Dan Alsop must be a Midwestern transplant since he is protective of walleye (“Sterilize the idiots at Parks and Wildlife,” April 25).
If you have had the fortune to catch a beloved Colorado pikeminnow or razorback sucker, then you’d know the sporting quality of most fish exceeds that of the walleye. A walleye fights like a wet sock (I grew up catching them in Minnesota) whose only redeeming quality is tasty flesh. And I’ve caught more 30-plus-inch “pikie minnows” than walleyes.
One can only hope that in the future we’ll be left with only native fish in our West Slope rivers. Unfortunately, armchair biologists in Colorado think that Midwestern fishes have a place in the Colorado River Basin. I’m disappointed that Colorado Parks and Wildlife even acknowledges this affection by trying to provide these species in limited quantities on the West Slope.
If you care about America’s heritage, you should care about fishes such as Colorado pikeminnow and suckers because they aren’t found anywhere else besides the USA. They were American fishes supporting pioneers long before Dan was an itch in his daddy’s pants.
Also, Dan needs to get out more. The San Juan River is inaccessible to walleye from Lake Powell due to an impassible waterfall that has formed downstream of Clay Hills landing. And I don’t care if they gave away fillets or not. Remember the old adage, give a man a fish, yadda yadda yadda. CPW doesn’t stand for Colorado Parks and Welfare. Somebody sterilize disgruntled Dan, because we couldn’t get to his dad first!
Nate Cathcart
Anchorage, Alaska
