I’ve fished the NB just a few times this year so far. The amount of fish in the section I usually fish seems to be way down from years past. I haven’t gone back there now since April. I haven’t fished the upper middle branch so can’t comment on that. I have had plenty of good luck on the other areas of Whitewater that I usually fish however. The NB had several runoff events in spring of 2004 and 2005 that I think adversly affected the fishery. I was there to witness a couple of them. While I didn’t see any dead fish it did not look good. The good news is I have never seen as many small fish or fry (1-2 inch) as I have this year in all the streams.

I’ve fished the Whitewater area three times so far this year and it is fishing pretty well. The mild weather has been a huge advantage in keeping rod eyes clear and making it easier to fish. As DA stated in another post the water is very clear and low. If the sky is cloudy it fishes much better than when bright sunshine rules the day. The sun casts so many shadows onto the clear water, from the flyline and even water droplets, that it makes it near impossible to catch fish in anything other than the faster runs. On sunny days hit the faster sections and try a stream that allows you to work upstream facing the sun. While unpleasant, it will help keep the shadows to a minimum.

I also agree that the NB of Whitewater doesn’t hold the amount of trout that it has in past years. My opinion is, the large amount of runoff during the 2005 spring melt was the most likely cause. In January 2005, my fishing log shows that I did very well on numbers of fish caught. Then later in the spring as much of the snow melted I witnessed some runoff events that I’m sure were not good for the fish with lots of what looked like manure in it. I really thought we would have a substancial fish kill the one day I was there but didn’t see or hear of anyone seeing dead fish. Anyway, after that, fishing success on the NB dropped off dramically for me. The good news is that I have never seen so many small trout fry(1-2 inch) as I had late last summer and fall so it should bounce back nicely.

I don’t see the difference between catching and keeping a 20 inch Walleye with eggs or catching and keeping her six months earlier. Either way you have a dead fish that will not spawn. The fishery can either handle it or it cannot handle it. It’s the same with deer hunting. You shoot a doe and it will not have fawns the next year. What’s the difference if you shoot it in November when deer are mating? The deer herd is doing quite well as are the walleyes in the River system. For the record I support releasing the larger walleyes and it should be done year round. However, as long as people follow the fishing regulations for the water they are fishing I have no problem with what they choose to do. A slot limit of 20-27 inches is a good idea.