Here we go again. SB 5104, the elimination of catch and release fishing for steelhead. Time permitting, I'll post some more on this. Robbo.

This is basically the same dog that died in the Rules committee last session. Looks like Harriet Spanel and her cronies are at it again.

Here'd the digest of it:

"Finds that the practice of establishing exclusive catch and release
recreational fisheries on steelhead trout by the fish and wildlife commission
requires that the commission commit significant resources to assure that these
fisheries are not subject to abuse by unknowing or uncaring anglers.
Declares that, the commission shall not authorize catch and release seasons
or areas that may harm steelhead trout reproduction by authorizing fishing on
spawning beds and for spawning fish."

Read the whole thing at http://www.leg.wa.gov/pub/billinfo/1999-00/senate/5100-5124/ and scroll down to find 5104. Reading the grit of it you see that it's plainly another attempt at ending all catch and release fishing for steelhead in the state.

We managed to help kill crap legislation like this last year by flooding the committees with emails. Do it again. Go here http://www.leg.wa.gov/senate/scs/nrpr/default.htm to get email addresses off all the committee members and let them know we're still on top of things. If we don't, idiots like Harriet Spanel will keep trying to slip awful legislation under our noses.