I just spent 4 days on the OP fishing and was blessed with the oppourtunity to release quite a few beautiful wild steelhead. I happened to be fishing near several friends who are guides who unfortionatly had clients that insisted on killing a fish because they could. The worst of which was the guy who hooked a 25 pound toad at the log jam below the culvert hole on the Duc and landed it at whitcomb dimmle. He killed the fish then informed the guide that he was going to get a replica made and eat the fish (oh, and he tipped my friend 10 whole dollars for the experience). Bullsh@@@t! I was wondering if any of you can tell me why the state went back on they're no kill wild steelhead law last year. I saw another 25 pounder in the back of a pick up on thursday and it was a damn shame.

Popular demand is the answer, TBJ. I am sad to say that I, for awhile, was also of the mind that, "If the Indians can kill them, and the State says it OK for me to kill one, them I'm going to kill one." Freaking Idiot mentality. The State has it's head up it's perverbial ass, the Indian fishery is supposedly untouchable, and the worst thing, not unsurprisingly, is the politics and associated lies of special interest groups further confusing the issues.

Screw it. Just go fishing and enjoy it while you can and do what you know is right.

Because they are STUPID !!! plain and simple !!!

Peace
Superfly

Most people can justify anything by their twisted reasoning. I too was guilty of killing wild steelhead back when there were no hatchery fish in the Cowlitz system. I am proud to say I have not taken a wild steelhead since that time even in the rivers where it was "legal" to do so.The last one I killed was in 1969 right after I got back from Nam.

If I recall, wasn't it the City of Forks that raised Holy Hell with the State over the "no-kill" rule, and finally got the concession granted that angers on some rivers could keep one (1) fish?

If the City of Forks and not raised such a stink, thinking their guides would all go broke and the town would die otherwise, would that "No-Kill" rule have applied to the OP rivers as well?

Would have, unless my memory is totally shot.

Mike

Mike

it is the guide's duty to carry a policy that no wild steelhead will be killed in their boat. and if they do not, they are part of the problem and are just as responsible (if not more because the guide KNOWS BETTER) as the client.

April fools.....

There will be more to come later when I have more time to fully express my opinion. I know for a fact that the majority of the people on this site will hate me for what I am about to say and for your information I really do not care what you think about me. I personally refuse to fish during hatchery fish season because I hate hatcheries and the majority of the people who fish during that time of year. YES I KILL WILD STEELHEAD! Why you ask? Well for many reasons. Fortunately I live in an area where you can still legally HARVEST one actual steelhead a year (by law). I use the term actual steelhead because I do not consider those fake cookie cutter rudderless fish that the state waists larges sums of your money on every year, steelhead. Hatchery practices to day are doing more harm to your precious wild steelhead than I am by harvesting a few fish out of the rivers. It is the fishermen that fish for these stupid hatchery fish, and thinks that hatcheries are gods gift to fish and fishermen that cause harm that you don't see to your precious steelhead. There is more to come but right now I have to go.

If would b nice if we could tear up the treaties and put everyone one the same page. That way everyone would follow the same set of rules and there would be no Indian fishery. Then we would not need to have this conversation.

Go to the hatchery and look at the little guys they are going to release. You will notice that some still have that little rudder you covet so much. You may have been catching what you thought was a "wild steelhead" but in actuality it was a hatchery fish that was not clipped. They justify this by saying they are preserving the natural run. One biologist told me once that there was no such thing as a "wild fish" in some rivers anymore.

We can hardly wait.......

We need to adopt the same regulations that Oregon has...WDFW SUCKS !!!!!

Yup.. One wild steelhead a year is a bitchin idea if you think about it! Either you can cheat the system by bonking way more than your one alotted fish, and be a total outlaw, OR you get one fish to keep for your whole season.. That sounds sooooo totally worth it! Just put em back, it's really not that hard to comprehend if you think about it..

I agree with Sparky, Blame the damn guide for not stepping
up with a NO KILL policy. How Weak!
Chrome

[quote=nookie dreamin'][quote=Devilsadvocate]There will be more to come later when I have more time to fully express my opinion. I know for a fact that the majority of the people on this site will hate me for what I am about to say and for your information I really do not care what you think about me.

Hate is waaaaay to strong a word to apply to someone with whom you do not agree. I see that type of reaction all too often. To me that is the hallmark of a small mind. Be assured I do not agree with your position, but I think/ hope we can discuss it without hatred, name calling , etc.



I personally refuse to fish during hatchery fish season because I hate hatcheries and the majority of the people who fish during that time of year.


I often skip hatchery season because most of the harchery fish in my neighborhood are not great fish. But the hatchery fish in some systems are quite nice, and I seriously doubt anyone could tell them from wild fish based on size and fight.



YES I KILL WILD STEELHEAD! Why you ask? Well for many reasons. Fortunately I live in an area where you can still legally HARVEST one actual steelhead a year (by law).

No doubt it is legal. I do not however equate legal with right. It was once legal to hold slaves. It was never right. I am eager to hear your other reasons.


I use the term actual steelhead because I do not consider those fake cookie cutter rudderless fish that the state waists larges sums of your money on every year, steelhead. Hatchery practices to day are doing more harm to your precious wild steelhead than I am by harvesting a few fish out of the rivers. It is the fishermen that fish for these stupid hatchery fish, and thinks that hatcheries are gods gift to fish and fishermen that cause harm that you don't see to your precious steelhead. There is more to come but right now I have to go.

I too think many of our hatchery practices are detrimental to wild fish. But I do see changes and I wonder how problems with hatcherys would result in a conclusion that we should kill a wild fish?

I beleive that the mosre problems our wild steelhead encounter, i.e. tribal nets, non tribal nets, habitat loss, dams etc, the more reason we have to C&R.

I do agree with many catch and kill advocates that if a run cannot stand the incidental mortality of C&R, the system should be closed. But I also beleive that some rivers can handle the 3-5% mortality associated with C&R without dropping below required esacapment levels. Yet those same river would fail to make escapment if we allowed a catch and kill fishery..

Let's see if we can keep this civil. I promise i will as long as you do.

Your funny Dave

Peace
Fly

and don't kill wild fish !!!!!!

you guys have turned into a bunch of fly fishermen i think

if there's enough fish to justify a harvest, i've got no problems killing wild steelhead. they are just big trout after all, and unfortunately for them, they also taste good.

in the current state of our fishery most of the runs probably can't support a harvest, though.

it's the folks that say "no killing wild steelhead EVER" but have no problems killing wild trout, wild salmon, wild sturgeon etc that i have a problem with. a bunch of hypocrites if you ask me.

Chum Man, You probably like pinks and chums too and nobody asked you

oh sorry, i forgot this was a jackoff thread only for those who want WSR as a permanant thing regardless of escapement or any real science. my bad.