vermonsta
04-04-2003, 07:56 PM
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No more watching the line ! the whole lake will be open to Vermonters !
By Candace Page
Free Press Staff Writer
MONTPELIER -- Lake Champlain anglers have been frustrated for years about the price of fishing the lake. Anyone who wanted to search the whole lake for salmon or trout needed two fishing licenses, one from Vermont, one from New York.
Wednesday -- after 16 years of lobbying by anglers -- the Vermont House passed a reciprocal fishing license bill to solve the problem.
This bill would allow New York fishing license holders and Vermont fishing license holders to fish both sides of the main lake and the South Lake. Anglers would be required to hold a Vermont license to fish Missisquoi Bay, the Inland Sea and Malletts Bay.
"This is for the little guy. I hear this from everybody, all the time -- it's too darned expensive," said Rich Greenough of Essex, who has been fishing the lake most of his life and operates a fishing charter boat, the Sure Strike.
Among the bill's supporters are the mayors of Burlington and of Plattsburgh, N.Y., who hope the reciprocal license will help both communities attract more out-of-state fishermen.
Burlington Mayor Peter Clavelle joked Wednesday, "It should help us more, since we have bigger and better fish on the Vermont side."
Greenough and the bill's lead sponsor, Rep. John Tracy, D-Burlington, said the whole-lake license could help Vermont's tourism more than New York's.
Anglers from places such as Massachusetts might be inclined to buy the Vermont license, and spend their vacation money on the Vermont side, since the Vermont license will cover the whole lake and New York's won't.
Malletts Bay and the other areas are excluded from reciprocity because Vermont invests significant money in stocking those areas with fish.
"Now, when the fishing stinks on this side, I have to stay home and give people their money back," Greenough said. In summer, fishing for trout and salmon often is better in the deeper, cooler water on the New York side, he said.
"Besides, anglers get confused which side of the line they're on," Tracy said, because the border is an invisible line in the water.
New York state has had a reciprocity law on the books for 30 years, Greenough said, just waiting for Vermont to follow suit. The two states would have to negotiate the details.
The bill must be approved by the Senate and signed by Gov. Jim Douglas, who supports it.
Greenough said it has taken 16 years to make progress on the issue because the state Fish and Wildlife Department feared losing the out-of-state license fees paid by New York anglers.
Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Wayne Laroche said he was worried about losing perhaps $80,000, but has found ways to make up for at least some of the potential loss.
The bill requires Laroche to track the loss of license fees and to make estimates of increases in Vermont tourist revenues. The law would expire in 2008 unless it is renewed.
Contact Candace Page at 660-1865 or 229-9141 or cpage@bfp.burlingtonfreepress.com
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No more watching the line ! the whole lake will be open to Vermonters !
By Candace Page
Free Press Staff Writer
MONTPELIER -- Lake Champlain anglers have been frustrated for years about the price of fishing the lake. Anyone who wanted to search the whole lake for salmon or trout needed two fishing licenses, one from Vermont, one from New York.
Wednesday -- after 16 years of lobbying by anglers -- the Vermont House passed a reciprocal fishing license bill to solve the problem.
This bill would allow New York fishing license holders and Vermont fishing license holders to fish both sides of the main lake and the South Lake. Anglers would be required to hold a Vermont license to fish Missisquoi Bay, the Inland Sea and Malletts Bay.
"This is for the little guy. I hear this from everybody, all the time -- it's too darned expensive," said Rich Greenough of Essex, who has been fishing the lake most of his life and operates a fishing charter boat, the Sure Strike.
Among the bill's supporters are the mayors of Burlington and of Plattsburgh, N.Y., who hope the reciprocal license will help both communities attract more out-of-state fishermen.
Burlington Mayor Peter Clavelle joked Wednesday, "It should help us more, since we have bigger and better fish on the Vermont side."
Greenough and the bill's lead sponsor, Rep. John Tracy, D-Burlington, said the whole-lake license could help Vermont's tourism more than New York's.
Anglers from places such as Massachusetts might be inclined to buy the Vermont license, and spend their vacation money on the Vermont side, since the Vermont license will cover the whole lake and New York's won't.
Malletts Bay and the other areas are excluded from reciprocity because Vermont invests significant money in stocking those areas with fish.
"Now, when the fishing stinks on this side, I have to stay home and give people their money back," Greenough said. In summer, fishing for trout and salmon often is better in the deeper, cooler water on the New York side, he said.
"Besides, anglers get confused which side of the line they're on," Tracy said, because the border is an invisible line in the water.
New York state has had a reciprocity law on the books for 30 years, Greenough said, just waiting for Vermont to follow suit. The two states would have to negotiate the details.
The bill must be approved by the Senate and signed by Gov. Jim Douglas, who supports it.
Greenough said it has taken 16 years to make progress on the issue because the state Fish and Wildlife Department feared losing the out-of-state license fees paid by New York anglers.
Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Wayne Laroche said he was worried about losing perhaps $80,000, but has found ways to make up for at least some of the potential loss.
The bill requires Laroche to track the loss of license fees and to make estimates of increases in Vermont tourist revenues. The law would expire in 2008 unless it is renewed.
Contact Candace Page at 660-1865 or 229-9141 or cpage@bfp.burlingtonfreepress.com
http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-dancin-red.gif http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-bounce-fire-red.gif http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-faces-toast-beers.gif