancement Program and local volunteers to build this up over the last 20 years. They've done a great job, but that success lead to crowding and some unfortunate behavior. It's really sad that the ethics and etiquette of some users has created so much conflict for others."

Similar complaints have been made on other coastal rivers where competition for fish leads to confrontation. "It's very hard to craft rules that force people to be polite," says Henry. "It would be much better for everyone if they recognized a simple truth about fishing: It's supposed to be fun." Henry recommends the following etiquette to improve the recreational aspect of fishing on the river. "These are ideas we've gleaned in talking to many coastal anglers and they seem to make sense."

*	Boat and bank anglers need to share the water, but bank angling is often limited on coastal rivers. Boaters should avoid anchoring or repeatedly fishing through a popular bank-access hole. "Fish twice, move along,"

*	In areas where boat use is common, bank anglers should not wade to the middle of the channel or to the top of their waders. Likewise, they shouldn't cast across the river and expect boats to not pass through. You cannot legally restrict navigation.

*	Boaters should use their anchor sparingly in popular holes. Anchoring interrupts the flow of boats and can prevent use by bank anglers. Let other users have their turn.

*	Boat away from bank anglers to avoid interrupting their fishing. If boating away would put you over holding water, communicate your intentions to float by the bank anglers to avoid spooking the fish.

*	Minimize motor use on smaller rivers. Drift boats do not plane * increased throttle provides little increase in speed but creates a larger wake and more noise. Have patience and travel slowly. If motoring back up stream means disrupting bank anglers, limit your upstream trips.

*	Fish On: Give the person with a fish on room to play and land the fish. Reel in your lines, move away. 

*	Clean up: Always pack out all garbage, fishing gear and anything else you carried in. Carefully collect all loose fishing line and properly dispose of it. Leave no trace.

*	Trespass: For privately owned lands, boaters and bank anglers must stay below the ordinary high water mark. You must have permission to cross private property to access public water. Respect private lands. Carry out your garbage, do not build campfires, remove all human waste. 

*	Report illegal activity. Poaching, trespass, dumping or other illegal activities cannot be corrected if they are not reported. Report to Oregon State Police or the county sheriff. 

###