10/1/07 Rainbow Trout verses Large Mouth Bass

Thrilling is when a rainbow trout rises to my fly. Lovely, is the brief moment I get to be up close and personal with the fish removing the barb less fly, always overcome with awe at the trout's beauty as I release it back to its underwater kingdom. I like trout! I do, but I realize I am a now a minority and the majority, the millions of Americans that pursue large mouth bass have weighted fish management scales in favor of bass. Bass fishing is big business. 30 million fishermen in this country spend beaucoup bucks on the variety of paraphernalia required to snag a large mouth bass. The popularity of bass and their impact on the fish and wildlife economy equate to the fact that bass are displacing trout in lakes traditionally considered trout habitat, like Davis Lake in Oregon's, Cascades. Once considered a premier trout fishery Davis is now one of Oregon's best bass lakes. Trout purists like myself who want the lake returned to its original high Mountain habitat are pitted against fly fisherman thrilled to snag a 3 pound bass. The odds don't favor rainbow trout.