It's kinda funny, or sad, that we even have to discuss a rule like this. Shouldn't it be a little easier to figure out?

Man, I can see people showing the reg pamphlet to a judge so he can see if he can figure them out without a lawyer present.

"Only unmarked hatchery fish missing their left ventral fin with an intact adipose may be retained using seletive gear and with a non-buoyant lure restriction, on the west fork of the wahddyacallit river. Limit 6, but only two adults......but you can debate with your fellow anglers if you want to stop after your adults are retained or keep fishing for jacks (and culling the adults while you do)until you get all six.

No snagging, except you guys with REALLY long leaders. Lure must be kept moving......this will allow you to set the hook 6 or 12 times per cast........so yes, plunking is illegal. All you handicappers figure out some other way to fish.......we gotta go to a meeting right now to give your fish away to the commercials.

Be prepared for emergency closures......you must check the website for them. If you are old and/or computer illiterate, too damn bad. The website will tell you which rivers we've closed because we let the commercials net the he!! out of what was supposed to be a good run.......but it wasn't so yep, it's YOu who's gonna get hosed. We regret that you purchased license/punchcard/gear for a season we closed.........but be sure to give us your money again next year and we'll be glad to try doing the same thing to you next season.

Thank you for your support of WDFW. We look forward to screwing, err serving you again in the future."

Do you think it's a coincidence that I have my copy of the regs sitting in next to the sh!tter?

I think you just well sumed it up Dan.

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="verdana,arial,helv">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helv">Originally posted by Plunker:
<strong> Chum Man,

You are correct of course, but you must remember that the rules are...

Written by Lawyers!

Lawyers who probably are a product of our
public school system.

Curtis

I have wondered in the past how many people have been scared away from a potential hobby by our fishing regulation?

I will always remember a guy I met several summers ago out fishing locally for searun cutthroat.He was retired from Hawaii,and had fallen in love with hiking the beaches casting for sea runs.He was genuinly exited.

Then one summer day the gamie came to do their thing with the clamdiggers on one of those summer extreme lows.My friend also happened to be out enjoying his retirement and there paths crossed.I was across the narrows riding my mountain bike just watching the game warden.From afar I could tell that my fishing buddy was getting upset with the game warden as the gamie was shuffling him towards his rig.I raced throught he colleage across the bridge to the park just in time to see the gamie drive off and my friend standing there with a broken pole and a dumfounded look on his face.

Turns out that somewhere in the regs there is a rule that to fish for searun cuttys in the salt you must have on your possecion both fresh and saltwater liscence and my friend only had the salt.Yay he got a ticket and I havent seen him since.


It has been awile but this rule was to seperate sentances on two differant pages in the booklet.

It seems everytime the wdfw mismanges to the side of the comercial then the sporty gets a new batch of "rules"

Just got home from the Carbon river brought home a chrome bright humpy! As i was fishing two gentlemen were down river from me the one gentlemen brought in a nice size king caught legally a couple of cast later he snaggs one in the back and has the nerve to proceed to beat it over the head with a rock as though he hooked it in the mouth. that really pissed me off! considering the amount of fish in the Puyallup and the Carbon there's no call for that type of slaying!!!!

Silver,
If you're gonna get that pissed over that you may as well not fish down there anymore. The majority of the kings in that river go home that way.

Thanks for pointing out the language for me -- I knew it was there somewhere! I wasn't questioning anybody -- just wondering if I was, in fact, blind. I am.

Here's another question/complaint about the regs: they use terms that are undefined. They use the term "wild salmon" but that term is not defined in the regs. "Salmon" is defined, hatchery fish is defined, "Wild Chinook and Coho" is defined, but not "wild salmon." This is very, very sloppy drafting.

Also, under the special rules for many rivers, it explicitly says you can keep hatchery fish. This is toally unnecessary because according to page 20, the only fish you can keep are hatchery fish, unless specificlally stated otherwise. Some special rules state that you have to release wild fish -- again, unnecessary. All this does is create confusion.

I took a tax law class in law school, and the tax code is easier to understand than our sport fishing regulations!

