StlHdr69,
Thanks for a very uplifting post. There has been many serious discussions and some lighthearted ones on the two BB's that I like to read and post on (here and ifish) but very few that remind us all of what it is really all about. I have been here in Washington 6 years and caught my first salmon about two months after I got here, at the time I was obsessed with the "fill the freezer" mentality as I was overwelmed by just the great opportunity to fish for, eat and enjoy such a great delicasy. The longer that I am here and the more I catch fish, the importance of keeping and retaining fish becomes less and less. What is really important is the memories of the day, the time shared with friends and family, the smells and sound of the salt air or the sound of the river flowing. It reminded me of the first striper I caught while with my Dad. The first trip to the American River to fish for shad and how good those pancakes tasted that we stopped for on the way. It is for all of those reasons that fishing will keep me coming back again and again. Thanks again.
Tight lines, Jeff