In Alaska, the adult takes the ticket for a kid's line

A California visitor learned a quirk of Alaska fishing law the hard way this week: the adult supervising a young angler can be the one who takes the citation.

Alaska Wildlife Troopers cited Scott Cathey, 70, on July 9 after his 13-year-old grandson was found fishing in closed waters at the mouth of Crooked Creek. The boy, a minor, wasn't cited — his grandfather was, because he was the adult supervising the line in the water.

The rule behind it is strict liability: it's illegal to cast, drift, or drop a hook, bait, or lure into waters closed to sport fishing, and it doesn't matter whether you knew the water was closed. The lesson, as the state puts it: check the closures before you fish, and ask if you're unsure.

The citation is an accusation. Cathey is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.