This Forum
 

Is this forum totally dead? What happened to all the folks who posted interesting and informative info? I just can't believe that there are like virtually zero posts!! This site is important because there are no reliable fishing reports for Arizona.

I believe this Forum has seen its last rays of sunshine, as few if any posts are shared anymore. Life Support is idly standing by as Hospice has taken up residence on the Forum.

Many have opted to join the AZ Fly Fishing Facebook page, where much of what used to be shared on here has taken root on that site.

I left the FB page as too much information was being shared with iddy biddy streams and living in Rim Country, I am seeing firsthand the huge numbers of those showing up and the devastation taking place. On any given weekend, hundreds are packing these tight little fisheries gorging themselves on what little resources are still out there in wild trout creeks.

The places not even shared with close friends and family around secluded campfires are being offered up without a second thought, bringing in even more seeking relief from wherever they area.

My humble opinion...

I will be happy to share reports when I get back onto Arizona waters! I was spoiled with fishing in Idaho this summer, and I think I got my fix there. With the hordes of people on our state streams I have just been staying home. I've also read that with the lack of rain, the streams are super low as well.

I suspect as kids go back to school (real or virtual) and the hunting seasons kick off, the amount of people on streams and lakes will subside. I usually fish Arizona waters in late fall/winter/early spring anyway so I'll be happy to post reports then. Have been sharing information through this forum using the direct messages, but those weren't really fishing reports per se. Just reports of Rim streams that once held trout but were devastated by fire in the last few years.

And David is right about that Facebook group, people there are WAY too quick to burn spots. Social media ruins everything!

I feel like I've seen a 300% or more increase in traffic on most creeks. Went to WS creek and saw so many people it felt like upper Tonto, we left since the people would walk past you a 100 yards then post up and high hole you the whole way. I don't think those fish will be around next year.
Night crawler containers at multiple c&r places too.

That Facebook page needs to disappear if it's contributing to this.

Forums like this come and go. They typically have a lifespan of 10 years or so. They start out strong, get lots of new members in the first year or two, they stay strong awhile, then they start to get a little stale, then start the slide to oblivion. I used to own the San Juan river forum. After about 8 or 9 years it became a ghost town so we shut it down. It was hardly noticed that it was gone. This forum lasted longer than most. As much as I hate to say it, I do believe it is time to mercifully put it to rest.

Like it or not, the beginning of the end was the banning of BamaRon...

I would hate for this forum to disappear, as I have learned quite a bit. Not just from discussions on direct messages, but using the search feature, putting in specific species or streams and learning about their history, land management, etc. Having several AZGFD employees post here was also a treat (Mike L. and Bryan G.) I feel like this is the way to get into the sport, and get into wild trout as I have spent hours looking at topo maps, reading stocking histories, and just doing my homework. This forum was an invaluable part of that education.

I am still alive and fishin. Busy with work and family, but still manage to get out now and then. This is the first time I have checked in on azfat in years. Made some good freinds here! I hope everyone is doing well even if the website is not.

I too have not been very active on this forum in a long time and the fly-fishing has taken not just the back seat of the car but the rear seat of the bus you might say. I thought that maybe by taking a new job in the Phoenix metro area since I have resided in Chandler for past 23 years, that I would find more time to get out to fly-fish as compared to traveling to Tucson to work every week, which made the weekends a priority to stay home with family. I would say that I got out on 1 true fly-fishing trip to lee's Ferry this past May for only approx 4 hours of fishing as a side trip on way back home from several days of turkey hunting above north rim of GC. It wasn't very good fishing at that time. It was the covide-19 that shut down our plan to spend a few days camping there at lee's Ferry. I hope i can get in a few winter days of fly-fishing soon, but this no rain is really messing with the fishing holes.

I have not logged on to this site in a couple of years. Kind of dropped the fly fishing addiction due to work and getting more into off-roading with the Jeep. Flash forward and I’m now retired and have made the move up to the rim full time. I’ve been slowly getting back into fly fishing and fly tying. It’s a slow process as most of my equipment/tools are still in boxes in the garage. I would really hate to see this site close down. There are/were a lot of good people on the site and I learned a lot over the years of visiting it. I’m NOT a big fan of FB so don’t see myself going there.