YOUR AD HERE »

Nick Rubley: Draining Elkhead

To the editor:To the editor:

To the editor:

I would like to help Mr. McQuay lose some sleep, so he will continue to fight with me. Did you know that the same people who are trying to save these dinosaurs, (our government, state or feds, does it matter), tried to kill them off in the late 60s! They are also the ones who put the pike into the river system in the early 70s. Then declared the Colorado pike minnow and three other fish as endangered in the late 80s, but went ahead and introduced two fish eating wolves into the system in the early 90s. (Smallmouth bass, and river otters) the reintroduction of the wolves into Yellowstone was around the same time, but that is a story for another time.

Now they think a few prizes from a tournament will smooth over the public so we can help them fix their mistakes. If someone local won a prize, good, but shame on you for playing. Know this, if they were sure killing Elkhead was the solution, we will not have a choice when the time comes and it will still not save the endangered fish in the river.



I would like to address a couple of key phrases in the letter from Mr. Chart and his partners. First: They want to bring back the endangered fish and allow water development. Water development is the key here. The Yampa is only 50 percent allocated, who do you suppose wants the other 50, and why! Second: He says that their efforts will leave many desirable sport fish. Large mouths, black crappie, yellow perch (I am pretty sure they will not stock the perch so do not hold your breath!), bluegills and trout. These fish cannot live in the river, except for the trout. I do not think they have stocked a trout into the river, in Craig, for 15 to 20 years. They have stocked some browns up in Hayden. Below Hayden the water gets too warm for trout.

What does that leave for the river, nothing, from Craig to Echo Park, only pike minnows, (that are not there either according to the last biologist I talked to), so no fishing for over 90 miles or river, if they get their way. Oh wait, I forgot, the meanest baddest fish on the block, the small mouth bass, who in my opinion owns this river. The bass I have caught the last three seasons did not escape from Elkhead, they were born in the river. If this season is as good as the last three, I would say the shocking boys and girls are not getting many of the bass out of the river. They do however get a few. The health, and a food source for all the fish that eat meat, including the pike minnow, who is a minnow eater, (the other three eat plankton). No suckers, no sucker minnows to eat. This action seems very counterproductive. It kind of reminds me of the government’s actions against the plans Indians, starve them into submission. Understand too that the pike minnow is built for big water (Grand Canyon type water), the Yampa is marginable at best, an upper most reach. It is however excellent habitat for smallies and pike. The fish themselves have proved that.



One more thing, guess where they take the fish they kill, the Moffat County Landfill.

Disclaimer: This is my opinion and does not reflect the views of The Craig Daily Press.

Nick RubleyNick Rubley

Nick Rubley

CraigCraigCraig


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

Readers around Craig and Moffat County make the Craig Press’ work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.