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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Our View: Bottle deposit increase may help boost returns ... Gray wolf spotted by trail cam in Siskiyou County ... Medford drive-by shooting suspect linked to Portland shooting ... Our View: Bottle deposit increase may help boost returns ... Gray wolf spotted by trail cam in Siskiyou County ... Medford drive-by shooting suspect linked to Portland shooting ... Rainie Falls' fishing trip a lesson for recruit and poachers Comment By Jeff Duewel Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Jeff Duewel Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Mar. 18, 2015 at 4:07 PM By Jeff Duewel Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Mar. 18, 2015 at 4:07 PM » Social News GALICE — Game enforcement officer Brad Bennett of the Oregon State Police was showing a recruit around the area on Sunday, when he drove up the hill from Grave Creek on Mount Reuben Road. They got out at the overlook to take a look at the Rogue River and Rainie Falls, far below. Two men were fishing at the base of the falls, and before long, one of them landed a steelhead. Unfortunately for them, you cannot fish within 400 feet of Rainie Falls, or any other obstruction to fish passage, natural or artificial, that causes fish to gather in large numbers. So Bennett and the recruit drove back over Grave Creek bridge and walked the two miles to the falls, to issue citations to the men. Bennett said he's seen that rule broken only a couple of times at Rainie in his two decades enforcing fishing regulations. Signs clearly mark the no-fishing zone. He's seen plenty of other problems below Rainie, however — usually snagging salmon, or tagging violations — because anglers don't expect to see a game enforcement officer off the beaten path. Morgan A. Crum, 43, and Christopher Taylor, 38, both of Medford, were handed citations that will likely cost them $435. "They said they didn't see the sign. Maybe they did, maybe they didn't," Bennett said. "I told them, 'If you go fish an area, you should look in the regulation book. It's right there in the synopsis, plain as day.' " Crum caught the fish, but Taylor was cited because he helped. Crum's citation was specifically for taking the fish in a prohibited area, and he was also warned for fishing there, possession of mutilated fish and failure to validate his tag. The mutilation warning was because he'd already fileted the fish, making it impossible to tell the length. That's important because wild steelhead must be 24 inches or longer to keep on the Rogue. The two men didn't have their gear confiscated. But they didn't get to keep the fish, either. Other locations closed to fishing include just below Applegate Dam; between Illinois River Falls and Fall Creek; and below Power House rapids at Gold Hill, Bennett said. Anglers should look at the synopsis and look for the signs. The regulations also existed at Savage Rapids and Gold Ray dams when they were still standing. Reach reporter Jeff Duewel at 541-474-3720 or [email protected] By Jeff Duewel Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Jeff Duewel Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Mar. 18, 2015 at 4:07 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501