ltlCLeol or whatever,
Your comments are the very divider you talk about.
Sounds like you got an inferior complex about those who fish with a fly rod. Are you aware that the majority of anglers in the WSC are gear fishermen and women? We don't see this issue of C&R as fly Vs gear. As for more fly water being created, not over my dead body! Most folks I know that fly fish for steelhead don't want any water fly only. Christ their is too many of us flingers now for the few runs that can be fished.
You say the rivers should just be shut down yet you fish some of the most depleted rivers in the state for steelhead yet you believe in C&R. How much interest you gonna have in the beautiful canal rivers you fish if they are shut down for 5 or 10 years or more? None most likely, you will have died of old age or moved on to golf.
The only division between fishermen comes about with reasoning like yours. The majority of fishermen damn well know Wild Steelhead are in trouble throughout the state. At least those in favor of statewide C&R want to keep the priviledge for all of being able to be on the river fishing doing the least amount of harm without going to the eventual extreme we are headed for of all rivers closed.