The Puyallup/Carbon closure is good and bad. Good in that nobody will keep wild fish. Bad in that the escapement for the system probably won't be reached which means even fewer fish the next return year and poor escapement then as well, especially with the system in such poor condition.
Something else...I noticed a few anglers on the Carbon/Puyallup this fall during the hatchery chinook fishery caught several really healthy whitefish (12-14" lengths). I assume they thought they were suckers since they tossed them onto the gravel bars to die. I have never even seen a sucker in either of those two rivers. Please release them unless you keep one to eat, they are a naturally occuring species that need to be left in the river unless used.
(Trout-like in appearance and very silvery)
I wanted to mention that the fin measurements for the steelhead are probably the 2nd-best way for anglers to still be able to keep a hatchery fish or two from a healthy population of hatchery origin fish. I haven't personally ever caught a hatchery origin steelhead that did not have a deformed dorsal fin that originated from a state hatchery under raceway rearing conditions. The tribal hatcheries may release their fish into the river for rearing so the deformity may not occur, anyone know for sure? It should not be difficult to determine a hatchery steelhead from wild if you look for a deformed dorsal. I would suggest not even considering keeping a steelhead that has a properly formed dorsal even if it is less than the minimum height. That way there can be no mistake about its origin. (Probably how the state should have written the rule)
Any one fish sturgeon?
William
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