Okay Cow ... since YOU brought it up. You state that "... every river is a dynamic system and needs to be manage as so."

Here's the deal. The Quillayute SYSTEM is managed as a system, not on it's individual parts. There have been several instances where the SYSTEM's number is above this magical goal of 5900 fish, but the individual goals for streams such as the Calawah have NOT been met.

Yet, we manage it as a SYSTEM when it comes to the harvest end of things.

As I see it, that's all the more reason for a blanket policy when we're allowing this happen.

The Hoh situation is similar, yet even worse ... the lowest escapement number in over 25 years last season, and we're likley not going to meet escapement there this year either if the nicer weather continues, yet the kill fishery continues.

Why?

"Exceptions" that ought not be exceptions.

You're way off base with some of your reasoning why I support it as a guide. Yes, it's important for me to watch my own tail and the future of my chosen line of work. It's called foresight, it's also called giving a hoot about the resource without putting today's $$$ above everything else.

I chose from day 1 to make my guide service C&R on WS ... in the first few very lean years I painfully turned down trips in which people wanted to retain fish. It's a matter of principles. We all have an impact ... but we can try to lessen it.

Yes, it would likely make fishing better. There were several days this year of sharing stories with long-time clients of how fishing was 10 years ago ... and day-in, day-out this season, it's only been a fraction of that. Better fishing usually also means more fish on the beds, a strange but happy coincidence.

That being said, I don't buy your "competition" or "put the other people out of work" bits one bit. And frankly, I resent your implications of such.

I "compete" with these boats every day. It's actually quite the opposite of what you imply. And if it was all about trying to get the most fish, I would not have voluntarily made decisions over the years of about how we were going to fish that may not be quite as effective at times, but are far easier on the fish ... thus, often I'm putting more time in to equal the success of sometimes more effective, yet higher mortality methods. A landed fish is still a landed fish , regardless of whether it swims off or you crack it in the head.

I have no hidden plans of trying to drive others out of business. Why would I? In most instances, in the timeframes I want my boat to be full, it is. I have nothing to personally gain from drving others out of biz. Most of those that wish to fish C&K for these fish wouldn't fish with me anyhow because this whole thing is "my fault" anyhow.

Many of the local guides that choose to operate C&K will have to make the change sooner or later. It's a plain and simple fact that these runs will not support the harvest pressure forever ... espeically in light of the fact that we're one of the few places left in the world where you can legally kill one of these fish. For those seeking to reatin one of these, they've shifted from rivers with no runs left to those few that still do and sooner or later, C&R fisheries will HAVE to be in place. Hopefully, it'll be sooner than later so we don't have to suffer the same lean runs that other parts of the state now face.

No one has ever said C&R is perfect. yes, there is mortality involved. How much often depends upon the angler. The state says 10% and that's probably close for an average number. It's documented though that with proper rigging and release, it can be significantly lower though too. You still must be near or above escapement though to support these fisheries. So lay off those that have chosen voluntarily to lessen their impact. Sounds to me like a guilt issue of some sort.

Regarding your last remark regarding the majority / minority issue. Let's go back two years. Wasn't over 90% of both written and oral testimony at the WDFW meetins in favor of WSR? Didn't the state's own survey show that is it was roughly 65 / 35 split in favor of WSR? If it's only 100 people, then why did nearly 500 people send in form letters from my site alone in favor of WSR?