I've been on this board for many years under an older name (BenWa) and rarely feel compelled to post unless engaging in some light hearted ribbing ..

I already know the answer to how "everyone" feels about the killing of our precious and dwindling Native Steelhead population in general... against it!

While fishing a coastal river yesterday, where it is legal for the yearly single retention of one fish, During the day It was brought to my attention that a group of guides who work together on this river.. or at minimum are friends that fish/work this system have been killing Natives for their customers daily for the last month..

Just my take, and from what I've read in other posts over the years, most peoples opinion is that Guides have a responsibility to act as ambassadors and the first line of defense for these endangered fish, to be teachers for the uneducated on the subject; To be up front and state that there will be NO killing on their trips..

Was really upset to hear of this on a river that still has a "healthy" return of these prized and precious fish.. but for a couple dollars or lack of ethic will not be so for much longer with this mindset and business practice

We slayed em.. (Thank you Fly, yet another awesome day as usual) All fish were treated with respect land released on their way healthy and no worse for the experience.. helping ensure the future of this fishery, We hold in such high esteem


Just a random rant..thanks for listening
Peace~

Why would you have to kill a nate?

Listen - it's extremely stupid...but its the law. Until the law is changed, some guides will continue to kill nates to appease their clients. The client is always right (even when they are wrong). They spend big dollars to fish the OP and want "something to show for it". If it's still legal to kill a nate, they catch one and insist on keeping it...and the guide doesn't let them keep the fish, then its game over for the guide. No tip, no repeat booking.

You have to change the law to change the behavior. Deplorable I know - but that's the way life works. You have to start at the TOP of the food chain, not in the middle. Wish it were different...

Tight lines,

When I book a few trips a year on the OP..........I would only book with guides that don't kill'em................What was said above.........the guide must be the first line of defense as it's his lively hood on the line and they have the option to tell there clients no retention and or book only the clients that like to release for certain river systems and then book the kill everything clients for the hatchery kill systems...............If ya think about it most guides have several different client they take through out the season so that pretty much means most all trips have room on there tag's to kill there one....not smart if your a guide in it for the long haul.Short time(Bus) greed will catch up soon.Good luck,
SZ

I heard of a 28 lb fish bonked this season. I bet it didn't even taste that great. That same boat also bonked two others that day that went over 20. Makes me sick. I've only been in this steelhead game for a couple years now. It's sad to see as I'd like to continue fishing for these incredible fish til my dying days.

might as well fry up some sawdust... cause that's what most those big ones would taste like.

killing for a trophy and removing the genetics from the river is about as smart as shooting yourself in the foot, cause they are 2 in the same.

Never have never will, won't run trips for killing hates, just my style. Ive had clients ask after booking about killing them and work my way around it or try and educate them on why I don't believe in it.
That said, what is black and white to us isn't so much for everyone else, and maybe just like boycotting the places that buy or sell native steelhead, book with guides like Bob, ect that don't believe in it and probably take the job as more then just that and teach more then just catching.
you're never going to get everyone to see things the same way, they have their rights by law, but you can do your part. my $.02

Phill-I use pissing in a pool your about to jump into as my analogy

Sadly, it's almost everyone ... even lots of those who tend to put their "let them go" mask on whenever they need to. Fact is, I know of only three Forks resident guides that do not kill. Some kill most of what they can, so they can get their "limit" and be done early ... others let a near-majority go, and a few kill just a handful. To me, it boils down to a mater of integrity and is black-and-white: you either do or you don't, and few don't. We know their plight throughout most of their range, we know that harvest is a contributing factor, we know that these fish are being hit harder than ever, even if being let go in response to being the only fishery left in the state ... but only a couple are willing to live by their belief of lessening their impact before the almighty dollar.

Those that kill a a lot often justify it by saying (these are actual reasons given that have made it back my way): They're all going to die anyways or There's so many that they are spawning on top of one another.

Others know that they probably should and always say: well we've only killed a few, or It was there very first one.

