RA,

Less than 1% hooking mortality is ridiculously optimistic.

Hooking mortality studies show ~3-5% hooking mortality on adult salmonids in the river. However, these studies are generally carried out by expert anglers and fish handlers (ie fish biologists and guides).

Given that most CNR fishers don't have this high level of expertise I would expect mortality to be higher. 10% seems like a conservative estimate, as I have certainly witnessed lots of wild steelhead handling that was less than gentle.

Maybe this keeping the fish in the water reg will help with that. . .

BTW do you feel the same way about wild steelhead as you do wild chinook. If not why not?