Cowwlitzfisherman

40 years ago there were guys catching big wild kings in the puget sound rivers. Not any more. Why because those guys (sporties, tirbal, commercial) said "they are only fish". They are talking about removing some dikes on the Sakgit and there are a bunch of people saying "What are you doing that for they are only fish". I don't blame any of those guys for catching too many fish or building dikes and ruining the habitat. That was the way things were done back then and they didn't really know the consequences of their actions. If they did I am sure they would have done things differently (most of them anyway).

The point behind the catch and release is that some of us have learned our lesson, and want to preserve what we have left. Most of us don't have a say in tribal fishing or environmental factors. One thing we can do is to try and minimize the impact that we as a sporting community have on this resource.

I don't think that steelnerves was trying to offend you (neither am I). I think the point Steelnerves was trying to make (forgive me if I am wrong) was that you don't seem as concerned about your fishery as much as you are about your harvest opportunity. That is one of old attitudes that got us in trouble to begin with.

Just for the record whack em and stack em is fine if you are fishing for hatchery fish (Drifter for me that means Salmon too).