Sea-run dollies in Puget Sound streams and coastal streams (WA) are now considered bull trout. Recent genetic testing has shown that the old rule of resident char are bulls and sea-runs are dollies does not apply in Washington.

Bull trout are on the endangered species list so should be released unharmed. The reason why WDFW has not restricted take is because there is virtually no fishery for them. The limited fishery in the salt is C&R only, this is in the regs. I guarantee, however, if people start taking these guys home from rivers in any numbers, there will be restrictions, the Feds require it.

Bulls will sit behind spawning salmon to feed off eggs that drift downstream. These eggs are non-viable, they will not hatch. Only eggs buried in redds will hatch. In addition, after hatching, the baby fry remain in the gravel until their yolk sacs are absorbed before swimming up out of the gravel to begin juvenile rearing in streams. So any eggs drifting downstream, even if they did manage to get fertilized, have no chance. And bulls do not dig into the redds to get to eggs; never been observed.

Bulls do eat smolts in the salt, but they also feed on herring and surf smelt. In fact, nearshore congregations of bulls are strongly associated with surf smelt spawning beaches. The stories of these fish affecting the populations of salmon are just plain untrue.

Please release all of the bull trout/dollies you catch, if not for the resource, for the potential headaches that may result if areas are closed to protect them.

[ 04-06-2001: Message edited by: obsessed ]

EDIT - Yes I AM the DOLLIE KING Actually, I've been studying bulls in the Snohomish basin.

[ 04-06-2001: Message edited by: obsessed ]