oregonarcher, I would have to disagree. While that fish may die, it may (by some minute chance) make it to the spawning grounds. If you remove it from the system, you remove any hope for that chance. While I haven't been at this as long as most, I have hooked only a few (as in maybe 3) fish that swallowed my offering or were bleeding to an extent I questioned their survival. If proper handling and fishing techniques are applied, the risk of mortality is very low. As pointed out plenty of times before, there is NO need to retain native steelhead, ever.

Besides, if you really want to argue the waste of a dieing steelhead, look up Marine Derived Nutrients (MDN) or any of the other benefits associated with decomposing salmonids. I bet you will find that even floating belly up downriver, that steelhead is doing far more good for that river ecosystem than it is on your dinner table.