This is what really gets me steamed...... The fish decline problem saddens me deeply, but the Tribal issue just flat pisses me off. Treaty waving tribal members that espout how they are and always have been "Stewards of the land" are the most vocal and sometimes flat nasty when anyone even mentions closing the net season to preserve a run. Then comes the renegades that fish anyway, the rest join in cause they don't want to miss their share, then the thing goes to court and the gov't buckles and gives in. Commercials, who also only think about the resource in $$ will fuss, but in the end the gov't recommendation will win. Sportsmen are always the ones to say "Hey, if it will save a fish" and then watch as the Tribes stretch the nets across the mouth of a river. Take a trip up the Columbia Gorge sometime in July and count the nets. In 1993, I checked out how many tribal claims were on the columbia and was very shocked to find it was in the thousands. Multiply that my the maximum # of nets each claim is allowed (I think 7 nets max), and do the numbers. How many wild fish get caught in these nets? Do the tribes care? For the most part no. They will not give up their "right", no matter what. In the end, if the fish are gone, it will be the white mans fault anyway. Will they accept their role in the demise of the wild runs? No.
Commercials are nearly as bad. They know what the condition of the fish stocks are, but it is all $$ to them, and they will cry the same as farmers that they are "losing our way of life". Well, times change, and unfortuanately we ALL must change with them. Sometimes it hurts really bad, but that is life. As far as the Flyfishing elitists that make up the majority of groups like WT, Bill Bakke, etc. are idiots and very contradictory. Just go to one of their favorite flyfishing hangouts and see what they drive. SUV's are NOT good for the environment, but you had better not tell them to give up their comfort or luxury..... But YOU BETTER NOT DRILL FOR OIL ON THE NORTH SLOPE!!!!!
Same with the PETA people. Curse you for wearing leather shoes, but how environmentally friendly do they think their plastic shoes are???? What about the emissions that the manufaturing process spews into the air??

In the end, we all think we are right in our beliefs, but generally it is the "lowly sportman" that is the only one really willing to give up some of their pleasures for the sake of saving the runs.... But are the only ones of all groups that really end up giving anything up.... I for one am really sick of it and without the hatcheries, the only ones to really suffer will be the sportsman..... Ooops, sorry.. Cannot leave out the great sportswomen out there too like AuntyM, who I think has a lot of great ideas.

Thanks all for the patience, and I can take flaming as good as anyone, so FIRE AWAY!!!

MC