Yeah, we can have that kind of rally too, but only once the Skagit fishing season re-opens. Meanwhile, it will really, really help to rally the troops and phone and email NMFS Regional Administrator, Barry Thom and express your support for re-opening the Skagit now, not later. Barry is the guy who will sign the Record of Decision (ROD) that gives the approval to WDFW to open the season. Even though the deadline for public comment was Jan. 8, NMFS is hearing from the vocal opposition to the proposed Skagit steelhead season. If you want to fish, it can only help the cause if you express your support by ringing Barry's phone off the hook and flooding his email. If you want to extend your support of Occupy Skagit to the goal line, this is your chance to make a difference. Thanks.

Barry.Thom@noaa.gov

503-231-6266

If Barry's secretary who answers the phone and checks his email gets swamped and irritated, she will make sure Barry gets this done.

Email sent will call next. Who is the vocal opposition and what is their beef?

Can neither confirm nor deny identity of the opposition, but during the public comment period that ended Jan. 8, a certain dot org and members want the Skagit to re-open if, and only if, their particular set of management measures are implemented. Problem is, those measures go far beyond what is required of management plans for any species anywhere in the world, and will never happen. I guess that means they want the Skagit closed to recreational fishing forever.

W.F.C. Is my guess.

They want the Skagit designated a wild steelhead gene bank.

The Skagit being a wild steelhead gene bank or not wouldn't affect wild steelhead fishing...it just means no hatchery steelhead are planted.

What I'm guessing they want is flyfishing only, no fishing from a floating device, and blunt hooks required.

Fish on...

Todd

Sounds good to me. Will there be a dress code that we have to adhere to also?

Hopefully it’s not bank angling only. I kept my drift boat in hopes of this reopener happening.

email sent

Let’s hope not...

Email sent.
SF

Seems that is the push from them. If that's the case, give them a river and make it fly only w/ said restrictions. Maybe then they would back off a little on the litigation threats. Heck I might even join them on that river and swing a little. I've been Jonesing to swing on my closed home water lately. The conditions are perfect now, and I know there's some beauties around.

I think you guys are missing the mark. It ain't about fly vs gear.

I think posting up what it is about would be more helpful, if you know.



Fish on...

Todd

Totally agree with this as I attended Occupy 1 & 2 in hopes of getting a wee bit of time back on a river I hold near and dear! Nothing but smoke and mirrors and getting a wee bit tired of being held hostage by what I consider a "radical" group! Go on their FB page and read a bit of what their ideas are and it truly is eye opening!

Phoned in a message to his recorder, and sent a email.

+1 on what Todd said, "Post up what it is about"

Who else? These guys are the PETA of sports fishing... or in any other kind in this case. Let me guess? You'll sue. All in the name of what? Money? Is that what it's about? Back when I was actually a follower of these guys and gave them money every year I tried to raise awareness of a business owner that re-routed a well used spawning creek in order to increase his property size and make it more usable. Well, the fish suffered and now it is a Barren waste where the creek bed used to be. Did they do anything about it? Hell no! They obviously had bigger fish to fry and it wasn't worth their time or money. Better to go after the hatcheries. That's where the money's at obviously. Or at least the agency that governs the hatcheries.

Wild fish conservancy and.....

https://nativefishsociety.org/news-media/to-open-or-not-to-open-the-skagit-steelhead-fishery

Maybe this isn't what everyone's talking about but it sure seems to be throwing a wrench into the process no?


Conclusion: "A proposal to conduct directed harvest of an ESA-listed Puget Sound steelhead population, whether lethal tribal or recreational catch and release (C&S), is undeniably controversial. Both the RMP and the Proposed Evaluation and Pending Determination (PEPD) fail to provide the detailed analysis that is necessary to assure the public that implementation of the RMP will not place the wild Skagit steelhead population at unnecessary risk. We therefore urge NMFS to withdraw the PEPD and develop an Environmental Impact Statement regarding the development of the co-managers’ plan for harvest of the population. Thank you for your consideration and commitment to recover Threatened Puget Sound Steelhead."

PETA of sports fishing? An apt description! Sad and this "My Way Or The Highway Attitude" must go!

Go to this website and read the article and then the paper below it by the WFC.
https://nativefishsociety.org/news-media/to-open-or-not-to-open-the-skagit-steelhead-fishery

I would attach the file to this post but the forum software here has a size limitation that won't allow me to do so.

One thing is for sure. If the Skagit in fact does open. If I or any of my buddies see any of those WFC, NFC, WSC or whatever they are, on the river, they gonna get a mouthful. Or, are they part of the wealthy think they are elite, been there done that crowd, that only travels the world to get there fishing fix on other peoples home water?

WW, so it sounds like everyone here understands exactly what they want. A pie in the sky idea that will never work and will cost a number of people their jobs and destroy a multi million dollar industry so some fly casters can have the river to themselves to practice their casting.

I used to be a fly fisher and it was attitude that drove me away. You see it at just about every fly shop.