SMILE AND SAY "CHEESE"? IT WILL COST YOU!


Are you one of those anglers who likes a quick photo opportunity with your trophy before releasing it back into the stream you caught it from? You may want to reconsider lifting that fish out of the water and saying "cheese" while your buddy shoots that photo. Under a new law enacted by Washington State's Fish and Wildlife Commission, such a photo could be used as damning evidence against you. According to a February 6th press release, in waters where it's illegal to retain them, the commission voted to "prohibit completely removing salmon or steelhead caught in lakes or streams from the water or pulling them into a boat in Puget Sound prior to release." It's unclear if there is a well thought out scientific rationale for this ruling. However, it is likely to make the "release" part of "catch and release" fishing a little more challenging for some anglers. It's also certain to change the way you see pictures in your favorite outdoor magazines. Think of it; pictures of fish half out of the water with the head up, or when that gets too blase', with the tail up out of the water and the head submerged. There's likely to be photographers who push the edge of the law, leaving the trailing edge of a tail fin in the water to get as much of that fish framed as possible. And there will undoubtedly be some rogue outlaws. The ones who just have to photograph the whole fish before letting it go. I can see it now, store photo developers tipping off the game warden of these lawbreakers and magazine editors forced to say, "Yeah, that's a real nice photo of that 20 pound steelhead, but I can't use it because it's at least six inches out of the water. I don't want to get into trouble for aiding and abetting you know."

JK

Sounds to me like we got some "Petas" in the legislature. I have seen guys overdo the photo
process time wise, but they were likely newbies.
Most guys are carefull and revive their fish, so no harm is done.
Another classic case of overconcern by well intentioned people who don't fish and feel we are torturing the poor things.
Definately what we need is MORE uninforceable laws in a recreation field that is already complex.