"but all things considered a released salmon represents another opportunity for someone to catch it again. A dead salmon is just high cost protein."

"but all things considered a released trout represents another opportunity for someone to catch it again. A dead trout is just high cost protein."

"but all things considered a released sturgeon represents another opportunity for someone to catch it again. A dead sturgeon is just high cost protein."

"but all things considered a released shad represents another opportunity for someone to catch it again. A dead shad is just high cost protein."

Where does it end. You see Dave, you and I see things from a different perpective. The difference is that I don't "expect" people to be forced into seeing it my way like you and some others do. I don't make a "distiction" between a wild steelhead or a wild shad. You choose to hold wild steelhead up on a pedistal and worship it like it is somehow a better fish than a salmon, shad or sturgeon. To me it is a gamefish to be caught and/or harvested or released by sport fisherman. It is a sport and a sport that we all enjoy in one way or another, but if people like you get your way then the rest of us will be forced into enjoying our sport your way and your way only and I don't like the idea of that. I fear that now it is steelhead but tomorrow it will be salmon then it will be sturgeon all in the name of conservation. Well you know what Dave, the simple act of fishing itself is not very conservation like, if you really want to get serious about steelhead conservation then you should just quit fishing for wild steelhead.