OK. Maybe it's time for me to step out of the closet. My friends on this board know who I am, (duh), as do Bob, Salmo, and a few others.

I used to be an Assistant Attorney General, representing the WDFW as one of their lawyers. That was my only client.

I no longer work there, for many reasons, mostly personal, some professional.

While I was working there I was an active participant on this board, but stayed out of legal discussions for obvious reasons, mostly due to serious conflicts with my personal feelings and professional requirements.

I have been a steelhead fisherman since I was six years old, catching my first steelhead on the Sammamish River on my second trip ever. I'm thirty now. My personal list of important things goes as such: Family, Friends, Guinness (my black lab and fishing partner), then steelhead. Then salmon and other fish. The rest are all details that make those things possible.

My fishing friends on this board, some of which are guides, know what my feelings are about the usual "management into extinction" that has taken place in our state. I am a steadfast "fish first" person who would like nothing more than the opportunity to catch and release as many wild steelhead as humanly possible, using hatchery steelhead and silvers to pad both my freezer and bait box.

I am very tired of sportsmen bearing the brunt of the restrictions while being only a small part of the problem. I'd like to see the responsible parties be responsible for their actions.

I am very willing to at least sit down with several of this board's members to discuss our problem and possible solutions, some of which may be legal in nature. This would be mainly a fact-finding journey initially. I want to find out what our mutual goals and concerns are and how to address them best.

Everyone with an opinion is welcome to give it and attend a meeting to have a round table discussion. We may have to rent the exhibition center to get us all in!! That said, I find it very important to have all the fine souls who have offered to finance any possible legal venture be there to make their voices heard.

I am serious about exploring how to make our voices heard as sportsmen. Sometimes it takes lawyers and even lawsuits to get our state "representatives" to listen to what we have to say. We are not lobbyists with money, so we don't have the ears of the decsion makers. If we can't give them money to get them to listen, maybe the threat of taking their money and management schemes away will make them listen.

I'd like to hear from all of you. I can, of course, be contacted indirectly via this board, but if you have specific things to talk about, here's where to find me:

Todd Ripley, Attorney
1538 209th Ave. N.E.
Redmond, WA 98053

425-868-6565 (Home)

sumdumdog@aol.com
snork@chaosexistence.org

If you e-mail me, send it to one address and cc: it to the other to make sure I get it promptly.

Well, whattayathink? Are we ready to try and make this happen? I don't know, but I do know that we won't know until we all sit down together and hash it out.

Let me know.

Fish on...

Todd.

[This message has been edited by Todd (edited 11-18-2000).]

Todd,
May I suggest that you place this solicitation for support on as many of the NW forums as you possibly can. I know that some folks read only one or two and some read many (like myself) and there are many people on all of them that feel as you do. May I suggest www.ifish.net, www.steelheader.net, www.gamefishin.com, and www.nwfishing.com. Maybe even getting some of the web pages that do not have forums to endorse this like www.westernfishing.com. There are some out there who believe that this is not the right thing to do as it will increase what the tribes will take but if we do not do something WDFW will "manage" them into extinction. Please post when and where this initial meeting of the minds will be.
Good luck and tight lines, Jeff

Hey, this sounds great. I think you're the guy we're looking for. I just sent you an e-mail with details, but lets try to get together sometime soon. I've had some off-line conversations with Sinktip on this subject, and I'm sure he'd be interested too. Sinktip? Of course, this could be a difficult project based on my past experience with the diverse nature of opinions among sports fishermen, but maybe we can find some agreement. I'm ready to do SOMETHING, and as someone else said, I'm going to have plenty of extra time this spring.

Count me in. I will be sending you some contact information later tonight. I would suggest a meeting as soon as we can get a represenative group together.

Todd, consider me in!!!! As this is how I make my living. Somthing needs to be done and I'm willing to give it my 110%. This is in my blood as my grandfather used to guide the Skagit also back in the 50's and 60's.
I will post this information in my live chat room and on my news board, and will be contacting you soon. J--<")(\(\(\)>{

Todd, do you have any hair left? What a tough spot to be in. To everyone else, I think Todd has found the common denomimator to finally draw ALL sportfishers together! GETTING A FAIR SHAKE. We can all agree on that. After getting a fair shake we can hash out all the other differences between us, whatever those may be. We have to come together as one to have a voice on both the state and federal level. We don't neccessarily have to win the war. We just need to win a few of the battles then go from there.
This could be the start of a very exciting and history making period in state fisheries management and sportsmens rights!

Todd, consider me in!!!! As this is how I make my living. Somthing needs to be done and I'm willing to give it my 110%. This is in my blood as my grandfather used to guide the Skagit also back in the 50's and 60's.
I will post this information in my live chat room and on my news board, and will be contacting you soon. J--<")(\(\(\)>{ and YES, I will still be willing to auction trips to help this cause.

Hi Todd,

Thanks for stepping up! I'll be sending my contact info as soon as I finish this post, and would also join with other respondents in encouraging a meeting ASAP.

Let's DO SOMETHING about this!

thanks,

Brian Lencho
Seattle, WA

Give me a shout, Todd. I'm home the next couple evenings.

Thanks for your help Todd ... I'll try to get ahold of you to discuss the options (we have all the paperwork in hand for an initiative also) ... perhaps a meeting this upcoming week-end over that way as I'll be coming over to Seattle for Turkey Day.

Any sort of support I can provide I will, just email and let me know. I'm behind it all the way...
Keith Archer
stlhdr1@hotmail.com
25117 ne 72nd ave
battle ground wa 98604

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Todd, I commend you and I too will offer time to get things turned around for the sportspeople.

Todd, The Sky Valley Chapter of TU will be having a meeting on January 16, 2001 focusing on the North of Falcon process. I realize that it will too late to help with the current proposed closures for C&R in the Snohomish and Skagit systems but feel that it is an area that the recreational fishers need to try to make a bigger impact at. Curt Kraemer from WDFW has already committed to attending and We are working on getting one or two from the Wildlife Commission to attend along with some people from the sports fishing sector who normally go to the North of Falcon meetings to give us some guidelines. When it comes the the North of Falcon process, the river sports fisher really gets the short end of the stick and this will only change with more attendance from the recreational group.
We are having our regular meeting tomorrow night (Tues 11/21) to discuss the January meeting further and hope you can attend. Also it would be great if you show up tomorrow to inform the others how you came in second & third in our chum derby.
As usual our meetings are open to all. Third Tuesday of the month (except December) at 7:00 PM at 120 E Fremont St, Monroe.

Hope to see you then.
Gary Bee
President of the Sky Valley Chapter.

Todd count me in. I will do my part what ever that may be. Thanks for steping forward.
kuyten@wa-net.com
PO Box 651 LaCenter Wa. 98629

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dank
Keep The Rivers Clean!

After the wekend I had finally some good news Count me in too....Os
steelheaderboy@aol

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Row Quietly and fish a Cataraft }<<(('>----<'))>>{
Release all Wild Fish

Todd and company, count me in. This is not a time to sit back and hope for the best. I'm ready to make something happen. I'll email you my contact info.

NM

Count me in!

Todd & Co.-
There's power in numbers, let's get the ball rolling, I'm in....

Kev

Thank's Todd, I'm in.
TMozzone@AOL.com
253.653.0200

I'm in too. Let's make a real difference.