Gary,
Thanks for quoting the actual regs....and pointing out the wording "release". Given this wording I can't believe any citation would hold up in court. Thankfully it is a moot point now that the season is open. What bothers me most about this whole thread is the attitude that if the fish aren't legal to kill, then we shouldn't fish for them. I think CR is the future of sportfishing and that Chums on the Skagit are an excellent opportunity, where the impact to the run would be negligible....who'd want to keep one anyway?