Post By: Rual812 Posted: 3/4/2023 12:31:35 AMPoints: 16
Can you floss for Kokanee in the dream stream? For the uninitiated, the technique is used extensively in Alaska. You can call it whatever you want but, flossing is snagging. The caveat to flossing is that you have to use a fly and you have to snag the fish in the mouth. I can't find anything in the regulations that say it's illegal. Now I'm not talking about keeping the fish. I know all fish have to be returned to the water immediately.
Reply by: ozzy Posted: Mar. 4, 9:02:05 AM Points: 6294
I dont understand how using a fly and hooking it in the fish's mouth is not just regular "catching". Even when I fish with my spinning rod and a fly, isnt that just fishing.
Reply by: xavierk31 Posted: Mar. 4, 11:00:50 AM Points: 3934
I’d genuinely recommend reaching out to a park ranger, specifically someone who might be assigned to the South Park area. With that said, there are plenty of other flies those Kokanee will take.
Reply by: Freestone303 Posted: Mar. 4, 11:01:21 AM Points: 458
You can fish pegged beads, some would say that is flossing, others say it’s a safer way to fish an egg pattern to prevent the fish from swallowing the hook.
Reply by: fishingmanlee Posted: Mar. 6, 1:16:56 PM Points: 220
Catching in the mouth is called angling. Snagging anywhere else is called foul hooking and the fish must be returned immediately. In the South Platte between 11Mile and Spinney where all fish must be returned what's the difference?
Reply by: Spikey Posted: Mar. 6, 4:15:34 PM Points: 359
I watched a guy floss/snag 10-20 kokanee out of a pool on the Dreamstream with a fly rod. A game warden was watching with binocs from the parking lot. Since the guy was releasing all the fish, the game warden never confronted him about it.
Reply by: Walleye Guy Posted: Mar. 6, 6:04:30 PM Points: 181
So, much ado about nothing. Hook in the mouth is not snagging.
Right?
I watched a Fishful Thinker yesterday, Chad was using stickbaits in Kansas, brought many to the boat, released all. Just about every fish was hooked in the body, not mouth. I think the fish attempted to eat the bait but circumstances caused the hooks to impale the body and pull out of the mouth.
Could the warden with binoculars determine that those fish had been illegally snagged if kept ?
Reply by: xavierk31 Posted: Mar. 7, 7:05:34 AM Points: 3934
Walleye guy- it might depend on how the guy was releasing them. If he was carless and DID snag one or more of them in the body and was taking them out of the water enough for the warden to SEE that with their binocs, then ya I would imagine he might get a visit from the warden. If you're snagging multiple in the body then that's still illegal if I understand the regs correctly. Even if you're releasing them.
Reply by: spicyhombre Posted: Mar. 7, 10:00:39 AM Points: 6167
I believe traditional flossing involves swinging yarn to fish holding in the current to catch yarn on teeth and then have hook will end in mouth. This is just a different way to snag fish IMO. There are a lot of rules that officers interpret differently so I imagine it all depends on the officers thoughts that day.
I personally would not choose this method. I struggle with even traditional fly fishing techniques that require repeated drifts to annoy the fish into biting (or bass bed fishing for that mater). I am not judging and have done it myself, but not my cup a tea.
Reply by: Spikey Posted: Mar. 7, 1:13:37 PM Points: 359
That unethical individual was snagging more than "flossing". I watched him do it repeatedly from 50 feet away. Over half the fish were tail or body hooked. When I went back to my car I mentioned to the officer what was going on. His comment was, "well he's not keeping them is he?". I said no, and he shrugged, and got in his vehicle and left.
Reply by: wingman13 Posted: Mar. 8, 9:50:19 PM Points: 142
OK, I am seriously confused by the original post. Flossing is using a fly, & "snagging" the fish in the mouth?? Agree with others, that is called "angling".
Seriously asking, are they hitting the fly, but the hook is "hooking" the fish on the outside of the jaw or mouth?? And, it's not an illegal form of angling, because no fish were kept. (by an illegal form of angling, "snagging")
We have caught many walleyes this year on a Metro lake using blade baits, where both trebles are outside the mouth. Is this "flossing or snagging"?
Reply by: k_hine Posted: Mar. 18, 1:08:45 PM Points: 2121
Per the 2023 CPW fishing brochure. page 5.. under 'fishing terms glossary'.
"Snagging - is the taking of fish by snatching with hooks, gang hooks, artificial flies or lures, or similar devices where the fish is hooked in a part of the body other than the mouth."
So per CPW, flossing (as described here) is not considered snagging.
