I have said before here that the achilles heel of sportfishermen is our lack of togetherness and strong rallys for our causes. SO,HERE IS OUR BIG CHANCE. The following TV stations have already been alerted about tomorrow morning's (Sat. 13th) PRO-SPORTFISHING RALLY at Cascade Locks town park boatramp parking lot (across to the Ore. side of the Bridge of the Gods from Hwy. 14) from 10:00 a.m. to noon (& secondarily at the Char Burger resturant parking lot where Indian springer sales also occur): KGW, KOIN, KATU, & KPTV of Portland & N.W. Cable News out of Seattle. Anyone that can alert other TV newsrooms in Seattle and central Washington please do so. You already know that the Columbia Tribes have been given netting and selling rights on this year's unexpectedly high run of mainstem springers thru May. THERE IS SIMPLY NO JUSTIFIABLE REASON NOT TO GIVE US SPORTFISHERS A MAINSTEM QUOTA ON THESE EXTRA FISH - UNLESS ONLY A FEW NON-LAZY FISHERS SHOW UP, INDICATING TO ALL IN THE NW THAT WE DON'T FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT THIS! We NEED a big show of sportfishermen to show up to support this cause and to show strength in numbers for future causes. Those planning to fish can plan to around this event by fishing early morn. &/or the afternoon at nearby Wind/Drano or other fisheries. Towing a fishing boat to the rally would be great! The nice weather predicted will make for a nice family picnic opportunity after the event somewhere up in the beautiful Col. R. Gorge! It's important to bring pro-sportfishing SIGNS, such as "FAIR QUOTA FOR SPORTFISHERMEN" (no anti-Indian netting signs or actions!)- you don't want to look like an observing bystander w/o a sign. We will be lobbying for a fair selective (fin clip) springer mainstem Col. quota the remainder of May and for all of next April &/or May when the run is predicted to be even bigger! A weak showing on TV news will send the wrong message. A BIG showing will send the right BIG message! An accomplishment here could help lead to accomplishing sportfishing goals for NW Washington later. Be there!!! Thanks people. - Steve Hanson

Hey we'll be there! Gotta go.

Sign suggestions: If you can't make a good sign w/ home materials, then such as Fred Meyers is open 'till 10 and has good white signboard, tape on lettering packets, and wooden stakes. I think I will use "FAIR QUOTA FOR SPORTFISHERMEN", at least for one side. Other suggestions given to me by people inside the fish political arena are "SPORTSMEN FISH SELECTIVELY", refering to keeping only fin clipped fish. "SALMON FISHING MEANS JOBS", due to a positive economic impact. "WHY CAN'T WE FISH DADDY?", for kids. "ENOUGH FISH FOR EVERYONE", and there is this & next year. Nothing anti-Indian or anti-netting that will jeopardize this event's success potential. If you talk to an Indian, tell them your glad they got some of the abundance they deserve, and politely tell them we want a quota that we deserve too. Thanks. - Steve

[This message has been edited by Reel Truth (edited 05-12-2000).]

Hope there was enough notice of this to get alot of people up there,I'm working graveyard and will be up as soon as I get off work.Might not have a sign but my wife and I will be there.See Ya.

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Bob Dawson

Plunker- I just e-mailed Jim Bain about an hour before I read your post here. Jim had e-mailed me to see about getting together about fishing issue discussions. My e-mail today to him was to express my disappointment over a very low turn-out for the rally today. Despite getting a few warnings that this could happen, I still was optimistic that with the real good case for our endeavor, and good weather, and several internet sights in Oregon (the Guides Forecast website also strongly called for fishermen attendance) & some in Wash. getting out a widespread message for a week, that we would get more than about 25 people for the cause. Two of the TV crews cell called me and I told them not to come up and embarrass NW sportfishermen. So, I got a dose of reality that a majority of sportfishermen are indeed collectively appethetic &/or lazy when it comes to actually doing something other than whine about their fishing opportunity plights. For at least awhile, this has taken the wind out of my sails in regards to wasting any more of my time and money trying to beat a dying horse onto it's feet. After I cool off I may contribute where I can, but without risking significant undue losses. Thanks for your interest. - Steve

Hi,RT it was good meeting you and jennie today,its a shame hardly anyone showed up,but its also a shame if we quit fighting if we do that we might as well sell our gear and stay home and watch t.v.I'm retireing in two years and I'm not retireing after 37 years to watch t.v.Maybe loseing our fall chinnok fishing will wake some people up.What happened today was exactly why the gillnetters always get there way I fought hard to get the last bill passed on banning gillnetting in the columbia got as many petitions signed as I could sent as much money as I could along with several hundred others I'm not going to quit untill I just get to old to fight anymore or they quit...I love to fish and want my grandkids to have the chance to fish so don't GIVE UP,we've just begun to fight Hang in there ,theres a bunch of us out here who feel the same as you.I tried to get on ifish to leave you this message but can't there must be alot of talk going on.hope to see you again.Bob Remember there really wasn't moch notice alot of people probaply made plans for the weekend so hang in there.

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Bob Dawson


[This message has been edited by dawhunt (edited 05-13-2000).]

Ifish is down due to technical problems.... It is driving me crazy!!!!

hang in there.... should be up soon...

Jen

RT I was glad to meet you also. It was not a no show. I will help out also. I do not have grand kids but I want my son to be able to fish for a long time. Small grass roots type of movements work well. Thanks again for all your work.

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dank