I was fishing the creek today when a orange dressed road crew guy working on a nearby project sauntered down the bar towards me, sans rod. After exchanging the usual pleasantries he asked me if it was catch and release season around here. Yep, I answered. He explained he was from another area, near the Sauk River. I asked him about the level, color, and crowds on the Sauk recently. "Thirty driftboats down Monday", all guys from Tacoma and Seattle clubs, he says. "My local club has been trying for 2 years to outlaw catch and release fishing on the Sauk". He starts doing math for me "30 boats, two rods a boat", on and on. I asked him how many native fish he thinks die during during the kill season versus how many die during the catch and release season. He wasn't sure. I told him I thought if his club was intent on protecting the run of fish they ought to outlaw the kill season, if anything. No comment.

He was a nice guy, interesting viewpoint however.

Also, if the Sky river guide who sold Merle his old boat and now drives a Wild Hair reads this BB - thanks for always rowing behind me while I'm driftfishing, you're the only boater who does.

SB 5104 is dead, dead, dead.

As for "mostly clubs from Seattle and Tacoma", that's just plain crap. I fish that fishery, and I'm not in a club, nor am I coming from Seattle or Tacoma. Lots of my friends fish that fishery, and they aren't in any Seattle or Tacoma clubs, either.

Sounds like a bunch of "MY river" crap because he lives there. Whatever.

I'm sure he was a nice guy, there's certainly no requirement that guys with screwy ideas are jerks, that's for sure. He may not even know what's going on. If he listens to Harriet Spanel and believes what she says, he probably thinks the river flows up into the mountains and that little green leprechauns, funded by Seattle and Tacoma clubs, are making Wildcat Steelhead Bonkers voodoo dolls because the Seattle and Tacoma people are jealous that the Bonkers catch so many fish. LOL.

Anyway, no "river isolationism" bills are going to make it into law, at least not this year. I hope that a few of the Bonkers received some education over the last few months about C&R, money, and river ownership. It may have just made them more attached to their screwy plans. Who knows?

The two questions I would ask the next Bonker I see are as follows:

1. How many natives did you and your friends kill this year in January and February, and how did that help the Skagit and Sauk native runs?

2. How many natives did you and your friends kill during the "derbies" that the Bonkers run, especially during the closed season?

I've heard reliable reports of natives being bonked during the C&R season so that they can determine who wins the case of Schmiddy at the end of the day. Anyone else with info. on that topic? Any Bonkers care to comment? I'm also wondering if they got a permit for their "derby". The law requires that any fishing contest involving more than six people must get a permit. This is so the Department of Fish and Wildlife can determine if the derby is a good idea, and can have a heads up on providing enforcement.

Fish on...

Todd.

This territorial mindset kills me. It's one thing to get upset about your favorite Zipperlip river or tributary being overrun but the Sauk and rivers like it certainly are no secret.

I live in Seattle - Fremont to be exact. And I've left quite a bit of my cash in little towns throughout the foothills, mountains and peninsula during my fishing and camping trips. What do the people of Darrington or towns like it think they're going to have to offer visitors or anyone else once the logging dries up?

Bruce

30 boats on Monday! There wasn't even 30 boats over the entire weekend. Ignorance is bliss. Did this person work for the Skagit County Road Dept. by any chance?