Salmo G: You are 100% right about the Yakima. I have fished it regularly since 1972. Back then it was 5 fish a day over 8 inches; I believe I have that right. My memory is not what it once was. Back in the 5 fish days there wasn't much pressure and we occasionally caught our five fish, with an average size of perhaps 11 inches. Later the rules went to 2 a day over 15 inches. We immediately saw an increase in angling pressure and we began catching more and bigger fish. Finally the rules went to zero retention. We then began having some 15 fish days and occasionally got fish in the 18 to 20 inch range, AND the pressure went through the roof.

While I admit the population has increased since 1970s' I firmly believe that the C&R rules dramatically increased the number of users on the river. It is definitely not a boutique fishery. It is one of the most heavily fished trout streams in the northwest. If it were to go back to a 5 fish limit it would soon become a boutique fishery as only a relative small number of special interest anglers would care to participate in the resultant poor fishing.

I am by no means a 100% C&R advocate, but we need to limit catches to the level where we have a healthy population of spawners to keep the system healthy. In some cases that will mean C&R. Not for elitism, but for healthy streams. Fortunately this often makes for more angler day of utilization.