Sorry you didn't make it out Steve....I was looking for you. The weather seems to err on the cautious side these days. Sunday was really nice. I'll be there this weekend again and it looks like the seas are even more calm so far.

There's a little bit of truth both ways, Grandpa.... part of the post was serious and part of it was playing around. You didn't really believe the sympathy part for the commercial trollers/netters did you? I guess that's what happens when I bring one too many Ambers to the keyboard.


I do however stand by my assertion that charters and guides are commercial ventures that profit from the harvest of our fish resources, and therefore constitute commercial fisheries by their very nature. They do provide a valuable service in putting anglers on the fish (which I acknowledged in my post), but that's an intangible commodity. The simple nuts and bolts of it is that they profit from the harvest of fish. I guess it would probably be better termed a "commercialized sport fishery". I never said what they are doing is bad, just calling a spade a spade. For the record, I have used the services of a guide and/or charter on numerous occasions without regret.

I think the one thing that we all forget in the polarization between sport fishing and commercial fishing (including the enigma of commercialized sport fishing) is that participants in all camps go fishing because they like to fish. As much as sports often like to portray the greed of the commies, those guys get as much of a rush from simply catching fish as we do. We may not like the ethics of their methods (we all seem to demonize the method used by someone else if it is more effective than our chosen method), but the truth is we're all killing fish for fun. Granted, some are also in it for a profit, but even when the fishing is marginal, the markets tough, and the prices barely worthwhile, you don't see the diehards giving it up... they just fish because they truly enjoy it... not unlike most of the guys on this board.

I parked my boat next to a commercial troller at LaPush this summer and spent some time tallking to him. He had come to Washington from California where his season was not really restricted. California has sports and commercial seasons like we used to have 20 years ago and they seem to have revitalized their fisheries for both user groups. I have no problem with trollers. That guy in LaPush was fishing by himself. My problem has always been with the nets. I have no problem with charters or guides. Without a guide I couldn't enjoy the great steelhead and salmon fishing on the Quinault. Without the charters alot of folks would never get a chance to go salmon fishing. So they both provide a valuable service.