Hey Matt ... Sad but true, that's the situation here. All too often, I hear the phrase "I can't afford to pass up the trip".

Most years, we only seem to turn down one or two calls when we reiterate our policy of no wild steelhead harvest. This year, we've had probably over half a dozen calls that we've turned away. Hardly what we'd like to do given most guides have been sitting idle much of the season and my January is certainly down from normal ... but you gotta stick by your guns.

Frankly, I wouldn't support the netting by buying a fish. Fishing pressure from the Quillayute tribe is low because the market is not there for them and they're working the crab boats instead. If the market goes away so will most of the netting.

I can live with some subsistance use or ceremonial netting to pass along "the tradition", but the only way we can currently keep netting to a minimum is to not buy the product period.

A number of guides that will remain nameless out this way ***** about the nets all the time, but then kill every fish they can and even worse, turn around and buy eggs from the Indians on top of it all.

It comes down to a matter of values and respect for the resource. Do your best to limit your impact the best that you can.

It's unrealistic to say everyone should stop fishing (although in some areas that is necessary), just as it's unrealistic to stop all logging.

BUT logging operations can steer clear of some areas and guides can take a stand on letting them go.

To the best of knowledge ... despite all "the talk", there are only two guides on the Forks-area streams that operate under a 100% no-kill policy on wild steelhead ...

That would be myself and JD Love.