In the central Willamette Valley in Oregon, where I live there is, 30 minutes from my front door a place called the Upper Calapooia River. it is really more of a small mountain stream supporting a population of rainbow and cutthroat trout.

it is painfully obvious that the Oregon Department of Fish and Game do not consider this much of a priority as a visit there on any day between the last day of May and the last weekend in October, ( the open season for this creek ) you will see small trout well below keeper size thrown up on the banks to die rather than being returned to the river, trash, beer containers, clothing and tangles of discarded fishing line left to polute the environment. ( i am sure that the waste and polution continue during the off-season as well ) This creek is a small jewel that deserves to be protected and preserved. One way would be to make it catch and release only, single hook barbless artificial flies and lures. This would go a long way towards helping maintian this fragile fishery. Also Keeping it open all year would help as those who practice catch and release are more likely to self-police the area and report violations.

That brings up another point. in all the time fishing there, i have yet to see a Fish and Game Officer anywhere in the area at any time. regular patrols would help stop some of the littering and waste of small fish here.

if you feel that same way, contact the Oregon Department of Fish and Game and make your concerns known.