More often than not, fishing is a peaceful experience. You get to spend hours out on the water, enjoying scenery and hoping for a bite. Not much could ruin your day, well, except for a massive ATV ripping through the river that you are currently fishing in. That is what happened to one man as he was fishing in a river in Montana. Now, he and other fishermen are livid after a "tonka truck" drove through the river, destroying the riverbed in its wake.
Fishermen Livid After A 'Tonka Truck' Drove Through River, Destroying Riverbed
Cowboy State Daily shares the story of when an angry Montana fishing guide and a weed-control contractor meet. However, it was no ordinary meeting. As the fishing guide was enjoying his day on the water, the contractor pulled up in a gigantic ATV vehicle called a SHERP. The contractor proceeded to drive his truck through the river, leaving destruction in his wake.
While the destruction may not be evident on the surface of the water, the fishing guide made it clear that the damage would be underneath. The guide took a video of the incident. The video clearly shows the man, in what the guide described as a "tonka truck," as he drove through the river, destroying the riverbed in the process.
You can hear the guide say, "He's rolling down right where all the bull trout sit right now." Then he confirms, "That is where all the bull trout are sitting." A few moments later, he pans the camera and shows the man, still cruising along, much further down the river. While there was some debate in the comments about whether this man's actions were as bad as the fisherman was claiming, the Montana Fish and Wildlife Parks confirmed that the driver's actions were illegal.
Although no citation has been filed as of yet, one may still be issued in the future.
Why Were Fishermen Livid?
Pexels image by Robert Schrader
For those who may not understand what had the fishermen so livid, Cowboy State Daily explains. SHERPS are massive all-terrain vehicles. As proven by the video, these "Tonka truck" like vehicles do truly allow you to go anywhere. However, just because you can doesn't mean you should. Kyle Rausch, owner and operator of Missoula-based R.R. 406 Fly Fishing guide service, explained the harm to Cowboy State Daily.
He shared that he watched as the SHERP churned along the shallow spots of the river. Then he confirmed that it also ventured into the deeper parts of the river. Its massive tires allow it to "scramble over rocks, plow through muck, and even float." While that may seem incredible, it comes at a cost when driving through the river.
Rausch shared that wherever the tires came into contact with the riverbed, there was a horrible mess. "The tires churned up massive amounts of mud, moss, and other debris." Muddy or cloudy water conditions meant that Rausch and his fellow fishermen had to wait at least 10 minutes for the water to clear. Seeing as this gentleman came through on his SHERP multiple times, that meant the fishing guide and his group had to postpone their fishing multiple times.
Something that the guide argues is particularly annoying, seeing as they are already on limited fishing hours to begin with. While the gentlemen operating the SHERP argued that he was doing weed control, the livid Montana fishermen argue that there are other ways to handle the situation.
