Hey Goose,

Believe me, not all the dudes fishing "trout" or steelhead on those specific rivers were "Rivers Run Through It" types. I've seen some famous steelheading names cruising around those parts, and in the sign-in book. I'll admit that I wasn't too happy about the closures you mentioned for one reason. They haven't taken ANY OTHER action that I can see to protect these fish other than to close this C&R season that wasn't really a C&R season. That's my only beef. In hindsight, and especially after seeing how some people handled the fish they caught "while in pursuit of steelhead", it's probably best that it IS closed altogether.

Something stinks on Hood Canal, goose. My only question to you is this. Why so upset with the C&R of chums on the Dosey and Hamma Hamma, when you don't seem too upset that large numbers of threatened summer chums are being harassed every time the silvers show up on the Quilcene? I don't know how many times I've seen clowns get frustrated that they can't hook the silvers there and so they start fishing chums.

I can tell you why the state has the double-standard. The have a huge number of hatchery silvers coming back to the Quilcene hatchery, and they can't just let them go to waste, so they allow you to fish amongst the threatened chums. That may not be a concern to you because I know you have found ways to specifically target silvers and leave the chums unmolested. But how about the rest of those Yahoos up there that are snagging anything in sight?

I'm sure the summer chums on the Dosie and Hamma Hamma are thanking you.......not everyone would take the effort to see that the right thing gets done, especially when it costs them a fishing opportunity. Let's just hope some more "right things" get done, or I'm afraid those chums are going to need more than your help to save them.