First of all..Peace to all....second great discussion.

What to do with a bleeding nate is part of a larger single issue facing any fisherman/hunter.
You are faced with one of the greatest moral dilemna's of your sport. You didn't intend or want this result but now your stuck with it....what to do?

If legal to keep the fish then the choice may be easier...but if closed to nate killing then your decision needs to take into account a fine(in WA) up to $500, possible confiscication of your gear and yes even boats and vehicles. Then wording in the WA reg's using "should"is intended to encourage keeping a bleeding fish if "legal to do so." I think that's pretty clear....wasting fish would only apply if you actually bonked the fish. If you release a bleeder even where legal to keep you would not be in violation....that law is intended for people who actually kill fish then waste it by leaving it on the bank. You see this a lot where high grading occurs.

Personally I would have a difficult time judging a persons moral choice of what to do with the bleeding nate. Myself I'd release it as I know that it would at the very least contribute to the ecosystem. Probably stop fishing for the day to reflect on my actions also.

Just my notions...again peace and congrats on a great discussion.

Gooose

Here's a question for all of you.. How many of you have actually seen a healthy dead steelhead in the river? I know I've put thousands and thousands of hours on the river and released more fish than most will hook in a lifetime and on very few occasions have I seen a dead steelhead in a river that's colder than 52 degrees. So if it's true that a gill hooked fish will die then where are they and how come you don't see them dead in the river system?

Here's a classic example. James and I were fishing the EF last year and he landed a 6 pound chrome bright native that was bleeding bad, literally a plume with every breath . So we worked with her and she was having a real tough time, and kept rolling over. While james was working her I noticed a small side pool that was blocked off from the river and told james to put her in there. Well he worked with her in there for about 3 more minutes and she slowly swam off into the blocked off pool. We proceeded to fish downriver about another 2 hours. When we got back, guess what, a fish that had bled more than a head cut on a human was fully active and ripping around the little pool. We proceeded to unblock the side pool and she swam back out into the river unharmed.. All the bleeding had stopped and she seemed to be in perfect condition.
Explain that one!!
Keith

1 thing to consider though steelheader1, that fish probably wasn't fighting much current, I would have to think that fish might bleed out if it had to fight the current, there aren't always pools like you mentioned to revive a fish in.

I gotta agree with Keith. In all the hours I've spent on the rivers, and I've spent many, I have seen VERY few dead steelhead. That's not to say it doesn't occur and the carcasses just aren't around for long, but it sure as hell isn't happening as regularly as some people claim.

AKKings,
Your correct about it not having much current to fight, but there is lots of slow water in any river whether it's the shoreline or tailouts... And another thing, moving water has more oxygen than slack or dead water, and if anything more oxygen will help these fish revive themselves.

Where you have the real problem with mortality rate is in warmer water, water that is 58-60+ degrees. That's when I beleive these "bleeders and extremely worn out fish" die, and even then I've still seen very, very few on the river dead...

Or how about this, how many fish have you caught with serious sea lion bite marks. I've banked fish that you could literally see there guts hanging out through a 2-3" cut across their belly, one's that had about a 1/4 or there tail left after it being bit off by a sea lion. Or have you ever been up to a falls that steelhead are trying to jump and watch them go airborne about 5-6 ft right into a rock wall head first. Give's you a little more respect for these fish, they're tougher than you think...
Keith

[ 12-27-2001: Message edited by: stlhdr1 ]