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--> --> ODFW to anglers: Give fish a break during afternoons By Vickie Aldous Ashland Daily Tidings Anglers can help fish struggling with high water temperatures in the Rogue, Applegate and Illinois rivers by not fishing during the hottest part of the day, according to Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife officials. The state agency has asked anglers to voluntarily stop fishing in the afternoon and to take other measures to protect fish. Reduced water flows and high water temperatures have reduced the amount of habitat, food and dissolved oxygen available to fish, while also decreasing spawning success and disease resistance, according to department officials. "This is a difficult year. We really appreciate the efforts of anglers to aid fish populations and help them survive," said Bob Hooton, a fish biologist in the department's Portland office. Locally, high temperatures have been recorded on the Lower Rogue River below Grants Pass, on the Applegate River downstream from the Applegate Dam and on the Illinois River below the Pomeroy Dam, according to Mike Evenson, Rogue Watershed District fish biologist. Evenson said fish in area reservoirs and lakes largely are unaffected by the high water temperatures. The reservoirs and lakes mainly contain fish species such as bass that are adapted to warm temperatures, he said. Cold water species such as salmon, trout and steelhead can stay at lower levels in reservoirs and lakes where temperatures are cooler than near the surface. However, those fish are having difficulties this summer finding cool areas in rivers and streams, according to Evenson. Fish are gathering in groups where river and stream conditions are favorable, making them more vulnerable to anglers and predators, department officials said. In addition to fishing in the morning, anglers who catch and release fish can use barbless hooks, keep fish in the water as much as possible and limit the amount of handling time. They also can wet their hands before removing hooks and avoid touching fish gills, department officials advised. Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing