I took my guys down the Lower Canyon yesterday to the whitie fest. At first, it's really not that bad to catch whitefish because, especially for the newbes, at least it's a bend in the rod and they get some practice. After about 15 or so however, whitie get's a little annoying. How many times can you say, "well, at least it's a native fish," or, "hey, it's a good sign that the river is healthy..."?
All these things are true and it really just comes down to perspective so if you can spin it and keep positive, the trout do come. We landed a bunch of really good fish mixed in with all the whitefish and honestly, my dudes were just having fun getting all the action so who am I to say what a good fish and a bad fish are.
Some guys can't stand whitefish. I've seen dudes chuck them up on the banks and carry on like they are some kind of garbage fish that should be completely eliminated from the river. That's poor form in my opinion. The truth is, is that they are a good indicator species so if you don't have them, you know something is wrong. They are native and they do play a crucial a role in the ecosystem. They are food for other native species as well as for the trout that were planted here a century ago. Still; you always feel like you're doing something wrong when you catch them.
There are some theories that I've tested that never seem to hold true when you're getting into the whities. Some people seem to think they only eat the bright shinny stuff. We went to beadles and still got them. Some think they are bottom feeders so go shallow...nope. Some say the don't eat the worm but they do. And if you don't think you'll get them in the riffles and the shallow fast water, you will. About the only thing I've seen that I can say with almost 100% certainty is that when the water drops, the whities come out in force.
Keep 'em where they live...
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