# I Need Many Anglers Help



## OSIAS (Jul 3, 2009)

Hi, I am new here and really just creating this for one cuase. Sorry if this is a long post.

I am from the south were we do allot of night fishing from the shore with drop shot worms, bloodbait, float lights etc. I am 31 and I take my father of 56 and my grandma of like 86. My father suffers from some pretty seroius vertigo, passing out and sensitivity to the sun and heat. While my grandmother being her age suffers from sensitivity to the heat and sun as well plus has altimers and a poor sense of balance.

So going night fishing is really the only way to go for us. However they go on there own allot without me, being retired they can do that and I gotta work if you know what I mean. We live in south jordan and so I worry when they go without me so I really want something close.

We have recently been hitting many communitty fishing ponds in the area and there are allot of them and we enjoy them. However none of them are open at night minus one.

Riverton Pond is 8 acres of pure heaven and has been open for night fishing all summer so far. So really this has just been our spot, 10 minutes from the house and the only place in the city that allows night fishing that I am aware of. To go night fishing anywere else requires roughly a 3 hour round trip drive which is something they can not make without me.

3 Days ago the started locking the gate on riverton ponds. Per DWR hours of fishing are posted at the pond, but alas there are no hours posted at the lake and per DWR enforcer that visited us one night its open to night fishing. However some local park worker not the DWR has started locking it up at night.

I need to know who I can talk to or write and or employ and possibly or get other anglers behind this to keep at least one cummunitty fishery open at night. Or who i can contact to stop the closing of riverton ponds at night without authorization. 

The guy who is closing it is just with the park and not DWR and says he is being told to close it becuase someome anonmously reports that people are camping there and setting up tents and having fires and poaching and bad crowds of people commiting crimes.

If you look around the pond there are no fire pit marks of any kind nor room to really have a tent or a fire pit. I can vouch for one that this is just some biased person that is complaining to just be a prick. When we fish there we fish right by the gate and see everyone that goes in and out and talk with them. We are talking large families with there kids and no tents and we can see no fires only flashlights and laterns. Also we see the fish they bring out come on you know how everyone likes to show off there catch. There is no criminal element out there either. 

There was a cop on TV that was a angler that said in his 30 years of law enforcement he can not remember ever arresting a youth that had a fishing liscense in his back pocket. People come there to fish not to a problem for the community.

There are no homes close to this pond so the night fishers can not be disturbing them, also even then its so close to bangeter and the traffic is so loud they couldnt hear anyone over the freeway anyways. 

Bottom line its being shut down without any vote or approval, its not being shut down for a good reason. Its taking away my familys ability to go fishing. Its making it so we can only go when I can take them and its going to be a 3 hour round trip minimum.

I need to know what I can do about this and if I can get the community of anglers to help me in this task. This is very important and personal to me and my family. Please Help!


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## OSIAS (Jul 3, 2009)

Update For you, the guy closing down the pond doesnt want to be doing this. He knows that the anonomus complaint is completly invalid. However he has his marching orders from his boss. Which is the head of parks and recreation for the city of riverton.

Her name is Cheryl # 801-208-3101

Please take 5 mins and give her a call, perhaps leave a message name and number to show that there is more pressure to keep it open than there is to close it. Also to hopefully discredit whoever this one anonomus complaint is. Or to make this complainer come forward and not be anonomus and prove what he or she is saying is true.

Again if there are any other angles or people I can talk or we can talk to please help me.


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## OSIAS (Jul 3, 2009)

Update again I have prob had now 9-10 ppl that I know in real life that fish there leave messages on that phone # now concerning that issue.

If you do call for this cuase can you please post and say so, this way we have an idea of how many ppl have called on this and possibly get a snowball effect.

Please Help The Eldery Night Angelers


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## OSIAS (Jul 3, 2009)

Update Again,

Just got back from fishing there and getting kicked out at dark. Caught a pretty big bullfrog and 7 catfish between the 3 of us. 

Talked to many of the anglers there and gave the # around. Tonight we are making flyers and are going to post them on the board right outside the entrance with pull off stickies with the # etc.

Wow 51 Views Already and not one reply, Is Utah actually that stuck on fly poles and only trout fishing? I would have figured someone would have replied and understand the cuase and need for this.

Makes me sad to think we are going to loose our nightime fishing.


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## Pez Gallo (Dec 27, 2007)

Have a little patience. I'm sure that everyone is busy with the holiday weekend.


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## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

Keep up with the phone calls. Take it up a notch and contact the mayor and city council as well. The parks & rec director takes her orders from them.
I pulled the following contact info from Riverton's City website.

Mayor Bill Applegarth Home - 254-2708, City Office - 254-0704
City Council
Roy Tingey 446-7823 Home
Karma Bentson 446-1970 Home
Brad Markus 254-4623 Home
Al Leavitt 254-9021 Home
Randy Brinkerhoff 254-4790 Home

As an alternative, Utah lake isn't that far if you are only 10 minutes from Riverton. There are several places on the north end of the lake you can go fishing at night. Utah Lake has cats, crappie, blue gill, white bass and largemouth. And the cats will run quite a bit bigger than you'll catch in the community pond.


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## OSIAS (Jul 3, 2009)

Ya I have been fishing at utah lake for years as well. Idunno about saying they will be biger I have pulled out several 20 inch cats from that community pond. 

Being able to go somewhere else really isnt the point. My father can not drive long distances, he is prone to passing out if he gets to tired or the vertigo gets to him. Utah lake is a little to far for him and more rocky terrain is unsafe for him the drive is a little more dangerous etc.

