OK I was doing some reading on these but cannot find out why they faded into history. They appear to be an excellent choice for weeding out or releasing an undesired species.

Plus if you are a commercial fisherman you do not have to have the expense of a boat and all the nets.

Whats up?

Still doesn't make sense to me. The fish wheels only get the fish in the river that the nets missed in the ocean. Unless the gill-netters were tired of competition at the market.

If I had to make my living commercial fishing today I would think it would be much more profitable using a fish wheel then buying a boat and all those nets. I am forgoing the license cost because I would assume this would also be applied to the guys running a fish wheel.

Not only that it is so much more fish friendly. One would not have to fight many of these different environmental groups because you could release any fish not within the guidelines unharmed and almost untouched.

I mean almost everyone hates the nets but if they implemented these fish wheels again I cannot see any problems that may occur.

Interesting I did not realize it was that bad back then.

I think I will make a small one and see if my gold fish can make it through

I am with lead thrower on this one. I thnk the fish wheels need to be replaced by the nets. They cold then selective harvest fish! I wathced a show on sone rivers in Main that had the fish wheel in place to so studies on their Atlantic salmon. They were catching the fish as they migrated back to the ocean. They would catch teh smolts take samples of them and thenlet them go unharmed. Seems like it would work the other way also?? So mabe somone needs to do some scintific reasearch to prove that they would be the better option for rivers. That may help get the laws changed??
Buck

I'm with Ya here too LT. There are probably a number of methods the commercials could use to selectively fish and do so more effectively and economically. Fish wheels, traps, purse seine. I think it was Salmo g. who mentioned, why not have the fish ladders on the dams lead to sorting ponds where the fish are selectively harvested, great idea!

Unfortunately I think the commercials and tribes would balk at this. Too unmanly, they need the wind in their hair as they race in their boats loaded with nets to their secret "honey holes". You know, heritage. It would also take the competition out of commercial harvest, like OK guys line up and here's your share, too much like welfare, which I'm sure some would argue commercial fishing all ready is.

The thing I hate about any net no matter who is running it is they all appear to cheat. What I mean is are they really going to be releasing the ESA fish. Although I guess the same could be done with a fish wheel.

There has been some serious talk by WA fish managers about trying to reestablish fish wheels as a way to selectivly harvest hatchery fish. Commercials have balked at the idea because funneling the fish into a trap will also funnel seals to the fish. I personnaly feel though too, that if they are running a fish wheel or something that the chance to sneak a few unclipped fish is lost because of observers and such. Fish ladders at dams are a great idea too for selective fisheries, could even do that in Ballard, then the number of fish caught by tribes would not be a question.

NEN