For the last three days of fishing, I have hooked 3 native steelhead, and it was not on the Cowlitz! Every single one has had net marks on it! Every single one also has had deep cuts in from the nets. Since I fish mainly on the Cowlitz until now, I have never seen such deep bleeding marks on the fish in the Cowlitz. My question is; why are these fish that are being gill netted by the tribes haveng such deep cuts in them? They are at least ¼ deep! I have never seen such deep net marks on the fish that I have caught in the Cowlitz.

What's happening? Is their different mortality rates for the tribe net fishery then there is for the lower Columbia net fishery? The marks indicate to me, that these fish may not survive there spawning cycle (like bleeding). Are there any studies that show the different survival rates from tribe netting compared to white man netting ? If not, why not? These native fish are taking a real beating from the net fishery and it appears to me, to be by the hands of the tribes on the Chehalis River. Does anybody know why?

Cowlitzfisherman

Is the taste of the bait worth the sting of the hook????