Smalma

As always, your post was very informative, and I did learn something from it.
Thanks for the straight forward answers, without doing the old "attack and conquer" thing that so many of us tend to do on this board.

JoJo:

You just can't let things go can you; i.e. saying "Shouldn't we error on the side of the fish, or are we just worried about our so called "right" to fish." Who on this thread said anything at all about your so-called "right" to fish? Or where you just trying to being a little catty with your words? We seems like we just keep turning against ourselves whenever we get the chance to do it. Why?

Can't some of you fishermen realize that there are lots of "other fishermen" out there that really could care less one way or the other about "wild fish" or hatchery fish? How do you think that the general public really feels about "wild fish" or hatchery fish? The greatest majority of them never even go fishing so what does that tell you? So, we are the minority, and we must deal with these issues and problems within our own selves.

If we can't openly debate our own personal viewpoints or opinions on this board about how to deal with our own fishing problems, how on earth are we ever going to sell it to the public? After all, it will be the public that filps the bill, becuase the money for our sport all comes from the general states fund, not from the sell of our licenses. It's a mean world out there, and if we can't take the heat of the debates here, then maybe some of us better take-up some other type of sport!

By the way, I think that fishermen should really make the clarification that they are talking about "native genetic wild fish" here and not just any other genetically crossed or mixed offspring's, who have came from some combinations of hatchery-crossed or mixed fish. "Wild fish" is different then "native wild fish" You need to look no further then the Cowlitz to see that. I have been told by the agencies that "Wild" is defined to be a fish that was hatched in the wild from "any returning adult", and that "native" meant that the fish was genetically from the watershed, and was raised in its original river of origin. Is that not correct?

It's also my opinion, that such a proposed "one law (rule) fits all" state rule will never work in the management of our states fisheries. Too many different problems and to many different issues that affect each river system to allow such a statewide rule to work at this time.

I am sure that there are "river systems" out there that can enjoy a real "comeback" of "wild native fish", but there are also lots of rivers out there, besides the "Cowlitz", that it's just not going to happen to! Are bait bans, and barb less hooks restrictions going to get the results that you guys are hoping for…I just don't know!

P.S. Sparky, your treads are getting just as controversial as mine have been lately…that could be dangeruous!


Cowlitzfisherman