Sparkey:

That same article also ran in my local paper yesterday... the local rumblings in Forks don't sound very good. I sure hope the commissioners don't cave and do a reversal on this one.

I like the dude from Sequim that thinks the Hoh is "his".

What a...ahem...misguided individual.

"Tribal officials are worried about the ban as well, in part because they think it might increase resentment among nontribal fishermen who can't keep fish even as Indian-caught wild-steelhead fillets rest on ice in upscale Seattle groceries. :

Now why would nontribal fishermen be upset at that?



MB

"With the tribes still netting the river, you're cutting off your little toe because your arm hurts," Gooding said."


hmmmmm I think he is on to something.

Likley well in excess of 150+ dead ones over the week-end on the Hoh this week-end from the sporties GP ... that's more like your hand.

Impact as a group adds up.

Wild steelhead release has been a way of life for the rest of this state for many years. When the regulations changed to WSR in Region 5 (S.W. Washington) local fishers took it in stride. We are finally starting to see better numbers of wild fish returning.

That was Bob Gooding's quote.....If 150 steelhead were caught and kept on the HOh were they all wild? How do you know the exact count? If you know the count for sport then how many wild steelhead were killed in the nets on the Hoh?

Remember that I am for WSR so don't confuse what I say as being against it. It just seems like many folks look at it as the end all solution as if we are done....as if WSR is recovering wild steelhead.

I know it was Bob's quote. No one will know exact count. Just a guesstimate from reported boat traffic and fishing success plus bankies and plunkers and poached fish based on reports from a number of sources that were there and saw the bloodbath. One guide thast has been opposed to the C&R regs said that after this week-end, his mind was changed from what he saw.

Hardly the end-all ... but a chance to stop the bleeding on a river that has seen some very lean years lately. C&R mortality will would just barely allow it meet escapement ... no justification for kill fishery.

Time to start on the harder things

Mel Moon, the tribe's director of natural resources, also worries that the ban might result in too many fish returning to spawn.

"Every system has a carrying capacity," Moon said. "How many fish can you put in the system before there's crowding? There's only so many places where the ideal conditions exist for spawning."

Answer: we can put a lot more fish on the beds than there is currently

What a lame argument, when was the last time you saw too many wild steelhead? Gee last time I floated the duc we had to drag the boat over all those fish just to get down the river, dam fish were tearing up the river... .
Even if this was true the carcasses would help replenish the system and the fish would take care of themselves.
Mel moon, you ought to get into the library and read up a bit...ignorance is no excuse :rolleyes:

Too many wild fish?

Yeah that's a good one. Kinda like too many hot chicks, or too many free drinks, too many Loomis rods, too many eggs, too many hummers.............

That dude's been smoking something.

Or even more of a stretch is too many hot chics fishin' with too many Loomis rods passing out too many free drinks and hummers.

Bob, do you think that this "blood bath" has been brought on because of the big push by WSC to close down the take fishery? Maybe they are doing more harm then good by trying to make up the minds of other fishers for them. If this moratorium is rescinded or reversed through litigation, will it bring even more of the kind of fishermen who want to harvest his catch to the local areas? What's your opinion?

So what was the score when it was all said and done? Was there more business generated from those kill fishery guys, or was there more business generated from the c&r fishermen? Which user group left the most money locally?

If there was 150 wild fish taken, it sure would appear that WSR isn't as popular has many may think that it is. Maybe that's why Forks is taking the position that they have.

That many wild fish being taken almost sounds like the people were sending a message to someone. It's really to bad that all of those wild fish had to be the ones who carried the "message" if that was the case.


Cowlitzfisherman

"Area merchants wonder whether fishermen will stay away if they can't take home a trophy."

Sportsmen won't stay away. Like many steelheaders, I prefer CNR areas.

"Indian tribes worry the ban will worsen resentment of their tribal fishing rights."

Resentment is at or near a saturated level...could it really get worse?

Its like this CF, the milkshake (wild fish kill) is running out therefore everyone is pulling harder on the straw before it runs out. After it runs out they go find another shake and depleat that one also. Sounds a bit like commercial fishing, all we are left with after a while is dirty empty glasses.

I spoke to one of the fish counters on the Hoh and she mentioned that she'd seen a significant increase in the amount of fish being killed because people feel that this will be their last opportunity.

While the season remains open it would sure be nice if the guides would not permit clients to kill fish, regardless of what the law states. We need as many fish alive as possible.

"Mel Moon, the tribe's director of natural resources, also worries that the ban might result in too many fish returning to spawn.
'Every system has a carrying capacity,' Moon said. 'How many fish can you put in the system before there's crowding? There's only so many places where the ideal conditions exist for spawning."

Translation: Insane ramblings from a desperate man.

"Mel Moon, the tribe's director of natural resources, also worries that the ban might result in too many fish returning to spawn.
'Every system has a carrying capacity,' Moon said. 'How many fish can you put in the system before there's crowding? There's only so many places where the ideal conditions exist for spawning."

Thank God the indians and the fish killers have been doing their part to keep the populations in check...I hate it when there are so many fish!!!

It may sound like "insane rambling" to you, but its coming from the co-managers, and they have the federal law behind them. I am very surprised that "Todd" has remained so silent on this tribal issue. Todd specialized in tribal issues when he represented WDFW as an assistant AG.

You may mock what the tribes say, but they carry the biggest stick in this issue. If the WDFW and Commission did not consult with the tribes BEFORE they made this decision, it is my opinion, they flat out blew it!

Come on Todd, lets hear what the WSC legal counsel opinion is about what powers the "tribes" may or may not have concerning this issue!

These are both quotes from Todd and Jerry

Cowlitzfisherman

first of all My friends fished out there on Sunday and they said that the Fish Counter had checked over 150 wild fish for one day so that to me is a Bloodbath, just sick, How can these knuckle heads take pride in Killing these fish?
Also on the queets on sunday there were over 50 wild fish killed, when you start taking that many fish out of the spawning grounds you are just setting the future up for disaster.
reading that article about the ol'boy mentality and just wanting to kil kil kill makes me sick. That is the reason I don't go to forks anymore. If you want to overturn Dumb laws then lets start with the Dumbest and that would be Sparkey's Law, give me a break, you cant remove the fish from the water? how are you going to enforce that one? **** I have been handling these fish since the best part of Sparkey ran down his moms leg!!
And Finally the Moon Dude? give me a break, He has obviously smoked so much bad indian crack that he is as high as the moon thinking that there is going to be to many wild fish. I will take to many wild fish over the other extreme.
I will step off my soap box now.
Peace Superfly