No Iron Head that's not what it boils down to. I don't care how many fish you caught if they weren't caught legally. Otherwise if you're outfishing me I don't get mad I get interested.

Would you shoot a deer with a spotlight while its eating apples from you apple trees? Hmmm, why not? Because it isn't legal? Or you just know that it isn't right? Some poeple were born with a conscience. Some weren't. I know where some of you stand, and you know where I'm at.

Glow

Well said IH.......

If you can't floss with a 3-4' leader, you don't need to floss at all. Sockeye excepted of course.

Glowball,
First I would like to tell you that I consider you a very respectable member here. I have seen you gave out reports and advices for both fishing and hunting. Thanks for being a true sportsman.

But I have to disagree with you on your last post.
1. Hooking and/or retaining fish being hooked in the mouth is LEGAL.
2. Snagging to retain fish being hooked in a region other than the mouth, eyess, or gills is ILLEGAL.

Yes, I would shoot a legal deer eating apples from a tree if he is a trophy or I really need the meat.

No, I would not use the spot light because it would be ILLEGAL to hunt those hours.

Glowball, please show me and everyone here specifically where the law dictates against flossing fish and retaining fish hooked in the mouth.

As for your hunting scenario, page 15 "State of Washington Big Game Hunting Seasons and Rules 2003."
1. "Hunging with artifical lights
Hunting big game with the aid of an artificial light or spotlights is prohibited."

This one is for the dumbass above.
Page 15 "State of Washington Big Game Hunting Seasons and Rules 2003."
3. "Using aircraft
Using aircraft to spot, locate, or report the location of wildlife for the purpose of hunting, or hunting big fame on the same day you are airborne, except for a regularly scheduled commercial flight, is prohibited."

Guys, the laws are already here for all of us.
Please know them and interpret them properly.
If you're confused, them just call the department or post a question on this board.
But please stop making more rules and laws; it is getting more confusing already.

For those who don't know.
Flossing is not easy.
Although they think that they are flossing, not too many guys are affective with this method.

Big hooks and big corkies is the wrong setup.
That's all I can say to prevent a burning cross on my front yard tonight.

if you cannot see the fish in the river, then why is it considered flossing? i fished the puyallup with a 2 ft leader. was i flossing? i understand that if you are looking at the fish and "LINE" them then you have a flossing problem. anyways, lets just shut up and fish.

Those of you who dont floss, how often have you caught a fish when its hooked on the outside of the mouth?!?!?! IH brings up some very valid points, but it all boils down to what you believe in. As long as people are not going over thier limits and staying to the rule book, I have not problem with it.

So lets stop debating this and go floss...uh..i mean catch....uh snag..........

It seems to me, you fish water and you speak out on a Board. What better place is there to discuss issues like this than on a forum such as this? Thank you Bob.
Surely it is appropriate and potentially very beneficial to others to be able to openly discuss such topics relating to the ethics of sportsfishing. Does this not concern the appreciation, welfare and future of the passion and sport we all enjoy? Is it not obvious from the many opinions we've heard on this topic that this is an issue that has importance and relevance to us as sportsfishermen? Perhaps it should come as no surprise that many who are uncomfortable or uneasy about discussing ethics do not want to examine their own. And yet, this is the very thing that we as concerned sportfishermen should do, in addition to encouraging others to do the same. In fact this should not be just a one time thing; we would do well to examine ourselves each time we strap on a vest or launch a boat if we want more out of a fishing experience than just a fish. (I did get a chuckle when someone referred to ethics as “liberal” thinking.)

Flossing might be one of those "grey areas" for some and maybe even for the authorities, but the individual knows his heart and what he’s doing.
If you want an answer to the question, "was I flossing?”, try asking yourself. What's really pitiful though is when others can see clearly what the "snosser" is up to and he can't. At that point he just simply doesn’t care (not about the fish or anybody else for that matter) and furthermore he has no self-respect.

Egg, maybe you’re just trying to help in your own way but too often it seems that those who would have us “shut up and go fish" are not asking us to join with them but rather asking us to go away and leave them alone. When they say “go fish”, it usually means anywhere but where they are fishing. And if on the off chance someone should accidentally get lucky and start catching some fish, they’re usually the first to complain about the lack of info on the board. But when there is a post, they’ll holler because it isn’t in code that only they can understand (wouldn’t want anyone else to spoil it). And when it comes sharing information, having an opinion or trying help others in some way to become a better and more successful fisherman, they’ll say, “heck let em’ figure it out for themselves like I had to”. Surely you’ve got more to offer than “just shut up and fish”.

Flossing = Snagging = Can't Catch A Fish Using a Real Method.

