I used to live in tri-cities and fish very regulary for the skamania stock hatchery fish that were planted there. Several years ago the broodstock was changed to wells stock fish, and now fisherman can't even fish for them, even if it is catch and release. The wells stock is supposedly what the wild stock fish is in the upper columbia, but come-on these are fish raised in a hatchery and fisherman aren't allowed to even fish for them. Does anyone understand the logic for the removal of the fisheries, the continued mass planting of smolts?? Here is the future of the regulation in the ringold area http://www.wa.gov/wdfw/fish/regs/regchng/apr1001b.htm
Can anyone shed some light on this? As I understand it, the wells fish aren't even going to spawning areas up river, they are just congregating in mass, at the spring creek they were planted. Like hatchery fish tend to do. It seems to me as a WDFW screw-up.

Oh and I love the timing of the message by the WDFW. Lets wait for all the steelheaders in the Tri-Cites to buy their licenses, before we announce we are shuting down the only summer run fishery for many miles.


Mike K
(I have changed my displayed name from KORE)

[ 04-14-2001: Message edited by: Mike K ]