>>. It drives me crazy the last 3 times I've fished it I have told myself that I wouldn't come back. [/QB][/QUOTE]
I know the feeling, that's why I quit going To the puy. , it makes me sick seeing guys kicking fish and being stupid. One guy literally threw his fish over his shoulder into the rocks, letting it thrash around for ten minutes.. I don't know why these guys even bother.

I sent an email to WDFW to clarify this issue. In summary they said that you have to release wild steelhead unless the river rules specifacally state you can keep them.

However, for salmon, if the river is open for salmon fishing you can keep wild salmon unless the river rules specifically state you can't.

Here is my question and their response:

I'm a little confused as to the regs.

On page 20 it says:

Wild STEELHEAD, DOLLY VARDEN/BULL TROUT, and SALMON may only be kept where
specifically authorized in the Special Rules.

On page 21 it says:

Release of wild STEELHEAD and Dolly Varden/Bull Trout is required year-round
in freshwater areas, unless specifically exempted in the Special Rules.

Notice page 21 omits SALMON.

In past years you could keep wild coho & pinks on the Skykomish & Snohomish,
however looking at the special regs there it doesn't specifically say you
can keep wild salmon. So should I go by page 20 or page 21?

Thanks

---------------

Thank you for your e-mail correspondence to the Washington Department of
Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Fish Program.

On page 20, the word Wild refers to Steelhead only, not any of the other
species listed. We are considering how to re-word this for next year so
there is no confusion. It's been suggested that perhaps if we were to state
it as : "DOLLY VARDEN/BULL TROUT, SALMON, and Wild STEELHEAD, may only be
kept where specifically authorized in the Special Rules", it may be clearer,
we will be looking into the best option. Release of Wild Steelhead is a
very important message to get across, hence the reasoning for putting it
first to get better attention. Therefore, you will want to look in the
Additional Rules column for the body of water you are fishing to see if it
states Wild (species Coho, Chinook, Steelhead) release. During an open
season, if it does not say to release a species such as "release wild coho"
or "release wild adult chinook" etc. for example, then you are allowed to
retain them, such as Pinks on the Skykomish can be kept.

If you have further questions, please email again or call (360) 902-2700.
Our Customer Service hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through
Friday.

Sincerely,
Fish Program

So, since I went to Gonzaga law school, does that make me somehow inherently better than those fine attorneys who went to U of W, as I am not a product of the public school system? Not that I'm arguing. . . .

Dan S...right on the money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Having relocated here from Kansas I was completely SHOCKED at the complexity and incredibly confusing regulations.

Look at Oregon if you want an example of relatively easy to interpret tules ...oh yeah and follow

Dan S. great post

What difference does it really make if the fish is wild or hatchery born??

WDFW needs to make it easier to understand and less incriminating for someone who just wants to go fishing.

If they want to save some fish get the commercials' and tribes' net out of the water!!

And the raping continues on the green now. Lots of fish for everyone but you always have the desparate ones that keep snagged fish and have to keep more than their limit.

Single point only unless it floats. And leave the buzzbombs at home.

Fresh eggs under a float has been kickin' butt though.

All I know is I have been fishing the Lower Puyallup for over 15 years. It was always one of my favorite rivers to fish, as the first kings always showed up in late july and I was usually able to have fresh bright Chinook in the freezer by then. Then the Silvers came. Then a couple of years ago Not only did the state block off the access to the lower levee road due to illegal dumping, they closed the season until aug 1st. Up until then My favorite hole on the lower was something I looked forwards to every year. I was always alone or maybe three or four other fishermen at the most on the weekends .
Two years ago crowds started to show up as did the snag fest. People were keeping foul hooked fish and way over the limit. It was way out of hand and I called the Game department to tell them what was going on. Of course they said they would be right down but nothing seemed to change.
This year was the worst I have ever seen in my life. Not only were people keeping foul hooked fish, I heard first hand of people taking home upward of 30 fish in a day.
A friend of mine foul hooked a fish and when trying to release it was harrassed by someone who wanted the fish. and actually ridiculed for letting go a bright fish giving no regard to the fact that it was an illegal fish and foul hooked.
Driving to work just three days ago I went down levee road to see what was going on and saw a plunker with three rods out and down the road two plunkers with four rods out. If you Can't follow the rules people DON'T FISH
Ramp Rat

If you are going to keep Snagged fish (You) better not fish Anymore We are watching!!
Ramprat