Bob
I just wanted to thank you publicly for providing a this forum which was in large part responsible for the quality of testimony that was provided today at the WDFW meeting. Although the WSC has grown beyond this board. It is the quality of this website that attracted so many like minded anglers and was it seems to me largely responsible for the WSC's ability to become organized soo effectivly so quickly.
Today I witnessed the steelheading community as the unified as it ever has been. Even if proposal number 1 is ignored by the comission. The commitment and integrity of the WSC cannot be questioned and I see this group becoming a very powerful voice in Washington state and it all started right bere on your site. So I thank you.
Tight Lines
Rob Allen

Thanks Bob...I know it was hard to make that trip.
Who else went???

Way to go, Bob and clan!
Three cheers! No! three thousand!!!
Jen

Bob,
How many letters did people end up sending from this site? Thanks.

Hey pp, it's in the white box towards the top of the screen. 512 form letters.

There might have been more than 512. I couldn't access the board all Friday evening....

Thanks for the kind words everyone, I appreciate it. We need to thanks lots more folks though as well that did a wonderful job of showing what the vast majority of the state's anglers are looking for: healthy runs and great angling opportunities.

I'm especially proud of the job the WSC did and the efforts of several TU members as well ... but we can't forget all the individuals that took the time to write letters of support and showed up to testify!

Not too bad for "one guide and a small group of followers".

How deep is the a$$ on the mayor of Forks? Only asking because his head seems to be fully buried there.

Thanks Bob for being with us, it takes great courage to stand for something that's so important. In your neck of the woods it's even more true.

Dan s,
Please be patient with the political games that were played in Forks just before the meeting. One must remember that the current mayor was voted out of office last month by a majority and that a certain council woman has a son I believe that feels strongly that killing wild steelhead will keep food on his table or something like that.
The Town of Forks has come a long way in the last few years after loss of so many jobs due to spotted owl. I was proud of what they have been doing to make headway in a county that has been short of cash. I'm hoping that the owners of shops and motels will reconsider their withdrawl of their support for C&R after they understand the income they most likely will be without if there is a boycott of anything in their town except the guides assc. who supported C&R. I have a feeling that once they understand that with C&R on wild fish not only will C&R sportsmen stay in Forks but the other users will still come to Forks because they want to catch fish and that they still have the bonus of taking home hatchery fish. If anyone has doubt about that please do a little research into the towns of Livingston, Bozeman and West Yellowstone Montana. There was an initial uproar out that way by those that had killed wild trout for years most of the oponents of release were elderly like what we saw at the testimony on saturday. They still came to those towns and spent money but the bonus for those towns was when fishing improved in just a couple of years those very towns number one income was tourist dollars related to fishermen.
To all you C&R folks please do not respond to the negativity on all these boards, it may very well be a war this C&R thing but lets keep it civil why add fuel to the fire, we have two months to go.
Land Tuna.