_WW_ spot on when he says hookups will be rare. Just glad to hear an "opportunity" may exist. Getting a tug makes all the effort worth while. Thanks to all you folks that put in the time to make this a reality. Not to be to optimistic, but maybe something to build on to expand around on some other PS rivers in my neck of the woods.

Jam Session,

The 10% incidental mortality rate came about by agreement between NMFS, WDFW, ODFW, and treaty tribes. I guess you could say it's more policy based than science based. They needed a number, and 10% is the number all were apparently willing to agree to. To those of us who participate in several types and areas of fishing 10% is likely too low for some and too high for others. But it's the number we're stuck with unless and until definitive studies for specific fisheries occur.

Sg

ONE ( as in singular solitary ) hook point, barbless, baitless... should be a NO BRAINER.

Don't underestimate how lethal it is to overplay a fish, net it, grab it a bunch of times and take tons of pictures of it!

fb

I for one would be elated just to FISH my home waters again before I'm fvcking dead.

Some of this information is dated so it may not be entirely accurate but I think it's close enough to get the idea across.
The management plan was put together by WDFW, three tribes, and the Skagit River System Cooperative. The tribes were involved because that's what co-management means, and it's the law.

It's been reported that the tribes use most of their impacts during the Spring chinook fishery (June) which results in capturing steelhead kelts. This is not accounted for in a 1 for 1 manner, but something like 6 kelts being equal to 1 impact. Reason being that the fish have spawned already and there is reduced likelyhood that most of them will return again.

In the C&R fishery, impacts are calculated at 10% mortality; 10 released = 1 impact.

So what does it all mean?
Lets run some numbers. In the tiered impacts schedule a forecasted run of 5000 fish would allow for 10% impacts. That's 500 dead fish. The Tribes get half and we get half. So for us we are allowed 250 impacts. At a mortality rate of 10% we would have to release 2500 fish to max out the allowed impacts. It's a 12 week season...that means we would have to C&R 208.33 every single week for 12 weeks running. All this while 25% of the run never swims above the downstream fishing barrier!

If you can find a more conservative plan that still allows fishing for steelhead, I'd like to hear about it.

Cozmo,

I won't swear to WW's 25%, but a good portion of the Skagit wild steelhead run stages in the area downstream of the lower fishing boundary until after the season closes, March 15 for the middle river and April 30 for the upper reach upstream of the Dalles bridge, when they then migrate further upstream to spawn.

Sg

Personally looking forward to an opportunity (or two) to huck a Skagit line into its namesake water.... been a MIGHTY long time.