I agree that wild fish need to be released. In oregon, the get landed quickly, netted in a safe net, hooks either cut at mouth or pulled if easy to do and the the fish never leave the water. What a great time to educate.

However, I see all these fish fought for long periods of time, drug into the shallows by these ethical purists and then take that same fish that is not suppose to be killed and held with a damn ventral fin grazing the fukn water.

That fish is a hurtin fish and will struggle to make it. I am confused. Like many have said, the 1 fish a year policy needs to be lifted and a no kill policy needs to be adopted.

However, Washington allows for 1 per year.

if you are fishing in the river and you get a fish the gets its gills damaged or a deep tongue hooking.. that fish is dead. How many of you use single siwash on your K9X? well if you do, you just increased your chance to deep hook a nate. There is a good chance that you ethical policeman are going to let that fish go, and this is after that long fight, and that glamourous fin touching the water pic and that fish is dead. tumbling down the damn river.

Oh, but the sculpin and bugs will benifit.. The eco system... You are right, they do benefit, they also benefit from a gut pile and the remains from a filleted out fish. See the 1 fish a year allows you to make a choice.

Choices are good, you can either let that fish go, knowing full well that fish is fukd. or kill it. that is your option.

I personally let my fish go, but Yes I did keep a nate last year on my annual trip due to a deep hook and the fish was bleeding out. After trying to let it go, it was dead and I kept that 6lb fish. Yep punched my tag, was bummed about killing a fish, but when you fish you made a decision that you may kill that day.

Whatever puts you all to sleep at night. because really thats all I am reading here. is people typing whos more ethical the who.

Damner everyone here on this site is extremely ethical. its the people not on this site that need help with their educaiton on the importance of our wild fish.

But I think we need to all look at how we are doing the job either as guides (which) I am, or as regular die hard steelheaders. Just remember most everyone here finds a way to justify his or her actions.

Kyle