After reading these posts and an article about those who believe in C&R and those who don't in one of the fishing mags yesterday at the dentist office I just got to wonder if this whole thing does not boil down to the same foolish BS that is taking place in our national elections and the division our country is in.
The article seem to show that those who wanted to kill fish and thought C&R wrong were strongly conservative Christian or had Native religous ties. Those who were for C&R did not mention their ties to any religion but seemed more science backed in their beliefs.

Does anyone else see a pattern here or am I just paranoid. I'm a religious man and I love to eat fish I catch but I'm a foolish man to not see the writting on the wall that certain fish can no longer be killed as in the old days. There are just too many of us now in this world. I know C&R is not the total answer but it is something I can live with because I at least get to go fishing and I don't think God gonna get me for wanting to be outside enjoying what's left of his once bountiful world. I have a distrust for all those who are selfish. This includes the bonkers of wild steelhead and those who constantly C&R fish on a daily basis. That includes guides that fish rivers releasing 5 or six fish a day. I wish the C&R people when it comes to steelhead would be happy with hooking one fish a trip watching it swim away and calling it a great day just to have done that. At least that really reduces death By C&R. I wish the bonkers would understand we just don't have many wild steelhead left and fish to eat on other more plentiful fish. Let the steelhead be that sport fish it should have always been.

For me both sides are on a high horse a self rihtgious horse myself included But damn I can only think that God and Country can only respect me for letting that one beautiful creature go to spawn again. We humans screwed it up real bad, God must be mad about it but he also must understand for both sides on this issue we need to be out enjoying what he has given us to some degree. Food for the table is a good thing but if the food is gone forever if it don't swim in the river anymore it does not give anyone any enjoyment at all.

I think the best comprimise in this would be this. If the mortalitty rate most talk about and a conservative number is 10% then those who practice C&R should be able to land and release 10 wild fish then they are done for the year. Those want one for the table must keep the first wild fish they catch and stop fishing for steelhead, hatchery and wild both for the rest of the season. Those who decide to C&R can not change course and keep one and those who want to keep one can only fish till they catch there first and can't change course.
Now both sides have a one dead wild steelhead to their credit and no chance of killing more.

Love and Peace