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Merry Christmas to all.

Ok..after you all enjoy the hoildays with your families and enjoy some time on the water with your fising buddies, think about joining a group that does some good for your sport. Check out the Recreational Fishing Alliance and Puget Sound Anglers to name a couple. Fishermen don't like politics BUT they sure have strong opinions about their sport. The problem is that we are a disorganized lot. We just want to fish and don't like it when some poilitician who doesn't even own a fishing rod (Gary Locke?) sets a policy or makes a law that screws us over. The governor (Gary Locke) appoints the WDFW commissioners who in turn preside over rules and regs that affect us in a big way. Since a majority of these commissioners feel that they have a strong mandate from the legislature to provide a "viable commercial fishery" regardless of what the impacts might be on the majority of fishers (you) then we have a BIG problem. So go to a commission meeting and listen for yourself, sign up to testify before the commissioners...give your opinions. When we show up in numbers they freak out and sometimes try to shut us down..but they can't. We are the largest group with the smallest voice. That voice needs to be heard more often and much louder. So get involved and get your strong opinions in front of the people who are setting your seasons and closing your rivers. The tribes and commercials are in their face and in the legislature and you can count on that 24/7.