Protect Rights and Resources

Angling ethics, or rules of conduct, protect your rights and the rights of others, and help protect our shared resources. Teaching a youngster to fish for the first time (or an “oldster”) is the best time to introduce proper angling behavior.  Here’s the rules and why they are so important:

• Be aware of, and respect, the rights of others—anglers and property owners.

• Know and follow all fishing rules and regulations where you are fishing.

• Pack out what you pack in.

• Except when otherwise noted, no fish can be taken or killed except by angling.

• Do not take more than the daily limit, under-sized fish, or unwanted fish.

• Unlawfully taken fish (fish taken in excess of your limit or undersized fish) must be returned immediately to the water.

• Fish taken alive should be returned very gently, allowing the fish to slide into the water from as close to the surface as possible.

• When using live bait, do not throw remaining bait into the stream, lake, reservoir, etc.— bait species can reproduce and cause harm to aquatic ecosystems.

• Do not alter the habitat by building, for example, makeshift dams across streams.

• When looking for critters (for bait) under rocks, return rocks to original position before leaving.

• Do not move fish between waters or introduce fish to waters from which they did not come. Doing so can have far-reaching consequences, posing threats to native fish from predation and competition, perhaps infecting waters and spreading disease that may harm native fish recovery.

• Carefully wash and disinfect waders or other boots that have had contact with fishing water and lake or stream mud.

• Do not chase or harass fish.

Photo Credit: Ben Swigle

Article content credited to Colorado Parks & Wildlife:

http://wildlife.state.co.us/Fishing/ResourcesTips/AnglerEthics/Pages/AnglerEthics.aspx