Anyone see the picture in the front of the sports page of the peninsula Daily News here in PA? The editor/publisher of the paper holding a 24lb native steelhead, freshly gutted.... I imagine that he will be getting a few emails! Theres a good one out of the gene pool!

I saw a dead 24lbs gutted wild fish on another website People need to get a clue and knock that stuff off.

Tell them about it: letters@peninsuladailynews.com

Have to agree ... Been working on my WDFW since I got home from river checks, but I'll be sending a letter in, and quite honestly am thinking very seriuosly about canceling my subscription because of it (next chore is to see if I can get a Seattle paper in here).

I almost could have swallowed it if I knew that the fish was going on the wall (no excuses nowadays though), but seeing the cut up the belly told me that wasn't where it was headed.

Do I need to mention the 30lb'er gillnetted on the Quilluete 2 weeks ago?

-N.

Hey guys as far as keeping the wild fish, here it goes. I personally would prefer it to go catch and release. I even sent a letter stating that fact. But in the mean time if they want to keep a fish, it is there choice. I always try to talk them into letting them go and tell them how it would help the runs if they did so. I let them know I am in this for my livelihood and would like the fish to be here 30 years from now. Yes Bob I agree with you on the going on the wall as well, that is where I thought it was going as well. Granted Bob you are totally catch and release. That is why when I know I have fishermen that want to kill fish I take them to catch and release areas so that they cant. After that they are true beleivers. Just like I said the other day when I caught that poacher on the upper Hoh, I dont have a problem with people killing fish in the areas where you can. It just pisses me off when they kill them or use bait in the areas that are designated catch and release and no bait. I personally will not keep a wild steelhead. Everyone is a different person and everyone feels different about this and so be it. My boat ratio is 99% catch and release. Far more than most other guides in the area. That is the first native fish that I have not talked someone out of killing in the last two seasons. Yes I wish that it would have swam off just like so many others, but it didn't. It was there choice!

Choice or not its wrong... First off, its tacky to put your own picture in your own paper you publish/edit. Talk about patting yourself on the back. secondly, He has to know there is controversy over it whether its legal or not. ANY common sense would tell him it would offend quite a few people. I know it'll be brought up at our next fly club meeting here in PA. I agree with Bob, time to cancel. I dont want to write a letter, because thats what they want. Then they publish it and stir the @#$% to get people reading and writing. I'll just email. Poor taste keeping and showing the native steelhead you killed, cancel my subscription.

The cancelled subscriptions don't hurt them as much as the companies who cancel the advertisements they have been running in that paper.

I don't know Pat Graham but it seems like that he is a guide in Forks area. I think we should give him a break. He explained the situation and above all it was also legal. We can not be above the law. Next time you may run into someone who doesn't like what you or others are doing (for example hunting and firearms comes in mind) and they want to impose themselves on you. There were bunch of PETA people opposing hunting and interfering with hunters in Duvall area just a couple months ago. Now hunting is legal and just because someone doesn't like it, doesn't mean we all have to stop hunting. Bottom line we have laws and if someone is legal don't bother them. Change the law if you don't like it. My post has nothing to do with native CNR and if I agree or disagree with it. It has to do with what is right.

you got it right UFC...legal is legal...

Legal isn't the issue here. Its perfectly legal for me to kill deer and drive them around the mall parking lot strapped to the front of my rig, but I dont do it because its offensive to some. Were talking about the publisher/editor of the local paper in Port Angeles. He is either clueless that its offensive, or he just doesn't care. We all can read the regulations and are aware it legal. Nobody is trashing the guide either. He didn't tell the guy to print the picture in his paper. We all know that some natives are killed. We dont have to like it, and it is certainly more tolerable if its not a half page picture on the front page of the sports section.

I get sick inside and think it is selfish to kill a wild steelhead. I have killed some wild salmon but even have a hard time with that. As far as an individual killing a wild steelhead, it is there right but I wont respect there decision.

The sad thing is this even if it went to total CnR of wild steelhead 50% of the people that kill them now would kill them anyways as they have no respect for the fish or the law.

are you saying they should be "politically correct" and airbrush off a fin??

would that make it ok as long as no ones feeling were hurt???