This picture http://www.northwestangling.com/photogal/ is what gives native Americans a bad name. I'm wondering if any, recourse to situations like this? I believe we all have a final goal of more fish. So I believe in working together and following rules good or bad. If bad get involved and change them.

[This message has been edited by Swami (edited 05-10-2000).]

I HAVE A INDIAN FRIEND WHO GUIDES ON THE SALMON RIVER AND HE HAS A PICTURE OF A NON-INDIAN FISHING ON THE INDIAN SIDE OF THE RIVER. WE ALL HAVE TO QUIT RAPING THE RIVERS.

Growing-up in NW Washington and being both a commercial and sports fisherman for a substantial portion of my life, I've seen many fishing atrocities. Unfortunately, someone strangling the river 50 minutes past "closure time" is one of the minor ones. This picture is typical of how a moment in time can be captured to portray a series of events-which may or may not be true. For all we know, the guy may have wrapped a log into his net (or a hay bail wrapped in barbed wire like we used to roll into their nets) and had to spend a couple of hours getting untangled, and that's why he's over the limit. Would you rather he just leave his net in the river and kill/waste everything that swims by?

I am very much against netting rivers-it's ridiculous. If you've ever seen 20+ gillnets choking the river top to bottom it makes you puke-and that's been going on in rivers such as the Samish and Skagit for years. Definitely not the way their ancestors did it.

However, I don't think those of us not protected by tribal status should blame those who can legally (although not morally)rape our salmon and steelhead without taking care of our own; how many guys have you seen fishing with bait when they shouldn't be? Killing natives? Fishing Redds? Overplaying fish and then keeping them out of the water for five minutes while their Orvis-clad brethren taken a few dozen pictures? Although these acts may not be on the scale of strangling our rivers, they all make an impact.

Let's work with our own to protect the species before we attack those we have no control over due to a 100 year-old treaty which never has made any sense.

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If the indians truly cared they wouldent use nets. I believe its about money and payback! But can ya blame them? If it was actually a heritage thing they wouldent care about money and filling Pike's fish markets. But we did make it hard for them to live the in todays society without money. You cant live on a reservation and hope a casino in Neah bay will generate the revenue needed to live on these lands. But the bottom line...Nets are not a good way to retain and restore the resource. They no that as well as we do!
Bob D

you don't really think he's cares what time it is do you ,even when I,ve used native guides in the past they are never on time,6:00...7:00 they don't care

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Row Quietly and fish a Catraft( formerly Steelheader boy)
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OSPREY, MAYBE THEY KNEW IT WAS YOU THEY WERE TAKING FISHING SO THEY FIGURED WHY SHOW UP ON TIME. YOU ARE SO FILLED WITH HATE TOWARDS THEM WHY WOULD YOU GO FISHING WITH THEM.

MAYBE HE KNEW IT WAS YOU HE WAS TO TAKE FISHING, YOU HAVE SO MUCH HATE TOWARDS INDIANS WHY WOULD YOU HIRE ONE IN THE FIRST PLACE.

Hate??? where did that come from!!I was just refering to ( Indian time
) take it or leave it don't call it hate it's all in fun don't start personal attacks and put words in my mouth..I fish the lower Quinault once a year if I hated as much as you're narrow small mind thinks I wouldn't even bother to give that guide my money but I do .What does being on time have to do with hate....get a LIFE

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Row Quietly and fish a Catraft( formerly Steelheader boy)
<'))>><

Maybe the dude's watch was 50 minutes fast.

Anyone who thinks indians rely on netting rivers for their income is sadly mistaken. I work with one that make as much as I do, then nets the Quilute in the winter.

Howdy!
Tolerance and understanding of different culture's existing within the U.S. is imperative to one's healthy outlook on life in general. Rule's are rule's, and need to exist to create equality. The spirit of the law is what must be followed, but none of us can say with certainty we've never bent one, intentially or not.
The right to the fish is a legacy tribal member's have insured to all their future generation's. You know current member's don't take that responsibilty lightly. (abuses, are the exception. Not the norm.) I sometime's wonder if people think we signed treaty's out of the kindness of our heart's. In reality, the conflict's were not going to stop and most likely would be continuing to this day.
What would stifle the debate, would be fish run's equaling historic level's. This is a goal for everyone concerned. With our knowledge could'nt number's be acheived exceeding those historic level's. You Bet!