Obsessed,

I would like to see a move towards all catch and release. I am just stating a fear. A fear that when we give up our harvest opportunities(whether one chooses to harvest or not) that the tribes will step up their harvest campaign. The WDFW may say otherwise, but what power do they ultimately have, none. The hoh tribe a few years back were advised not to harvest the spring chinook run on the hoh. The run was deemed unharvestable as numbers were under escapement. Sportsmen were not given a season, but did the tribe stop netting. No. and what did the WDFW do, Nothing. The tribes have their own biologists, and most importantly Lawyers, and will act on a unharvested resource. I hope I am wrong, but I have seen nothing to indicate otherwise.

I agree that more fish for escapement, would be intuitively better for a system. Fish spawning in all areas, resulting in a better survival for redds during flooding or other adverse condition. Also the genetic diversity would be greater resulting in smolts that some will hopefully have the traits to survive the constant evolving ecosystem.

The tribes are going to argue against the increased escapement, resulting from our utilization(opportunities, or whatever you want to call it) being excercised in catch and release. To them the fish are nothing but a crop to be harvested.

The game must change. If you have been fishing around this state for 20 years or more, you know that the runs on almost all our rivers have declined for wild steelhead. Ask anyone to compare the wild runs today compared to 20 years ago, or 30 years ago. Almost zero return of december wild fish now on the Sky, Stilly, Skagit etc., etc. Dont be afraid of catch and release, it will work.
I would like to see it implemented on say the Sky and stilly year round, and then in 4 or 5 years those rivers would be a show case for the state.
Just think of how well it works in B.C.

I don't know if I should dish this out or not but my thoughts lately go this way. C&R is a gratifying religion but alot of people preaching it are up in the spawner waters beating them to death!!! I think more areas that are known spawning grounds should be closed totally let our fish do their thing without being harrassed after all boots vrs. chromers take the later I personnelly try to avoid upper rivers and have not had any problem findng bitters and feel more justified in my pursuit for steelhead,PEACE

Skyrise,

I've been fishing over 30 years, and can report that 20 and more years ago wild steelhead in December were already at insignificant numbers, the OP being a possible exception. Nothing in this regard has changed in that time. Early returning native steelhead are harvested at a high rate. No fishing or wild steelhead release would change that. Even so, wild steelhead release won't make those rivers a showcase in 4 or 5 years. Sorry; it just ain't that simple. But the steelhead population structure and diversity would improve.

Fastwater,

Steelhead don't spawn just in upper rivers. Spawning occurs from the first clean riffles above tidewater to the uppermost mainstems and tributaries that the fish can penetrate. As long as anglers fish holding water and not near or over fish on redds, there is little indication of harm from C&R steelhead fisheries, allowing of course for incidental hooking and handling mortality. Wild C&R fisheries are the healthiest steelhead populations in the Puget Sound region.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

The native americans have a ton of money at stake in the "utilization and harvesting" of steelhead (heavy on the harvesting). The average sport angler does not. The nets won't be coming out unless they are required by law or the fish are wiped out. The fact that many anglers would impose statewide C&R of wild fish on themselves lends them greater credibility. This higher ground would be very helpful when you make your case against the native americans. Ten years from now it will seem a small sacrafice considering what is at stake.

Salmo g., I was talking about the how the runs would improve for the entire season not just December. And youre right I am proably being too optomistic on how long it might take to see a real improvement, but then if we never get started it will never happen.
My memory is a little fuzzy but I think there was a pretty good catch of wild fish back in the 70s, at least on the Sky and Stilly. Compared to the OP though the Sound rivers are well behind. thanks.

Snapper,
I think you're right about the reason for moving to statewide C&R. The issue of hypocrisy is highly important. I don't believe we (meaning the state's sportfishers) can justifiably condemn tribal "harvest" (don't you hate that euphemistic word?) as long as we are killing fish as well. Going to C&R will justify that condemnation. Also, the hypocrisy goes further than that. All sportsfishers who feel justified and holier-than-thou for releasing their natives are in fact hypocrites if they fail to present their views in the policy-making process. As it is, all sportsfishers are guilty because "we," as a group, kill our share of fish. Our efforts should begin with amending this fact and enforcing total C&R. Then we can deal with the tribes.