Would you say anything

I was out fishing a trout stream with my gal pal the other day.. I had my limit already and was cleaning the fish while she polished off her 5 fish limit. We were about a quarter mile down stream of the parking lot for the area. I noticed the water started to get a little dingy and not the usual crystal clear water and I thought good thing we just limited out cause the fish really shut off when the water is murky after a rain. We walked back up to the lot and there were 2 gals 18-20 years old playing in the creek building a dam out of rocks and carrying sticks off the bank to stack in the water. Their parents or grandparents were hanging out at the picnic bench watching. This kind of drove me up a wall because it was impacting the fishing but at the same time its public land.. I did see another fella pull up and grab his pole, walk over and see the gals in the water, then leave. Would you say anything as these gals should probably know better and hopefully won't do it in the future or would you let it be? Certainly goes against the leave no trace on public grounds principle. Also you can't fish upstream because it turns into private ground

 

If it's a popular fishing stream I'd let them know that they are impacting the fishing. Something to the affect of, "We're limited out so no big deal to us today, but you may have some angry anglers to deal with if you keep that up".
As far as altering the stream, I probably wouldn't mention it unless the local enforcement folks do actively enforce it. I've seen the F&G themselves set tree sections in streams to "improve the fish habitat", plus you can't hardly go to any stream around here without finding several dams that were built to create swimming holes.
Glad you were done fishing...and seeing 20 year olds in swimwear is always terrible...

 

These weren't the type of 20 somethings you wanted to see in swimwear (swimwear being baggy harley davidson shirts and jean shorts)

 

I would tactfully say something , yes. It could be as simple as them not understanding the impact of their actions. Either way I dont see what it would hurt to say something

 

Silence is golden, go on about your day. We all know it's annoying but in the end they're enjoying themselves as much as you were. Had you not limited out, maybe let them know politely but people these days make such a big deal out of things like this even when you're being polite that it is not worth wasting your breath.

 

Probably wouldn't do any good. The kids wouldn't understand and the grownups couldn't care less. In the Great Smoky Mountains NP, such activity, according to the guidelines, is illegal for the same reasons raised here. How many aquatic lifeforms were displaced or killed?

 

Would depend on what they looked like whist bathing

 

I can tell you how they looked.... Too young

 

I know it isn't the same. We compete with people rafting. Some try to get to the other side has not to impact your fishing and some don't. I have learned to thank those that do and wave at those that don't. Either way I try to enjoy myself.

 

The only thing I said was to their parents or grandparents "at least they're scaring the fish down stream to us!" They chuckled and we left

 

Just curious, you mentioned no fishing up stream due to private land. I believe in our state as long as you are in the water it's state. I thought that was a universal type thing.

 

That's a good point, same rules here in Idaho. As long as you're within the high water mark you're good to go, and can go around obstacles like windfalls, fences, etc. as long as you immediately get back within the high water mark on the other side of it.

 

I probably wouldn’t have said anything

 

I have to confess I built a wing damn with my friends on the Mississippi when I was a kid, parts of it are still there and I still fish that spot. I also used to weed whip the grass on the bank and pick up garbage, when it was mowed and cleaned it stayed cleaner like people appreciated it.