Flossing is snagging ,and sportsmen don't snag.
Gotta love the hordes of people and hundreds of guides ,snagging our sockeye into extinction .Now there working on the Chinooks ,coho and even steelhead.
The act of flossing IS a conservation concern ,it's all about "meat" ,and that is a concern.
With the growing population and shrinking salmon runs ,we should be concentrating on fishing for sport ,with a emphasis on limiting our kill.Instead, we have everyone "goldrushing" the Fraser, and snagging and killing the fish at an alarming rate. Last year we had a catasrophically low return of sockeye ,and the snaggers never skipped a beat .This year we are seeing another brutally low return of both springs and sockeye ,and yet again the snaggers are out in full force ,looking to fill freezers ,pathetic .
These same people have the gall ,to blame the natives for the decline in stocks ,while snagging away on depleted stocks ,very sad.
Not only are sockeye stocks very low ,but it's not even open for sockeye ,yet the snaggers keep on snaggin ,and are killing imporatant spawners on the long journey to their rivers of origin.Instead an angler could simply fish with spin n glos (bar fishing) ,and would encounter only Chinook and not endanger the closed sockeyes.I'm glad to see some visiting Americans are sticking with this method (barfishing) ,you're sportsmanship is much appreciated ,to the snaggers ,STAY HOME .
Keep in mind ,when you snag a fish in the belly ,it allows water to enter the body cavity and render all eggs useless,due to water hardening (remember that when you're brilliantly flossing coho or springs on you're favorite river).
As a guide in the Fraser Valley ,I can hardly watch as the ethics in fishing is driven into the ground .What started out as a way to harvest abundant sockeye ,has turned into a way to catch anything that swims and is definately helping to wipe out our salmon runs.This technique has spread to all rivers ,including during steelhead season ,it's gross ,not angling at all.
Friends who guide on the Skeena system ,are horrified by the fact ,most visiting anglers are using this method now and are injuring "world class " steelhead on their journey home ,up the skeena river.
For me , the greatest part of fishing ,has always been ,figuring out what the fish will bite on ,or being there ,when the "BITE" is on ,or discovering a deadly lure .Putting "MEAT" in the freezer has only been a added bonus to all the above .
I would still fish as much as I could ,if I had to release everything. If you feel the same way ,then I would do the sport a favor ,and give up this debauchery ,and support the movement to bring the "sport" back to sportfishing .
Somethings to ponder
"lure" - it's called a fishing lure because the fish is lured to IT .
"how are they biting", "any bites" ,most good fishing stories relate to the "BITE",have we given this up???.
Will you be proud showing your grandkids ,the pictures of all the fine fish you snagged ??.
Do snaggers keep a journal of all the details of every trip ???,and why not ???.
Is it because all limiting factors are thrown out the window when snagging ,AYUP.
Snagging is like kissing your sister ,"not worth mentioning ".
Hey ,but at least you can tell your grandkids how good the meat tasted ,yipeee :rolleyes: .