The newer "tooth tangle" commercial nets developed and tested in B.C. in recent years are finally going to get a trial test on the present Columbia springer run. These nets are designed to be more discriminate than mono gillnets. They are composed of some type of material that entangles the fish by their teeth rather than the mortal gill snarl. They don't kill all entrapped fish as the gillnets do. If these nets are tended often enough the native fish entangled alive can be released; to an uncertain survival percent. 20 commercial net boats were selected via lottery to partake in this test netting at periodic intervals over the next 4 weeks, each with a fish bio aboard for observation. The alive released fish will be tagged and studied to get a percent survival rate to compare to Canadian studies. These nets are expected to be certainly better than gillnets for the native fish runs. The Columbia Tribal gillnet fishers were asked to use these also to portect the nates and they balked at it; won't do it because they don't have to as the commercial netters will (I would assume because they require more attentive work; can't think of any other reason - very unfortunate, and another native fish and public relations blunder by the Col. Tribes!). Some sport anglers are angry about these tests. I have mixed emotions about them. If they kill less nates that's good. But they will likely allow for longer commercial netting going on below our sportfishing and thus hurt our chances at worthwhile fishing. I hope the powers to be remember the much greater positive economic impact of viable sportfisheries!!! Why can't the commercial netters be confined to netting above the sport fleet instead of below them?!? I think sportsmen would be more than willing to give up fishing from about Corbett to Bonneville if the netters were restricted to that area, and we could then fish on unnetted runs from Corbett to the mouth of the Columbia. Lots to consider here for sure! ... Opinions?