Sadly a number of peeps that post here mention folks suggest that the guides they use / businesses they frequent practice or support WSR all the time, guess what, virtually none of them do so.

Yes, it is legal and why I rarely ever make a fuss on the water, but I will gladly state my opinions here and elsewhere in the appropriate setting. We've lost 99% of the steelhead rivers in this state now ... for a variety of reasons, but all under WDFW management. We have a handful of rivers left hangin' by a thread to runs that often haven't met escapement in the last 20 years, such as the Hoh ... so even though the visionaries say it's okay to do so, I'm going to make that safe bet and say that these fish need a little more protection that the state says they do.

wouldnt it be way cooler if more people hired guides a couple months ago to kill 3 hatchery fish instead of 1 native.

more meat. and u can often hook more of them.

Who are the three that don't bonk nates? That is helpful info for people that don't already know and want to book a guide.

Proud to say I bonked my last wild fish in 1995,, never guess who's boat it was in though:)

All for supporting the guides who are leading the fight the right way and not killing native fish. In my opinion if you are guiding the people on you boat will listen to you more than some random dude with something to say. If the guides don't bonk the fish I think its always gonna be for the better.
Native steelhead killers are the same people who's favorite fish to catch are spawned out humpies. I hate pink years for the reason of more ignorant people on the river.

For a guide struggling to make ends meet it is hard to turn away paying customers even if those customers want to bonk a Native. Walk a mile in his shoes before getting all high and mighty.

It isn't a guides job to determine when and where fish can be kept, that is WDFW's job, you can't hold a guide responsible for a decision that isn't his.

Note: while it doesn't change the validity of my argument one bit, I'll make a point of noting that I have never bonked a native.

That is just a really dumb statement, with no basis in fact. Come on!

I have talked to many people over the years that have killed their one native fish and most of them are normal everyday fisherman that don't realize the harm they are doing, WDFW tells them they can kill one fish a year, so they do. That in no way means their favorite fish to catch are spawned out humpies. This would be funny if I didn't think you were serious.

Its a sh!tty circumstance for everyone involved. Except for the native killers.
Looks like till the law is changed to how it should be its going to stay the same.

Serious as herpes. I think if your gonna take part in the sport you should know the harm and benefits that you as a fisherman are causing.
My opinion is that most native killers are misinformed and should be educated on the issues and the actual harm they are doing to an already struggling species.

Nothing new...money talks and bullshi*t walks. Problem here is that if a client won't book because he can't bonk a native, the guide knows he'll just call up another guide service until he finds one that will (which isn't hard). I would venture that there are maybe half a dozen guides in the Forks area that would flat refuse to allow a client to kill a fish and three of them are solely fly guides (who probably rarely, if ever get asked to kill a native).

I feel that the state of Washington should have much more stringent rules on granting guide licenses, including mandatory education and limiting the number of permits for each river. That's the way BC does it, and there are way fewer fly-by-night operations up there. Out on the OP, it seems like every year I see more and more guides coming over because it's the off-season in their home location and they are trying to make a buck exploiting the latest flavor of the week. I'm not against guides at all, but I think Washington is a bit archaic in how they handle the situation (surprise, surprise).

I don't know how many here follow Doug Rose, but he put up a great blog post pertaining to the Peninsula a week ago: http://dougroseflyfishing.com/blog/?p=672

Agreed, but that isn't what you said the first time. I am still waiting for proof to back up your first claim.

I wonder how many clients would refuse a trip if their guide doesn't allow killing wild fish. I never hear of the BC guides complaining that they are losing bookings due to the province-wide wild steelhead release regulations. Anybody who can afford to fish with a guide doesn't need a wild steelhead to eat. I think there is still a lot of room for education in the angler ranks.

Sg

I guess I have no proof that the majority of people fishing for spawned out humpies are not ethical fisherman. haha
Its my opinion and there is no need for proof. If your gonna try to start an online argument its going to be as pathetic as all the others. Don't get this thread lock like so many others.

I am sorry for hurting your feelings or whatever happened. I just think its a shame to keep a native hurting species.