There are techniques such as spoon fishing, bobber fishing, plugging, and of course drift fishing. These are TECHNIQUES, or in other words, different "arts" of fishing.

However, I have yet to find some good guidance on how to properly "floss" a fish. I guess the closest reference would be in a drift fishing guide, but hmmmm....I can't seem to find anything about the great technique of flossing?????

The only real cure to the flossing is to limit the length of one's leader. Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't some states have maximum leader length regulations. Even with that in place, a great deal of the fish you catch (long leader or not) will be flossed. This is especially true if you employ the good ol' corky/yarn technique. We had a great discussion on this topic on another BB.
Additionally, isn't this like the 500th time we've had this discussion. For some reason flossing generates more interest than any other issue.

One thing I dont get is why is everybody so worried about what others are doing,catching or not catching, flossing or snagging. These post always seem to go the distancewhile fishing report post are lucky to make ten.

When I go fishing I am out to enjoy myself and the outdoors. I dont get why some of you guys even bother going out the door!

Arent you miserable worrying about what other people are doing all the time or is it that you get off on putting people down about the way they fish cause you dont have the balls to or the know how to hook that many fish .

when I do happen to fish near others (which is rarely) the topic of coversation is 90% negatiive. They can have fifty thousand chums at there feet and still whine about the indians or the commercials, or snaggers, or flossers, or flyfishermen, or gear fishermen.

I could hook fifty fish and only have one person ask what I am using, is that because people would rather speculate that I am snagging or flossing?

Do I think before I fish no I just do it. If I thought each time I went out if what I was doing was ethical I would join peta and fight to stop fishing period!

Fishing originated because people needed to eat. Now some people still happen to eat fish,Imagine that! some people that cant go out and catch fish every day are going to do what ever it takes to get there salmon dinner poor or not. There not going to fish for a week and get skunked then head to safeway. to each is own.

People whos think there there idea of ethics should be followed by everybody are liberals and rank right up there with hitler.

Obey the limits and fish how you like to fish! ENJOY YOURSELF!!!!!!

As you can tell I am kinda pissed at do gooders right now.

As I understand it, it's legal to keep a fish that has been hooked outside the mouth but forward of the gill plates, but the act of flossing intentionally (which is pretty much obvious when someone is using a 10 foot leader) is illegal, just as any other method that entails hooking outside the mouth intentionally.

So, intentionally flossing (the act) is illegal, and if you're doing it on purpose you're breaking the law and having someone complain about it shouldn't surprise you.

That being said, why can't we get some political posts going? This is all getting to controversial for me.

Why don't we all just get back to work? Just imagine the results if we directed all of this passion towards something really important like our jobs or family.

Honey? Is that you?


Wow, Roundball. Good shot. Got me right between the eyes.
Ok, it's back to work.

Micro,
I love you man for standing up to reasoning.
I am done with talking to people who are irrational and unreasonable.

I don't care for this crap anymore.
I'm giving them my 10-12 ft leader dental plan either if they bite or don't bite. Either way my hook is going to burry deep on the lip. Legal fish for my family and my friends thats the bottom line.

Sorry for the dumb ass thing, I was out of line.

Aren't YOU the guy who said salmon and steelhead don't bite bait?

You got a LOT to learn.............

Dan,
I am not going any further with this thing, but I will help you get into the discussion.

Please read the post again.
The word MAJORITY is in the sentence within the context of salmon and steelhead returning to the river to spawn.
Since we are all seasoned fisherman, I assumed that we have the knowledge to leave out the springers and the long distance migratory steelhead of the Clear Water, the Grande Ronde, the Snake, etc... as well as those few random fish that hit bait/lures by instinct or chance.

Remember the Barrier Dam pool?
Hundreds of fish yet only a small percentage of them are interested in bait and lures.

Jesus Christ, Dan.
Learn to read and interpret the post before you attempt to teach and to preach.

There you go, getting me all mad again.

I guess it really doesn't matter that much to me. We're all allowed a certain number of fish every day, and if they are all getting consumed then what the heck. The only time it gets to me is when people brag up how great they are when they don't even know how bad they really suck. It shouldn't faze me but it does.

An ol timer keeps telling me all the time that we better all stick together or we're gonna lose it all eventually. The older I get the more it makes sense.

My apologies Iron Head. Hopefully we'll meet up on the river someday.

Glow

Being a semi amatuer at steelheading I now understand why those guys at Blue Creek with the 5-6 foot leaders were having such "luck". Great discussion! I still say chums bite at corkies.

Kegged up stale fish don't bite anything very well. Fish for fresh fish and it's not a problem.

Quit hurling insults and you'll have some ground to stand on. I saw the word "majority". I still say you're wrong.