Drifter,

You have hit the nail right on the head! Excellent question: Why aren't the regs edited/reviewed by enforcement? Greg Haw, recently retired WDFW officer has written a book about hi experience as an officer and bad regulations, and it is selling. I retired in 1999, and back then, the departments were receptive of changes to regs - if they made sense to all that might apply. I had lots of them adopted at old Fisheries. The system worked back then. For instance there were lots of stream openings beginning on July 1st in some of the streams that had no salmon in them (yet). I got the managers to change those in order not to complicate the Wildlife fishing regulations.

Perhaps the lack of editing is just a symptom of bad management on a region by region basis. The fishing regulations from Region 5 and Region 6 doesn't always match in language but mean the same. I also think that there's often arrogance involved by the people who write the pamphlet. Look at the duplication of some of the intent of the reg, and also their absurdity. Who adopted some of these? Do you want to risk a citation by picking up a live sand dollar? Or your child being taken to juvenile hall by catching a few shore crab on Puget Sound?

The pamphlet states it's unlawful to snag fish, but that's not true.
You can snag smelt. The Deschutes in Tumwater has been open for years to salmon fishing, but has no salmon! Halibut season in area 13? Willapa has lots of crab pots in it right now, but the regs state it doesn't open until September. In talking with the current officers of WDFW they admit the fishing pamphlet is a mess. Why is that?

Haw gives the best examples by far in his book, especially his upcoming release of his third book "Confessions of a Rogue Game Warden". (Might not be the accurate title.) He endured years of having submitted suggestions to the regulations but was ignored. Very frustrating for a very dedicated professional.

But, I think most of the problem is arrogance by the regulators, plus lack of ability to write a cogent regulation.

The regulation pamphlet is a mess, and often does not apply to current dates-restrictions even though its only been out a few weeks. Editing by enforcement could improve the process and the pamphlet.