In the interest of fairness i should point out that WDG used to have a spring trout fishery that they knew took steelhead smolts but allowed it because it gave opportunity to those who preferred to catch trout in the spring on light gear rather than steelhead in the winter on heavier gear.
Why does WDFW continue to fill rivers with winter run steelhead plants???
Anyone that fishes the coastal Region 6 rivers, for the hatchery steelhead knows that there is a chance on hooking a Wild steelhead, for that matter it was legal to catch and keep a wild steelhead until 2004, the Commission put a halt on keeping wild steelhead, for 2 years, at that time.
Problem was, the sportsmen were allowed to continue to fish for hatchery steelhead and tribal fishermen continued to net both hatchery and wild. We all know about fish and gillnet but we don't REALLY know the impact of released Wild steelhead.
Now the coast is at shut down for all winter run fishing to protect the remaining runs of wild steelhead, I agree with that, but I can't get WDFW Region 6 Manager Losee to give any written timing plan, only that there are committees working on it. No one really thinking about how many years, or life cycles, it will takes to get the Wild steelhead to a safe level......10, 20, 50 years, maybe even more, maybe never?????
What to do????? Stop plants of winter steelhead, until a level of Wild steelhead reaches a level that WDFW fish management feels in necessary.
Increase the summer run steelhead plants in the rivers that have hatchery plants now, look into area rivers that could start to receive....plants. Would it take some major changes ?????? I think so, maybe there might be some rivers not ever opened for 10 - 20 years But there would be rivers open to fish for summer steelhead.......How was your winter season this year, in Region 6?
Just trying to have a "plan B", rather than complete shut downs. This should make for interesting comments!!!!!!
Previous Topic
Index
