Fishing for a controversy? City tells anglers to reel it in

PORTLAND, Ore. - Longtime Portland fishermen came to KATU News after being kicked out of their favorite fishing holes in the city.

A Portland city ordinance says only certain parks are designated for fishing and the rest are off limits. But there seems to be a lot of confusion over exactly where people can fish, even with the agency in charge of enforcing Oregon fishing laws and with rangers who enforce city parks ordinances.

Pete Garcia has fished from a city dock on the Willamette River by Tom McCall Waterfront Park for 20 years, catching fish like trout, largemouth bass and bluegill. He's also made fishing friends like an aging blue heron named "Ted" that often hangs around.

But Ted will have to make new friends and fishermen will have to find a new place to cast their lines after parks rangers handed out warnings two days ago telling people they can't fish at the spot.

"I was angry. I'm a fisherman. I'm a passionate fisherman and being told I can't fish from somewhere I have been fishing for 20 years by two kids on a bicycle, I was angry," Garcia said.

Rangers told Garcia and others that they violated city code 20.12.150: Fishing and Bathing. It states: "No person shall fish, wade, swim, or bathe in any Park except in the places designated by the Director for such purposes."

Another fisherman, John Rutlich, said rangers told him the ordinance means he can't fish from the boat he lives on.

"Not off the boat, not while it's tied to the dock," he said.

KATU News went to the office of City Commissioner Nick Fish, who's in charge of parks, looking for answers. He said he was too busy to do an interview. But the head of security for Parks and Recreation, Art Hendricks, said the newly sworn rangers are simply enforcing ordinances on the books.

"They (rangers) have been contacting a lot of park users about a whole range of issues," he said.

Hendricks was asked why the city parks have so many signs that say things like, "Caution: Vehicles Crossing Pathway", "No Trespassing or Loitering" and "Upstream Hazard" but none showing where they can fish.

"All I can say is that off the piers and the docks that there is a rule that states that fishing is not allowed, and we will do our best to educate the public in terms of where they can fish," he said.

Making things even more confusing for fisherman are the pamphlets handed out by the state agency that issues the fishing licenses. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife lists a park on the Eastbank Esplanade and the Tom McCall Waterfront as two of the 50 places close to Portland where people can fish.