From the Mountain River Journal Weblog, April 14, 2009

The Norfork Tailwater Catch and Release area would be almost tripled in size and barbless single fly only rules abolished under major changes being proposed by fisheries managers for Arkansas tailwater regulations for 2010.

This is good and maybe a little bad. I could never understand the prohibition against multiple fly rigs in C&R areas – I don’t believe that any more harm is caused to the fish using a dry and dropper system. Unless you consider catching and releasing more fish harmful (which could be argued I guess). As to eliminating the barbless restriction – I have mixed feelings. Barbless seems to make sense but I have read studies that indicate hooking mortality isn’t significantly different between barbed and barbless hooks. I can tell you that Spring Creek in Pennsylvania is under general all-tackle C&R regs for most of its length and the fish population seems to be doing just fine.

Check out the rest of the story at the Mountain River Journal Weblog