The greatest fishing hole anywhere in Indiana.
That’s what the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s recently-completed lamprey barrier on Trail Creek could have been.
Instead, sportsmen and women are stuck with a 200-foot No Fishing Zone.
Imagine what could have been done with the $1.9 million spent to date on the project.
Beyond the well-aerated plunge hole immediately below the dam, imagine a 100-yard stretch of sculptured riffles alternating with fish-bulging runs loaded with rocky structure. The entire stretch tastefully landscaped and dotted with tailored fishing platforms.
A fishing Shangri-La. An angling destination. A money-maker for the DNR.
Yes, if done properly, which is asking far more than typically received from our government, the place could have been an income generator, instead of a daily expense to police — and keep fishermen away.
Folks from near and far would pay to fish such a place. A lottery-style draft for spots, similar to bird-hunting draws on State Fish & Wildlife Areas and Federal Refuges, could be simply administered.
READ MORE: The News Dispatch > Sports > What could have been.
