Settle down boys!!!!!!
My opinion on C&R......
No matter what method you use some fish are going to die. Stay away from bait. Use smaller hooks, They do less damage. Go barbless if you want, I dont. I pinch the barb halfway down. If a fish does take your offering deep, cut the line.
I know C&R works, Ive caught the same steelhead twice in the same day. He was released the second time also. The very next morning in the same hole my friend catches the same fish. It was a large buck with a nasty looking scar on his gill plate. This fish was caught and released 3 times in 2 days.
Somone mentioned spinners. In my opinion spinners are almost as bad as bait for causing fish to die.
I was fishing a small stream in AK were there was no retenion of steelhead. I was using a #4 bluefox. I had 2 fish virtually inhale the spinner, Both were hooked in the gills. Even though I had a single hook both fish died. I bagged the spinners and used my flyrod after that. Ive also had a few other steelhead take a spinner so for down they would have died anyways.