fished the calawah saturday, had a great time, seen lots of fish caught. I was fortunate to catch a nice wild steelhead and thier was alot of confusion on whether I should release it or whether I could keep 1. I choose to release it. I did keep 1 nice bright hatchery fish. Then I came home and read the new rule change on the wdfw web site. It seems I could have kept the wild fish?

how do you figure?

I figure from the wdfw web sites new posting.

You could have legally kept it. But with so many hatchery fish in the system right now, why keep the wild one?

Put-em back.

i agree put them back.. fill your punchcards with brats:)

I think Cupo hit the nail on the head. Yes, it would have been legal ... your one for the year.

But, with so many available brats and a severely depressed early component of the wild run ... it was without question the right thing to do to let her go.

Nov / Dec. nates used to pretty common out here. With the popularity of the bratfest on both the tribal and spots end though ... they're few and far between any longer. If you ever were to let a native go, that would have been the one to do so with.

We're hoping one day to perhaps start a broodstock program on those early fish in the Calawah to help rebuild things, but we honestly don't know if we could ever get enough participation to do it since so few of us are onit, especially in the early portion of the winter.

Regardless of the reason, .

Good call on the release.Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

I think you will end up happier with your decision to put it back the more you think about it.

thanks for putting that fish back, all wild fish should be put back.

thanks for the reply's, yeah it was a nice fish, but I got lots of fish in the freezer. Frist steelhead of the winter season, If I could catch 1 of one like that everytime I went out It wouldn't have been a question. I manly just wanted an answer on the rule ,thanks again

good fishing

Good input from everyone. Don't want you guys getting mad but I just don't know where your getting your information; where does it say one wild steelhead per year? On the Dept. of Fish & Wildlife website it says one a day on O.P. Rivers. Can't find anywhere where it says one wild fish per year. Can someone refer me to where Fish and Game has posted this? I'm not throughly convinced myself that there are any true wild steelhead left. I believe that mostly what we're catching is hatchery fish that have spawned in the rivers. They are most definetly a much superior fish and would truly like to enchance the fishery. Maybe a $5.00 spawning charge added to our fishing liscense to enchance spawning beds outside our hatcherys where the fish have a better chance to spawn after the hatcherys reach their limit. At the very least stop trucking steelhead down river to make the run all over again, must be putting a huge strain on the fish. I love the sport of steelheading and would give anything for it to be like it was 20 years ago. Thanks, Frank

Frank.. I know you mean well but my head hurts after reading your post... Is it April fools today or are you just messing with my mind...

Here you go Frank!

September 2, 2004
Contact: WDFW) Craig Bartlett, (360) 902-2259
(Commission) Susan Yeager, (360) 902-2449


Commission reverses wild steelhead ban,
adopts annual one-fish rule on 12 rivers
To hear audio from the
conference call click here
OLYMPIA – The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission today reversed a measure it approved last February that imposed a two-year moratorium on retaining any wild steelhead caught in state waters.

By a unanimous vote, the nine-member commission instead will allow anglers to retain one wild steelhead per year on a dozen rivers – all but one of which is on the Olympic Peninsula – affected by the moratorium.

The new annual limit for those rivers, which takes effect Oct. 3, is more conservative than the annual five-fish limit in effect before the moratorium was enacted last spring, said Will Roehl, commission chair.

“For all the discussion about what the annual limit should be on those rivers, any long-term decisions about steelhead management need to be based on the best available science,” Roehl said.

Toward that end, the commission has directed the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) to update its comprehensive plan for managing steelhead throughout the state. That plan, now being developed in conjunction with treaty tribes and other interested parties, is scheduled for completion in late 2006.

Rivers and streams affected by today’s action by the commission include the Bogachiel, Calawah, Clearwater, Dickey, Goodman, Green, Hoh, Hoko, Pysht, Quillayute, Quinault and the Soleduck.

Anglers must still release any wild steelhead caught on all other rivers and streams throughout the state. Hatchery-bred steelhead, which represent the majority of the annual catch statewide, are not subject to that rule, but are managed according to daily catch limits established on a river-by-river basis.

Citing scientific recommendations by WDFW for the 12 affected rivers, Roehl was one of several commissioners who questioned the biological need for an outright ban on wild-steelhead retention. Others expressed concerns about the lack of consultation with treaty tribes and the public before the moratorium was adopted last February.

“This time, we got the word out and had plenty of public input,” said Roehl, noting that the commission received more than 800 letters, e-mails and petitions on the moratorium today’s vote, which followed a public meeting dedicated to the issue Aug. 28 in Bremerton.

Actually, 20 years ago was about the start of when it really went in the tank for a few years.

Thank's JoJo after reading your post and rereading WDFW a number of times I get it, seasonal limit one fish. Dont know why I couldent see it.
cupo key word start, would it have been better for you if i would have said 21 years ago or when i was a kid.

my dad rembers we you use to be able to go out on thanksgiving and slay steelhead he said when the first started to put the nets in 1976 the fish just went down hill each year and the fish just weren't there in that part of the year anymore and the havvest just kept going down