Who cares what fishermen want.. the question is how can we maintain quality fisheries and protect wild steelhead runs...

here is a hint you cannot save a fish by killing it with a stick on the head..
Catch and release fisheries allow there to be a fishery when harvest will wipe a fishery out as IS currently happening with wild steelhead in Washington state

So is this turning into a battle of the boards?

No it's not Steve. Many members are members of both boards. For the most part even in disagreements we respect each other.

That's a good thing,, Both boards are full of good people

biglar,

I hear you man. I can hardly drive around there because I get so wound up seeing those nets in there this time of year.

They have to know it's just wrong to be netting so late in the season, especially when the GH tribs are hurting like they are.

I drive by the Chehalis "netting grounds" between Lakeside and the mouth of the Wishkah daily. I have been pleasantly surprised to see few netters exercsing their rights to 5 days/week fishing. Maybe I am just driving by too early in the morning?

On the other hand, I was a little disappointed to see "wild steelhead" fillets on display at my favorite lunch hangout on the banks of the Wishkah. Didn't ask the owner about it, but I wonder how many of those fish this time of year are clipped. I imagine most of them really are wild.

Plunker,
Although it would be nice to live in a world where there were unlimited resources and we could dream about harvesting wild fish, those days are gone. We've got to save what we have left. If everybody who hooked a fish had the same conviction that you've demonstrated, there wouldn't be any fish left.

If it's meat you're looking for, why not head to the nearest market?

Ok - I'm expanding my viewpoint and actually beginning to see the positive side of this moratorium.

At first I was really bummed out by the ban and how the WSC influenced the Commission to violate the public trust by misleading us into thinking that our harvest rights were not on the block.

For me, the change had little consequence other than removing hope that someday in the future the Skagit might open for harvest of something besides bull trout.

It has a nice run of springers but we can't fish for them.
It has a nice run of sockeye but we can't fish for them.
It has a nice run of summer kings but we can't fish for them.
It has a nice run of humpies but we can only fish for them sometimes.
It has a nice run of silvers but we can only fish for them sometimes.
It has a nice run of steelhead but we can't fish for them.

We can catch bull trout, cutthroat (for now), chum and on some good years pinks and coho. It's hardly a year round fishery these days and it affords less and less opportunity every year.

I've thought about not buying another license for many years now when I see the yearly pruning of openings and especially when I buy my license after reading the regs to see how much fishing will be open and then some of that gets taken away after the purchase.

So, the way I see it is they did me a real favor. The money I would have spent on licenses, bait, gear and travel is more than enough to finance an annual 2-3 day guided trip to the Quinault for some fishing fun without a license. Add a trip or two to Canada, which is just an hours drive, plus an excuse to do some deep sea fishing, also without a license, and I can catch all the smelt I want for free.

That's not to mention all the cash I'll be saving by buying most of my fresh salmon from the tribal fishermen who are always willing to give it away for less than a dollar a pound.

So I'd like to thank everyone who worked so hard for this moratorium. You have given me a lot of free time saved me some money and assured me of being able to obtain the freshest tribal caught fish year round.

There will be no more whitefish and bull trout for me during the winter months. I'll be eating nice fat wild steelhead instead and at less than a buck a pound I'll be sure to can some for making salads and sandwiches off season.

Plunker: The new C&R rules essentially give you two choices: continue to fish while releasing wild fish, or stop fishing. You choose the latter. Apparently killing a fish is more important to you than having an opportunity to enjoy fishing. If your only pleasure in fishing is in the kill you have made the right choice. While I do not understand your way of thinking I do wish you luck in whatever you do.

Your signature seems to say it all for you. Wild fish are just meat.

He's already explained to us how playing a wild fish and releasing it is morally reprehensible in his book.

To catch a fish and put it back is not a consideration for Plunker.

I think I smell patchouli.....

Perfect...I'll take two!!

Rob Allen said: Who cares what fishermen want.. the question is how can we maintain quality fisheries and protect wild steelhead runs...

When a politician says "who cares what the voters want", everybody screams and that person gets booted out of office when his term is up.

When Rob Allen makes a similar statement... isn't it about the same for arrogance... You really think you know better than everybody else?

Come on....Rob has always spoken his mind..He is a "my way or the highway kind of guy"..You GO Rob