Rich,

I really do admire your spirit, but it does make me a little nervous to know that you are in law enforcement and so often see you letting your emotions get the best of you.

The WDFW Commission's decision to allow a one wild steelhead harvest is NOT the same as 5. According to WDFW's data and harvest projections, any season limit greater than one would be about the same as 5. The one fish limit is expected to result in a reduced wild steelhead harvest. Perhaps the reduction isn't a lot, but it isn't the same as the existing condition. Of course, that projection doesn't consider that there may be a steady increase in fishing pressure on OP rivers by anglers wishing to catch and keep a wild steelhead.

The Commission's decision appears constructive toward conservation and cautious toward potential legal action by tribes, a prudent compromise. The interesting thing is that the Commission no doubt will extend the statewide ban on keeping wild steelhead to the OP rivers. It's not a matter of if; it's a matter of when. They had the opportunity to do it pro-actively, before the runs were thoroughly depleted, or they will do it reactively - as they did with the rest of the state - and do it after the runs are pretty much depleted. The steady increase in the human population in this state, and the obvious lack of political will to protect and recover fishery resources, pretty well insures that abundant harvestable wild steelhead will not persist indefinitely.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.