Boats, Motors and "Who Gives a Rip?"

I'm going to express my opinions about this knowing that I'm going to get some flack but I have to say it. Outside of hunting season, I don't think there's a place anymore for outboard motors below Holter Dam to Cascade and I think there should be restrictions.

My clients and I were floating near Cascade yesterday and were getting to just about the end of the float. We headed down a side channel to cap off what was a pretty stellar day. We had caught a ton fish already and really didn't need to catch anymore but with one more run left, we might as well make the best of the day. We headed into the channel and were met with the distinct sound of the wide-open throttle on an outboard motor.

The jet-sled was running up the channel we were drifting down and as they rounded the corner and saw us, they throttled down in an attempt to be considerate of the fact that we were trying to fish the channel but it was too late. The boat had already run over the water we wanted to fish and was kicking up a huge wake that just got worse as they throttled down. They puttered by us and waved. As soon as the got by they jacked it back up and headed up river.

My clients were appalled. They couldn't believe what the guy had done was actually legal. The noise, the waves, the fact that these people completely f***'d up the entire last run...all they could do is look in disgust as they motored by and say, "I can't believe that."

What the guy did wasn't illegal. He didn't really do anything wrong by law or what is written as proper river etiquette according to FWP . It's his river too, right? But what makes his right to recreate more important than everyone else's? By running up that channel, he pretty much shut it down for us or anyone else that wanted to fish it. I've seen it happen so many times where a jet-sled goes screaming by and it blows out the seem you're fishing and the fish that were rising go down. I've also have seen entire stretches that were fishing just fine with hoppers go completely cold once a jet goes through it.

It's not just the quality of experience either. This guys was kicking up a wake that slammed into a high bank dislodging huge portions of it sending it crumbling into the river which adds sentiment and destroys habitat. We as fly fishers in the industry bitch about cattle destroying the banks but it's ok to run a jet up and down the river doing just as much damage? How is that ok?

The thing is, is it's not just the occasional private individuals. In fact, this sort of thing is more and more common and it often comes from the guides and outfitters with captains licenses and I think it should stop. It's not fair to the majority of folks trying to enjoy the river to have to deal with the wakes and the noise--not to mention wade fishers that could get swamped if a heavy enough wake slams into them.

Rules are made and laws are legislated when people don't act responsibly and only act on self interest in a way that compromises other peoples rights. This does impede on everyone's right to enjoy the Missouri. They've done it in other states and on other rivers and with all the dudes out there getting their captains license, it's only going to get worse. I, for one, would support motor restrictions below Holter to Cascade.

Keep 'em where they live...

P.S. Feel free to comment. You all have just as much right to your opinions as I do and I think there should be dialog.