On the eve of the Puget Sound closures I'm wondering what I'm going to do until June 1st.

Actually, I'm pissed. I'd be even more pissed if I was a straight flyguy. Why? It's the ****ing inconsistency in which the WDFW "manages" OUR precious resources. Hey, the Dec. 1 - Feb. 28 closure on natives should have been 10 years ago around here, but cancelling the C & R season?

Let's take a look at the State's policies towards native steelhead the past 9-10 years, speaking for the Snohomish, Stilly, and Skagit systems. 5 of these years they shut native harvest down early, usually Jan. 3rd. Most of signs are still up in fact. 3 other years they closed 'em down somewhere between Feb 1 and Feb 14. Only ONE year did they stupidly allow native harvest until Feb. 28, that was two or three years ago. Now here we are this year with no fishing at all.

How 'bout the Hoh, or the OP in general. Three years ago I had a guide trip booked with Herzog on the Hoh for Feb. 14. I never got to go 'cause the State shut it down early, for sportfishing that is. Two years later, they want to abolish the new 2 native fish per year rule on the Hoh and go back to allowing the caveman-like harvest of 30 natives per year. Huh?

Would the fish be better off totally undisturbed during their spawning? Unquestionably. But I also believe the run could easily support a conservative 1-2% mortality rate, just like it has in the past.

Once again, instead of providing more opportunities, they are taking them away. I really don't know how they look themselves in the mirror knowing the native steelhead policies, and their successes, in Alaska, B.C., and Oregon.

I really feel sorry for the Penn. rivers. You could walk across the boats on a Wed. last March on the Hoh. This year?

On a different note, I just took Ryan's bait and visited [Bleeeeep!]'s site for the first and last time. She appears ignorant, arrogant, but most of all very childish. I have zero respect for her, and Mr. Mansfield as well.

Jerry Garcia, thanks for helping land that native hen on Saturday. I was the "small soap dish" guy.

TK

First of all, Mr. Garcia is a great guy.

It is pretty amazing how many fishers in this state just want "OPPURTUNITY"!!

Not an oppurtunity to sit in a boat and soak worms all day but just an oppurtunity to have a chance to catch a quality fish in a quality area.

I work in a tackle shop and more and more money is going out of state and out of country. The reason the money is going out of state? Not to have a chance to bring home a big fresh fish but for oppurtunities to fish. That is all the State needs to provide us because that is what we want.

I hope this makes some degree of sense and I am sorry if I kept spelling oppurtunities wrong.

So what am I doing this weekend?? Going skiing. I dont want to spend my one day off from school and work, driving all over this State, even if fish are involved and I have no idea where the Hell my floattube is.
...and there is a hot girl waiting up at the mountain for me. And it aint [Bleeeeep!]
------------------
Ryan S. Petzold
aka
Sparkey and/or Special

[This message has been edited by RPetzold (edited 02-28-2001).]

Took the canoe out Sunday, caught an 11" cutt on a size 18 parachute adams in 39 degree water.

It's going to be a long spring.

Not too long ago I got some lure making stuff and some hot paints and a good paint brush, an Ive been working on some killer carp crankbait lures.
I figure if I can crack the carp fishin market I'll be able to afford a guided trip to Alaska pretty soon, but Ive gotta get the rigs into a hot retail store. So Ryan, how about you guys buyin a big order of carp tackle? There should be a real hot market for carp tackle, cause no-one can fish for the salmonid species, and most fishin guys' golf swings still suck, so they wont just quit fishin.
The new advertising motto will be "Save a steelhead- Eat a carp". They say it tastes like chicken. I'll use recycled plastics in the packaging and all that stuff, and will even sponsor a conservation group to stock carp into former steelhead waters for more carp fishin. Then we could get a couple of TV show producers to put some pro carp fishin shows together and proudly show the rest of the world whatwe can do up here in the Pacific NW.
Geez maybe I could make enugh dough on this carp thing I could retire to Alaska and spend my remaining days steelhead fishin.
Oh well back to my coffee cup.

Here's a new hobby for us all. Start emailing the WDFW, the governor, your state reps, anyone who has any power at all. This is bull$hit. WDFW and Mr. Locke are both going to receive a daily reminder from me about how stupid this state's management is. Unfortunatly I'll have to be somewhat respectful in my writings to be at all effective.

I second Stilly Bum. Write to anyone you can think of and maybe, just maybe, we can get an emergency opener and smart, consistent management in the future. Sounds like asking for a miracle, though, doesn't it? New hobby? I don't know, but I know I'm going to have to drink some more to take my mind off of it.