Corona virus and fishing pressure.

[BackTheBrookie]

The Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest is going to come in handy this year. I'm envisioning many dispersed camping and Brookie fishing trips in my future.

[mlarocco]

Has private health care contributed to the problem? For years private health companies have been closing and consolidating medical facilities to maximize profits. If you do have a medical emergency they are prematurely pushing people out the door to reduce expenses and free up beds. When you close down a rural hospital you also eliminate medical supplies that facility would normally have on hand.

[flyfishingpastor]

I fished a well-known river in Idaho yesterday and it felt like August. People everywhere. Camping in the snow even! Usually you don't see traffic like that until July! Waves of people moving up and down the river. If it would have been above 60 degrees, it would have been elbow-to-elbow.

This spring anyway, with kids out of school, the pressure looks to be high on the rivers people talk about.

Pat

[Cimarron]

It’s weird, but I feel guilty for even thinking of going out. New Zealand just raised their Alert Level to 4, effectively shutting down the entire country as soon as a few cases of community transmission were seen. I think we should do the same. Just because the hotspots in the US are mainly on the coasts doesn’t mean the virus won’t inexorably travel inland until the whole country is infected if not enough is done early enough. If we have learned nothing else from other countries, it is that action must be taken early, clearly and effectively. It feels like we are all just sitting ducks with the dithering going on. And much of this Forum is probably in the high risk group. I know I and my family are, especially my son. Every time we go out, we increase the risk of transmission. Here in Taos, NM, some restaurants are still open and life is going on. Crazy and irresponsible. This is not another flu bug; try telling that to Italy.

[bassman]

Same in western OK right now but it's changing. OK has 68 confirmed cases, 1 death. New Mexico has 65 confirmed cases, no deaths. Those figures are growing literally by the day or hour. New York and the New England states has surpassed 20,000 cases already and that figure is sure to grow in their congestion. I also would be high risk and know better than to run around tempting the bug since even the flu would probably do me in and this is definitely the flu on steroids.

[ozarkwater]

Has private health care contributed to the problem? For years private health companies have been closing and consolidating medical facilities to maximize profits. If you do have a medical emergency they are prematurely pushing people out the door to reduce expenses and free up beds. When you close down a rural hospital you also eliminate medical supplies that facility would normally have on hand.

Don't get me started! It used to be most hospitals were either municipal or run by religious entities. Here in MO big time Baptist hospitals and as in Roman Catholic Nuns SLU and St.Mary's/Avila in KC. The nuns ran the hospitals like a military operation. Mom was an RN taught by nuns who worked for a muni. Cousin SEAL medic taught Boston.

Tried to stay out of this discussion but saw this post and my blood pressure went up like crazy

[ozarkwater]

It’s weird, but I feel guilty for even thinking of going out. New Zealand just raised their Alert Level to 4, effectively shutting down the entire country as soon as a few cases of community transmission were seen. I think we should do the same. Just because the hotspots in the US are mainly on the coasts doesn’t mean the virus won’t inexorably travel inland until the whole country is infected if not enough is done early enough. If we have learned nothing else from other countries, it is that action must be taken early, clearly and effectively. It feels like we are all just sitting ducks with the dithering going on. And much of this Forum is probably in the high risk group. I know I and my family are, especially my son. Every time we go out, we increase the risk of transmission. Here in Taos, NM, some restaurants are still open and life is going on. Crazy and irresponsible. This is not another flu bug; try telling that to Italy.

Cimmaron:

Still have the pics from Philmont. What year was that? Last year of Vietnam? Anyway...the Chairman of the St. Louis Fed spoke this week and he said that the economy GDP would be down by 50% and Unemployment would be 30% and it would happen in the second quarter. Let me see, I am an accountant by profession so when does second quarter start? OH! Week after next.

Now I wonder, seriously...not even the Fed can print enough to paste over that. I ponder what the exit strategy is here?

[MARLINS MAN]

i am very impressed, master guides? and medical experts? why don't we stick with fishing with bamboo rods...

[MARLINS MAN]

forgot, accountants acting as economists, sounds like you might be short selling.. some people might actually take what you are saying seriously.

[ozarkwater]

MarlinsMan:

You know I think you have a good point. Why don't the mods just delete all the virus posts and we get back to bamboo rods.

Good idea.

[cutthroatkid]

This thread is entitled Coronavirus. If you don't want to read it don't click on it.

This will be my last post on the matter but I'm trying to convey useful information. At the pandemic county disaster planning meeting I was involved in years ago we were told that our rural county in Montana could not expect too much if any help federally. Dr Fauci over the weekend actually made the comment that those new masks and gowns being made would be prioritized to places like New York City and other hotspots. The effect is that rural hospitals may be unable to replenish their personal protective equipment once it is used. Those people descending on the rural areas, some of them not practicing social distancing but spreading the virus locally, should consider this. We are lucky in Montana this is occurring in winter before the major influx of tourists from around the world and that the governor has recommended strict measures as soon as the first cases appeared here. Had this occurred in the summer we would be in deep shit medically here. As it is Montana has a chance of getting through this without a health care meltdown. People getting sick now were infected a couple of weeks ago and the horse is out of the barn in a lot of places.

Please keep others in mind when you plan your activities.

Signing out.

[BigTJ]

I fished yesterday and it didn’t seem more crowded than normal. Has the river to myself most of the day.

It is depressing to see people still posting that is is just a regular flu. In 3 months time I wonder how many will still feel that way.

[lloyd3]

Very little seems clear at the moment, and the howling media only seem to make it worse. Here's hoping cooler heads prevail by the end of this week.

[bassman]

Marlinsman and Ozarkwater, cutthroatkid said it well. Covid19 is here and on everyones mind. It is real. When reading these threads we need to take things with the proverbial grain of salt as to how much is facts repeated and someone's thoughts thrown out there. As a mod these are posts I will not delete unless it goes to politics or name calling. An example was I deleted and censored my own post which was poorly worded and did not belong in these discussions. I cannot speak for other mods but the post runs as long as it stays civil.

[Gimmeslack]

I visited a local (well known) spring creek this morning and would say that the 'normal' would have been for myself and *maybe* one other person on a Tues morning early. As I was hiking out midday, there were 4-5 other anglers and at least one new car arriving. Data-set of 'one' but I'd say it's pretty clear that more folks will be out. I've also noted more families (one of the anglers this am was with their wife and two toddlers) out in the mountain streams, hiking and recreating.

[Mahseer]

I figured our local Association’s large mountain lake was the perfect place to self isolate and recreate. And, as it is a stocked fishery, it can also supplement one’s diet when the shops are depleted.

I went twice last week and saw 6 other anglers in total. But last night our Prime Minister told the whole U.K. to stay home and, at least for now, there’s to be no more angling.

Stay well everyone. The fish will wait.

[RMorrison]

What he meant was “stay home or fish by yourself if able”.

[Mahseer]

What he meant was “stay home or fish by yourself if able”.

That’s not how Angling Trust and Fish Legal view it, and they’ve asked us all to stop fishing pending government clarification on whether it will be added to the (very short) list of allowed exercise activities.

[perfesser]

.

[Mahseer]

'list of allowed exercise activities'.

“One form of exercise a day – for example a run, walk, or cycle – alone or with members of your household”

Angling Trust and Fish Legal advise this is currently understood to exclude fishing and ask us not to fish until further clarification from government (who presumably have more important things to do).