CA DFG New Reg's

[Sasha]

Good. Never had mine exposed anyway. Now its legal.

Your avatar suggests otherwise

[Hatch71]

I think everyone makes good points on this. I think with the ability to print the license from home and the fact it is on regular paper is why they did it. I have mine in a water proof wallet now that is also doubles as a lanyard so mine will continue to be out ... Sorry guys I didnt mean for this to turn into a huge debate... Have a great weekend tight lines!!!

[fly addict]

Sweet!!! That was one of the gheyest laws. I guess I will no longer need that holder thing I kept in case I ever fished out there.

Sasha,
(Gheyest) Is that a real word?

Mark

Well I was trying to be nice (for once) as there are some sensitive types that might be offended it I spelled it correctly

Oh what the *…. It was a * law that I never followed. The reason, I paid my money to fish why the * should I have to pin my license above my waist. It is not like I have to drive with my driver’s license on my hat. Other states seem to do just fine without this law. It is easier on wardens??? Get out of the f’n truck and check.

Does that mean that I don't have to pin it to my tutu any more?

Mark

[Papasequoia]

The reason, I paid my money to fish why the * should I have to pin my license above my waist. It is not like I have to drive with my driver’s license on my hat. Other states seem to do just fine without this law. It is easier on wardens??? Get out of the f’n truck and check.

As I understand it, the reason is something like this. Let's say that you have a river like the Kern on a busy weekend and there are a whole slew of people fishing near the bridge. The warden can park out of sight, break out a pair of binoculars, scan the fishermen in the area, find the one(s) without a license in plain sight, and target them first. What (I fear) will happen now is that the warden gets out of his/her truck, and heads down the river going from person to person starting with the nearest. By the time these folks fumble through their gear to find their license, Bubba and his buddies have more than enough time to notice that the warden has arrived so they can pack up their stuff and head out.

It was a bit of a pain to remember to keep the license above the waist on some piece of gear that I was going to be using that day, but if it made the warden's job easier to just check me out with binocs, see that I had my license and move on down the river to the next person, thus covering more area in a faster manner, then it was worth the effort on my part.

I still think it would be easier to just be automatically deputized upon the purchase of a license and making it legal to shoot non-licensed poachers, but hey, that's just me.

[Sasha]

I dunno….. While I too despise people that illegally fish I don’t think displaying your license is going to do anything to help curb that. Now an open season on poachers is something I can support

[flybob]

I never really had a problem displaying my license, I have it pinned to my fly pouch that I wear around my ever burgeoning waist, I don't fish without my fly pouch!
If I remove it, I will loose it!
However, it is nice to know we have options now, Imagine that, here in California, I, a Republican, now have a choice!

[Artin]

[/quote]
A warden acquaintance of mine had told me that one of the reasons CA law was changed to mandate exposed licenses was because a few of his more "pudgy" colleagues complained to their union that they were getting tired of having to get out of their air-conditioned trucks and physically check everyone's licenses. I was laughing my butt off when I heard that. I agree like you all do, these guys have one tough job. But they knew that going into it, so their whining and bellyaching never flew with me.

Anyway, the guy called me a cop hater just for sharing that story. That * me off because he didn't know me at all, and because I'd be the first one coming to any wardens' defense if he/she needed help. Anyway, the dude pouted and got his forum buddy involved. He spewed his crap at me, too. The first guy ultimately got a sour taste in his mouth after a few jumped in and defended me, then he quit that forum. That was best considering the gravity of his error.[/quote]

Oh Nooooooo! Don't get me started on Unions! What a pile of $#!^ they are!!!

That guy and his forum buddy were out of line I think. I do believe that law enforcement has a tremendously tough and dangerous job. But at the same time I agree with you that.. hey you knew what you where getting yourself into.
"If ya can't take the heat... get your * out the kitchen".... So true!

Artin

[briansII]

Like others have mentioned. On a heavily abused river like my home one, getting out of the truck to check everyone is a time consuming job. The warden could literally spend hours checking licenses at a couple locations. Sure, he could be writing lots of citations at these crowded spots, but a LOT of the illegal activity is going on at other locations. Personally, I think requiring a license to be displayed is a helpful tool for wardens.

Just a guess, but with the new reg, I think license sales will go down in my area.

briansII

[phelps bros]

I don't know about which way is right or wrong but last weekend on the lower O a warden came jumping over the fence at a good pace to cheek our license and to check to make sure the barbs were smashed. I have never seen a warden up close and to me it was a good sign that they are trying to make their presence known. What is the fine if you are caught with the barbs?

[Sasha]

Just out of curiosity how often have you guys been checked? I can count on one hand how many times I have been checked in my life.

Let’s see:

From the time I started fishing in CA till I moved to AZ in 92: 0 times
AZ from 92-97: 0 times
CA: 97-07: One time fishing the surf at Rincon in 98. One time on the upper Kern in 06.
ID: 07-Present: One time while fishing in OR in 09.

[midger]

I heard the reasoning behind doing away with the requirement was due to the new online ability to purchase licenses. No longer are they color coded each year, do no longer can a warden just "glass" the fishers to check color of the licenses. Dang. Here I've just been seeing what the color du jour was and folding paper that color and placing it in the holder. Guess now I'll have to actually buy my licenses.

Sasha,
I've actually had my licenses checked quite a few times. Arizona 3-4 times, Oregon 1 time, California, numerous times, Idaho twice, Yellowstone, 1 time, Montana 1 time. Guess I must look shifty.

[leftfielder9]

Just a heads up on the barbs. A good buddy of mine was approached by a ranger for a barb check. She made them stick the fly hook in their jacket and if the hook pulled out smoothly then they were cool. Well my friends buddy crimped but apparently not enough and ended getting a pretty hefty fine.

Before I heard this story I crimped but didn't pay much attention to how well I did it. After this story I make sure to fully crimp so their is nothing sticking up in the slightest.

Don't know if this helps but I certaintly pay more attention now so I thought I would pass this onto you all. Just an fyi.

[briansII]

I think I was checked 3 times last year in Cali. One time they wanted to see inside our ice chest(striper fishing). Each time I made a positive/encouraging comment to the warden. I don't really know how many times prior to that. Maybe 3-4 time in the previous 5-6 years. It's funny. Even though you know you haven't done anything wrong, for a moment, it feels like you just got caught smoking in the bathroom.



briansII

[fflutterffly]

IMHO this is not a good idea. What burden? How hard is it to keep track of your license. If keeping poaching down is one of your priorities then making it visible should also be. A small thing like a flapping license can be fixed with a safety pin. Get over you ego driven self-righteous indignation and be more considerate of the DFG Warden who now has to ask each person to show the license they could see in the past from a far. I wasn't aware that the license you printed at home was your permanent one. I believed they sent you the new one in the mail and would be the correct color. Is this incorrect?

[midger]

Yes they send a license to your home, but it isn't color coded any longer.

I'll still be wearing mine on the outside, but it's because I don't carry a wallet when fishing so I really have no place else for the license to ride.