Note from Bob Leland, state steelhead manager...looks like option 3 is a go!

*****

Hi all,
> During the last meet of the Advisory Group we had discussion
concerning
whether to have a limited wild winter steelhead harvest or an
extended
season with C&R opportunity on the Chehalis, Satsop and
Wynoochee rivers
this season. It has been decided that an extended C&R fishery
will be
approved.
>
> Draft regulations will look like (not all the correct wording
is there):
> - Chehalis River; April 16-30, 2003 mouth to Weyerhauser
bridge, WSR
>
> - Satsop River & East Fork; April 1-15, 2003, mouth to bridge
at Schafer
State Park, WSR
>
> - Wynoochee Rv.; April 1-15, mouth to 7400 Line Bridge, WSR
>
> Any questions or comments please call Bob G. (360-902-2329) or
me.
>
> Thanks!
> bl
> ***********************************************************
>
>
> Bob Leland
> Steelhead Program Manager
> Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
> 600 Capitol Way North
> Olympia, WA 98501
> lelanrfl@dfw.wa.gov
> 360-902-2817
>
>
>
***

Good news!

Fish on...

Todd

Very nice Todd. Thanks for the "heads-up"!

Should have put this in the first post...but here it is anyway!

Thanks to everyone who called, emailed, or wrote to our steelhead managers to support this option.

While I think it is vitally important to provide public input, I also think it is vitally important to follow up after the decision with input.

Now's the time to send a note to the decision makers and thank them for making a responsible decision.

How many of us have worked in the public sector where the only feedback from the public is complaints...we, and our bosses, never hear the public when we do a good job.

Thanks, again, everyone for the support of option 3.

Fish on...

Todd.

this will give the tribe more netting time

Todd,

Done.

I appreciate your suggestion to email Bob and thank the WDFW.

Let's make sure we all pratice good C&R procedures while engaging in this opportunity here is some helpful info-

From Ministry of Oceans & Fisheries- Canada:
Catch and Release Tips - Sport Fishing
Practicing good catch and release techniques begins before you catch the fish and doesn't end until after you set it free and it swims away.

Before you catch the fish:
• Use appropriate tackle, not too light, so you can play your fish quickly.
• Use barbless hooks – not only is it easier to remove from the fish, it's the law!
• Avoid using stainless hooks, they won't disintegrate when stuck in a fish like the others.
• Keep alert when angling to keep from deep hooking.
While you're catching the fish:
• Play the fish as quickly as you can so you don't tire it out.
• Assess the fish: size, condition (i.e. where it's been hooked), and species while it's still in the water. A fish sling made out of meter sticks and some cloth can measure the fish while it's still in the water!
While releasing the fish:
• Keep the fish in water. A fish needs water to breathe, and water supports the weight of the fish.
• Handle the fish as little as possible, protect the slime! Removing even a little bit of the protective slime layer of a fish leaves the fish open to fungus infection. Wetted, bare hands are best, and wetted cotton gloves are preferred over wetted wool gloves.
• Use soft, knotless nets or no net at all—try using a fish sling.
• Unhook the fish using a pair of long nosed pliers. If the fish is deeply hooked, or you can't remove the hook, cut the line as close to the hook as you can.
• Don't squeeze the fish, as you will causeinternal organ damage.
• Don't handle a fish by the gills or theeyes, this will kill them.
• Try to release your fish in a quiet patch of water so it can swim into the current again when it's ready.
• If your fish does not immediately swim away, revive it by holding it correctly oriented, facing upstream. Move it forwards and back to keep water running through its gills. Be patient, this may take a bit of time. When the fish begins to struggle, let it swim away.
Factors affecting fish survival (if it seems unlikely that your fish will live, consider keeping it if it is a legal fish):
• Where it has been hooked – hooks piercing the eye, gill, or brain area usually results in the death of a fish.
• A fish with bleeding gills is unlikely to survive.
• If there is a large temperature difference between where the fish was hooked and the surface water temperature, this increases the amount of stress the fish is subjected to.
• When some non-salmonids are caught in deep water, the pressure difference between the surface and that where it was caught will inflate the swim bladder to the point where it will push the fish's stomach out its mouth. There is little chance of these fish surviving after release.

SS,

I'm not sure why you'd say that...if you know something I don't, please fill me in.

Fish on...

Todd.

Good CNR reminder! I am just trying to understand which is the best and I know I am being picky I thought the most recent advice was not to rock them like that or keep them in a little current w/o moving them. May be Canadian fish are different