ctflyfish

Who is we? Do you believe that it was the sport fishermen who has been the cause for the decline of wild steelhead on the East fork of the Lewis? Were you familiar with the massive gill net fishery that had occurred during that same time period for coho in the Columbia ?

Are you familiar with what size of net they use for this fishery? Do you know how long the "coho" net fishery ran in the Columbia during the time periods from 1960-1980's ? Did you understand how many "steelhead" actually get killed during the late coho gill net fishery?

During the very limited "tangle net" spring chinook fishery that used "coho nets" in place of the "tangle nets", in 2002 the tangle net fishery intercepted more steelhead than the targeted hatchery-origin spring chinook. Of the 20,900 steelhead caught in this fishery 12,400 were wild fish. Estimates of mortality, both immediate and post-release, are between 2,400 and 6,100 threatened, wild winter steelhead, representing between 5 and 15% of the entire run.

Do you really believe that Region 5 decline in wild steelhead were do to sport fishing harvest? Do you have any idea how many wild steelhead were killed each year from the coho and spring chinook gill net fishery in the Columbia each year? Do you realize that wild steelhead was commercially "targeted" in the Columbia gill net fishery in 1960- 1970's?

Do you still believe that their recovery is due to the C&R rules that are now in effect, or is it because they are now only being taken as "by-catch" in the gill net fishery?


Cowlitzfisherman

Bob, I like your style! Doesn't even matter to me if you and I always agree, you da man! Superbly written justifiable complaint. And I personally have no doubt that you will find a way to help those in need. Hats off to you and Corey!!

I think some people might need to reread that old book "The Emperor's New Clothes"

CFM ... Just an FYI, WSR has been our policy since day one since I first started guiding part-time in 1991.

Ikiss ... on your observation, it stems mostly from being a very vocal proponent of a less than overwhelmingly popular idea in these parts. No skin off my back, I sleep well at night knowing that I'm trying to do my part to help limit my (as well as our guests) impact and to help preserve these runs for generations to come.

It's inetersting to note that 4-5 years ago as rivers across the state fell on their faces and closed and we watched an exodus of anglers come this way I was labled the scouge of the earth because of the site and all the publicity it gave the area and all the extra people it brought this way. Now, that WSR is becoming close to becoming a reality, I'm now the scouge of the earth for driving all the business away

It seems many people have the need for a scapegoat, and I'm an easy target

Bob, I for one support your stance and am not about to fish up in Forks until WSR is in place. I have absolutely no need to eat wild steelhead and even let the last few hatchery fish I caught go - dark and mushy is not too appetizing. I do however absolutely love to catch steelhead, lots of them, and once the wild fish are allowed to remain in the river I expect the fishing will resemble what I came to expect up there in the 70's and 80's. I have personally caught the same wild fish 3 times in one day , so I know that the fish we release will be caught over and over. The catching is what makes the fishing interesting, not the bonking and gutting. Now maybe I can say all this because I'm about to finish up my 3rd salmon card on Columbia springers, so why in hell would I want to eat an old river fish? But that's just elitist old me :p