Also thanks for the information about the mayor etc. I do appreciate the help. Sorry about being impatient its just actually makes me legitamatly upset that they would do this. I just want to rectify it as soon as possible.


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## OSIAS (Jul 3, 2009)

Wow my father spoke with someone in the park and recreation that finaly called him back and was told to stick it, the decision has been made and were not going to change it at all so just stop what were doing with the phone calls and flyers cuase we dont care.

Thats the jist of the phone call but not the exact words I believe it was a bit uglier than that.

Plz dont stop making phone calls it abvoiusly upset them and they hate the fact they have to hear about it, plz make some calls. Keep them polite but keep making them.

Also the guy he spoke to didnt even again have all the facts. He mainly spoke to campfires out there, which I can take pictures of the pond there is no fire pits or any scorched areas.

In other words its completly fabricated reasons. Plz help.


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## Gameface (Jun 7, 2008)

It might be late to make a phone call tonight, but I'll try to make a call tomorrow.

I switch from a 12 hour day shift to a 12 hour night shift every 4 months and when I'm on nights and on my days off I'd like to have someplace to go fishing. I've gone to Utah Lake in the past, but from what you're saying about Riverton pond I'd like to give it a try, if we can get it opened back up.

Good Luck!


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## OSIAS (Jul 3, 2009)

Thank you the more the better. And ya Im telling you Riverton pond is a very nice very close very safe place to fish. With plenty to be cuaght its a self sustaining pond that they havent stocked in quite some time. Just about 5 days ago my dad caught a 2 foot cat. Catch and Release that night too so I garuntee you one is still prowling in there.


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## Artoxx (Nov 12, 2008)

I called the mayors office today and left him a lengthy message telling him exactly how I felt about both the closure and his peoples response to and treatment of your father. I was very polite, used NO profanity, which may be notable for some of you :wink: And made recommendations that not only do they reopen the pond to night fishing, but that he personally take a walk around the lake and find any evidence of fires for himself before arbitrarily ordering the park closed.
I also recommended that he inform his parks and rec people that they are there to serve the public not insult and abuse them and that should the individual who was so rude and abusive of your father be discovered, that person become unemployed at the earliest opportunity, there to once more become a member of the general public which he abuses.

Not sure what if anything MY voice will add to the deal, but it is in there.


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## Artoxx (Nov 12, 2008)

Now that was speedy service.

I just now got a call back from Mayor Applegarth of Riverton city.

He remembers talking to OSIAS about the park closing issue, and was not yet aware of the abuse that was given to OSIAS's father in response. HE IS NOT HAPPY ABOUT THAT.
He gave me his email address and he wants EVERYONE who is concerned about this issue to email him with what they would like to see done regarding both the park operating hours, and the handling of the abusive employee. BE POLITE!
He was a very nice man TO ME anyway, and seems genuinely concerned about making sure that this issue is resolved to the satisfaction of the public.

OSIAS, he wants you to send him the information about the phone call your dad got WORD FOR WORD, using as much as you can recall or your father can recall the ACTUAL WORDS AND LANGUAGE that were used by this idiot. If he was foolish enough to give his name, HE WANTS THAT TOO!
I get the feeling that this guy is going to join me in the unemployment line, even though the mayor did not say it in so many words. He did say that this incident may result in a closed door session of the council to investigate the situation and respond as the council decides is appropriate.
He said repeatedly that he and his employees are there there to meet the publics needs and wants to the best of their ability. 
He implied that he does not appreciate this guy tarnishing that with his abuse, and said outright that he does not feel that city employees are being employed to treat citizens like that, so SEND IT SOON.

Mayors email: * [email protected] * Yes .com, he specified that. :wink:

He will take all correspondance with him to the city council and present it to them as a group, so that the entire council is aware of what the rest of the council thinks and decides on the issue, as individual phone calls to the members may result in misinterpretations and/or outright lies. lol Again not his exact words, but the impression was strong. :mrgreen:

He has also invited any and all persons who are interested in getting this changed/resolved to the next city council meeting on the 23rd of July at 6:30PM
First order of business after the flag ceremony is talking points to be presented by the citizens, two minutes each to speak on whatever their little hearts desire. So if you are interested and/or committed to this, that is your shot.
1st and 3rd tuesdays of every month at 6:30 pm is the meeting time if you can't or don't make it to this one.

That is not to say that you cannot still call the indivdual council members if you choose, if might be nice for them to walk in there aware that the public is less than pleased with them about this and resolve to make it right. Then again, they _*are*_ politicians... _(O)_


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## Huntoholic (Sep 17, 2008)

E-mail on its way.


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## OSIAS (Jul 3, 2009)

Hey Lads and or Ladies thank you very much and yes every phone call counts becuase that brings there attention once again back to the issue at hand.

Last night my father was fishing there again and someone was walking around saying they had some form of online petition going and that a senator is even now involved and supporting it and supposed to be calling the mayor about this. I can not seem to find this petition though.

This person also said that the night before they didnt close the pond, but yet again last night they closed it. 

They also said the DWR is now involved and not to pleased with this as well. Also someone tore down all my fathers fliers at the posting sign outside the pond.

If this matter is not resolved before that next meeting I can garuntee I will be there to the council meeting. 

I will have my father read this and send an email to that email address.

In the meantime please keep calling and emailing pleading for some common sense on this part. There is no one I have seen breaking any of the rules and the only rule i can think of that could be broken is the bag limit but I have yet to see it and bag limits is not the cities concern again its DWR's. So instead of closing it they just need to have DWR get involved becuase they are the only ones that can ticket or enforce the rules the cirty can't.

Thanks for your support and keep it coming.


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