Saw a big sign at Everett Marina advertising fresh Wild King Salmon for sale. Sign emphasized WILD. Price: $1.99 per pound.

This is ridiculous. The state should buy these people off and save the fish, especially wild fish.

Just my opinion, of course.

Some of the stores advertising "wild" fish have actually meant fish that were not raised in a pen, like most Atlantics you see that have a higher fat content which adds to their fishier flavor, yuck. I saw the same thing at Fred Myers, and the silvers there were actually hatchery fish, finclipped.

This could be the case, Andy

I agree. I'm not sure how they could tell if they were wild or hatchery released since most hatchery Chinook salmon are not clipped. But they are probably not pen- raised, which is why they advertised them as "wild".

I don't like the idea of selling "wild" fish either as it's just a maketing ploy to increase sales. I don't get it. People don't freak out about eating farm-raised chickens, beef, or pork. Do they? When is the last time somebody advertised "Wild chickens, $2.99 lb." People would freak out if they saw that or how about "Wild Beef, $3.99 lb." You wouldn't sell much so why all the fuss about wild fish? I say that all fish sold commercially should be farm-raised just like the rest of the meat out there in the supermarket. If people want wild fish (hatchery origin fish that are living in the "wild") then they can go out and catch it their damn selves!!!

I have witnessed some of the dorkiest, most pansy ass yuppies I've ever seen freakin' out over the Copper River fish at the Pike Place Market not to mention area restaurants. I really don't think that these daisy sniffers would like the idea of eating "wild" chickens, beef, etc. so why do they feel the need to eat wild fish?

I just laugh at folks who BUY salmon. Imagine actually going to the store for something that you could go out and catch yourself.

I have not bought any seafood, with the exception of scallops, king crab, and some tiger prawns in over 10 years, (after I have run out of Hood Canal spot shrimp). If I want seafood, I go and get it myself.

When I tell friends who come over for dinner that I caught the fish they are eating, they seem so surprised. Fed 16 on Sekiu silvers Friday night. Time to stock up.

I asked one of our friends if she gardened, and she did. I asked her why, when you could just go down to the store and buy your corn, tomato, cabbage and such. She said she did it so that she could "have a connection with the food that she feeds her family." I told her that was one of the reasons why I fish and hunt, and then she understood.

One down, only about a million more Washington yuppies to go!

Caught it, killed it, cleaned it, cooked it.
Doesn't get any better than that.

Andy

Sure, IF you enjoy it and you have the coin to buy the gear.

Face it, it's a pain in the a** to catch salmon on a regular basis. It's also expensive. You can't tell me that you're catching salmon for less than $2/lb. How much gear have you bought? How far do you drive to get to the fish? How much is your time worth? How many nates or out-of-season fish do you have to go through to get to a bonker?

If your goal is to eat salmon fillets, buying it at the market is a helluva lot easier and cheaper than catching it. However, if you enjoy fishing, eating the fish is a fringe benefit that you probably consider to be icing on the cake. Certainly the C&R crowd isn't in it for the eating.

The lady down the street that raises sheep probably thinks I'm stupid for buying a leg-o-lamb at the store, when I could raise my own

The reason that people buy fish in the store is because they simply want to eat fish. The same goes for me buying chicken breasts. I eat rougly 4 per day. I am currently living in Shoreline and my neighbors would go postal if I started raising chickens, let alone cows or pigs. My place in Darrington is a different story as I can raise all the livestock I'd ever need but most would get donated to hungry cougars

What we are talking about here is the fact that the public is buying fish marketed as "Wild" and there is no good reason why there cannot be a 100% farm-raised supply of fish for the general public. This includes supermarkets and restaurants. Since all the other animals in the supermarket (most of them at least) are farm-raised, then why not sell salmon solely from fish farms? I know I may be young and somewhat idealistic but something has to be done as commercial harvest is no longer needed with modern fish farming.

This is a sportfishing BB and I will not support the buying or selling of wild fish stocks. Problem is, as long as there are wealthy people hungry for salmon, then there will be a market for them.

I like to eat leg of lamb too, but if I started raising sheep, then Hey Yall and RT would be over all the time. Harassing them

:p

Howdy Finegrain,

I said that "one" of the reasons that I go out was to get some fish to eat, primarily hatchery silvers. Not many wild fish killed by me, except for four pinks and one king this year. I prefer silvers to most others, except sockeye. They're the best, but I can't catch those with regularity.

I go fishing for the entertainment value. That's the primary reason why I go. My boats been paid for for about 4 years now, so one tune-up a year plus gas, oil and bait, plus gear replacement are what I have to figure in. Both salmon rods are over 12 years old, etc. Total invested in gear is about $3,000.00 because I bought my boat with a friend. Figure 30 days a year on the water fishing, crabbing, and shrimping you get about $25 a trip, but that gets less every time I go out.

Last trip I spent $60 on gas, $24 for campground and moorage, and $30 on bait. Add in about $5 for gear "used up" specifically on this trip and I get about $120 for the total trip. Cost of food doesn't count, 'cause I'd eat it no matter where I was. Divide that by the three of us who went and you get $40 per person for two days of fishing, or $20 a day each. Now figure that we caught two fish each, average of about 7 pounds with maybe 10 lbs of meat in each person's daily limit.
That gets me to about $2.80 a pound. We also caught 53 fish. so there was definitely some value in the fish we released.

Is it the cheapest or easiest way to get food? No! It is a lot of work, and it takes a lot of time, but there is satisfaction that you get from it that just doesn't exist at the grocery store. I also butcher my own game, so I know that the time and money involved make it more expensive. Hunting and fishing are my hobbies, and I do both relatively well, but I am willing to pay to do it. I could ride dirtbikes like some of my friends, but what could I bring home except for broken parts, and dirty clothes?

You are right that eating is the icing on the cake. Providing a dinner for your friends just makes it even sweeter.

Kid Sauk,

I agree with you on the wild fish issue, but your average city dweller citizen doesn't possess the knowledge that you, I or Finegrain has about the issues related to salmon and more than half wouldn't know what an adipose fin was. Some dork in advertising probably thought, "Well, if they don't come from a farm, they must be wild."

That is why I catch my own fish to eat, so that I know if it is wild or hatchery. I am in control of what I eat.

Take care, and I know that we are all on the same side of the issue. Andy

Hey Kid,

You don't really want all those millions of average schmoes out there crowding the already impacted rivers do ya?

Thomas