I guess I wasnt clear in the question I was asking. I was just curious as to what sacrificies, you as a fisherman, were willing to make to help our depressed stocks.

I was just using the Columbia River as an example because it seems that some were not willing to do anything...not even forego a 'hero shot' of a wild ESA listed chinook.

It turned into another debate regarding certain fish handling practices...and there are some clarifications I have to make.

Obviously, my point was mistaken. I am in no way claiming we must eliminate our impact as that would be impossible considering all the other ways, we 'take' ESA listed fish other then just pursuing them with a hook and line.

Given that we are lucky enough to have a selective fishery to have a chance at mouth watering hatchery spring chinook, how about we do what we can to minimize our impact??

We can do nothing more then quit fishing all together but given that we have the oppurtunity, if we properly handle fish, we can almost asure an excellent survival rate.

So I guess treating an ESA listed fish as harmlessly as one possibly can, suddenly makes my rhetoric mirror that of PETA members??

As far as I am concerned, you can take a hatchery spring chinook or hatchery coho etc. etc., and play frisbee with it, play soccer with it or do whatever the Hell you want to it while it is still alive. I dont care...well I do a little because I think that is a tad cruel.

This is not about animal cruelty in any way!! This is about doing what we can (such as practicing proper release techniques) to do as little harm as possbile, without halting our fishing, to help protect certain depressed, threatened or endangered stocks!

I count my blessings every day since we crossed paths! She looks out for me, takes good care of me and there is truely, no other girl like her!! If only yourself (and JoJo) could be so lucky!! :p