Just wondering what the legal status of catch and release is. I often read Bob's reports (as in the last one) that his clients land as many as 9 steelhead or salmon. I was under the impression that an angler may catch and release or retain until his daily limit has been obtained. I often times read about others on this page stating they hit many over there limit. It seems that it's awfully hard on the fishery to C&R that many fish knowing that the mortality is probably 10 to 30 percent depending who you talk to. I've done this many times myself especially late in the season when there are many dark fish or spawner in the system.

MMOUSE,

your statement of the law is correct. You can continue to fish until you have kept your limit of fish. That means if you do nothing but C&R, you could fish all day long, hook as many fish as you could; and as long as you did not retain any, if have not gone over the fishing limit.

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elmtree (woody)

10-30% mortality,"depending on who you talk to", huh? The gillnetter's association must have their numbers skewed. I think it's time to look for another source for your data. Seems to me that 3-7% is a more realistic, and widely accepted,estimate. You can C&R all you want, but once your limit is retained, you're done.

Fish on.....