I just noticed this topic after coming inside to finish getting ready for another 3 day Westport adventure.

I have to say I agree with Dave on this. I think Clint should have thought it through a bit more before writing a letter that was sure to alienate 1/2 the people while satisfying the other half. I was not present at the board meeting where I understand this letter was voted on by all 14 chapters. I have to say I was surprised at the letter when I saw it. Try writing a letter and posting it here on gay marriage or religion or politics...you would get skinned alive.

What is really disappointing though is the bashing that this BB dishes out so quickly to anyone appearing not to totally toe the PP line. I find it immensely hypocritical to stand up on the ivory throne and pronounce that you will no longer allow a PSA link on this website....and Parker.....blah blah I will tell everyone I see PSA sucks...and so on. I really get the impression that so many folks on this site are following Bob as the pied piper and whistle whatever tune it takes to be accepted into the inner circle....sorry but I have seen so much bad blood and holier-than-thou stuff surrounding this steelhead issue that it is disturbing. These same htt folks think nothing of holding up a wild native steelhead out of the water for a photo and skoff at the notion that they, too, are impacting the runs they proclaim to be so fragile as to need emergency moratoriums.

Will you stop going to the indian casinoes? NO...will you stop buying indian smokes? NO..hell you're not going to do that because there isn't a damn thing you can do about the tribes.....And you won't stop targetting wild steelhead to catch over and over again until they die because you are a "professional" and you know how to handle the fish and you are not the problem....it is those neandrathal a holes who want to catch and keep fish that are making the runs collapse. Right?

I am not sure about the moratorium myself but I can tell you one thing for sure. I am not going to plant my feet into the sand so hard on one side or the other that I am myopic to one side's view or the other. People on both sides of this issue are so cock sure that they are right they will resort to bashing a good organization or bashing a good friend even.

If there aren't enough wild fish to harvest by someone's yardstick then for god's sake stop targetting the damn things!!! Don't tell the guys who want to take a fish home to go f themselves and stay off "your" river while you target the same fish for photographs and bragging rights. Don't clog the rivers with guides promising their clients a run in with a "wild" native hawg steelhead....And don't even try to say that doesn't happen.

Steelhead seem to be crashing all over the region for some reason and the C&R only rivers are not exempt for severe decline. Seems to be we need to lay off them when they are in the rivers in good numbers which would be Feb-April. Lay off totally. Then go after the tribes to stop netting them. Go after a state law to make steelhead off limits to commercial sale. Then maybe you can help revive the runs. Then who decides when the runs are healthy enough to again start the cycle of harvest? Judging from this debate I suspect there never will be a sufficient number of wild fish to allow harvest. Never. Some of this boils down to selfishness. Some of this is about trimming the number of "crackers" on the rivers that the "professionals" fish on.

I respect Dave Vedder's approach to this the most. Atleast Dave sets out some salient points and doesn't knee jerk like so many others have done here. I expect the knee jerk on PP because for some reason this site brings out the worst in people sometimes.

In conclusion, I need to remind you that I have never kept a wild steelhead and do not target them for C&R. My steelhead fishing is for hatchery fish. Have to admit there was a time when I wanted one of those Quinault 30# fish on my wall but I learned that there isn't enough foil in the world to protect me from the flaming.

PSA is a good organization made up of some good people who like to fish and have fun. We don't all agree on everything. For that reason we usually do not take blanket stands on issues like this moratorium. This time the board saw fit to do so and will have to weather the criticism from this BB and accept the praises from whence it comes. I just hope that they have plenty of enforcement officers and metal detectors at the upcoming meeting on the moratorium.