Trout "Clubs"

**toledotimber** · 04-27-2010, 10:47 AM

I went with my younger brother and a couple friends of his to a trout club here in Ohio on Sunday. While I had a good time, it was possibly the single weirdest fishing experience of my life--or surreal, as described by my brother. It was so weird because there were trout jumping two and three feet out of the water everywhere, while people just strolled about trying to catch them. One lady even used a golf cart to drive to a far corner of the grounds and walked the "streams" from there.

I don't have pics because it rained most of the time, but here is the layout of the place.

I'm posting this because I wondered if anyone else has been to a "club" like this, and if so, what were your impressions? Am I in left field for thinking this is so bizarre?

**rossa** · 04-27-2010, 11:11 AM

Why am I thinking of crazy golf?

**troutrageous1** · 04-27-2010, 12:21 PM

Interesting...I've never been to a place like this so I really can't pass judgment.

I belong to a club (organization, not location like this) that operates a co-operative nursery for the state of PA, so I'm not against stocked fish...although I suppose many are. Different strokes for different folks.

**toledotimber** · 04-27-2010, 01:02 PM

(Sort of) in the club's defense, it seemed to cater to rich, old guys who probably can't wade any longer. But it was still weird as hell.

Oh, yeah--they have their own on-site hatchery with browns, brookies, rainbows, and tiger trout. That was neat to see.

**Ernest** · 04-27-2010, 01:31 PM

There was a place outside St. Paul, MN that had ponds, rather than a stream, and you didn't have to pay to fish, but you had to pay to catch something. You were instructed to keep the fish you caught, and you paid by the pound. I took my kids there a couple times when they were little. They fished with a fly rod and caught all the 12-15" rainbows I could afford in just a few minutes. It was strange, though, to watch some people fish with bait or lures and not be able to catch a fish. The place was accessible, and there were people in wheelchairs or with other limitations enjoying themselves there. They also had a restaurant, and you could catch a fish, pay a small amount to have it filleted, carry it up and give it to your server, and she'd bring it back in a few minutes nicely fried, with a salad and a baked potato. Even with a liquor license they weren't able to keep it open; it closed a number of years ago.

In NW Wisconsin there was a much more natural "club" with a real trout stream, a hatchery for brookies and rainbows, a small resort that is on the National Register of Historic Places, and a wonderful restaurant. For years it was a private club that sold memberships. It fell into financial difficulties, and eventually lost its hatchery license. The restaurant and resort are still operating, open to the public. I think that the public fishing in the area is good enough that too few would pay the membership fees.

**adam** · 04-27-2010, 11:16 PM

http://www.tenkara-fisher.com/forum/vie ... p=665#p665

I just joined a club, the above is a little bit about it.

I think your trout country club mention is what it is.

I'm not a rubber trout guy, I prefer wild trout and natives although I have not yet started tracking them.

At one point here, I wanted to start a badge "club" in that you had to meet the challenges of the badge in order to earn it. I still entertain the thought and I think we could do a good job defining it.

However, I like fishing alone in the mountains for tiny trout and sharing it with my friends here or there.

This is my kind of club along with Tsuttenkai.

**Danny S** · 04-28-2010, 02:28 AM

Rossa may be on target, it does look similar to a golf course. Also agree that maybe this is a good thing for those who can't venture out due to age, handicap, etc.

Ernest: There are/were several places in Norfolk/Suffolk, England, that required you to keep all you caught and pay by the pound when your day was done or limit was reached--absolutely no catch and release. It was cheaper to get on the water than places that charged a day fee only, but could be very expensive at the "checkout" line.

**lawrenceh_w** · 04-28-2010, 05:05 AM

"Put and take" rainbow trout fisheries are very common here in the UK.

It's not cheap where I live (south of England) but gets cheaper as you go up North. These places hold no attraction for me personally but some folks just go fishing at these places. They can be ridiculously easy (especially with freshly stocked fish) but once the fish have been in there a while (and more so on the bigger waters) the fish start to wise up.

There's usually a fish limit (2, 3 or 4 fish) for which you pay. There is an increase in catch and release fly fisheries but not many. All the non-game fish (i.e. carp, tench, roach, perch, pike, etc.) waters are catch and release.

**Satoshi** · 04-30-2010, 07:49 AM

Very interesting.
How do people fish trout there?
Spinning gear? fly? or bait?

**toledotimber** · 04-30-2010, 12:40 PM

Satoshi, it's flies only and aside from one small stretch of "stream," you have to keep what you catch. I doubt I'd go back even if invited again because it cost $25 to fish and took an hour to get there. I can go to a public stream in Michigan in an hour and a half for free (not accounting for gas and food).

Again, it was very strange to me, but I can really see the benefit for folks who can't wade any longer but still want to fly fish for trout. I can't imagine, though, what the membership cost would be. Yikes.