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30 lb steelhead on the hoh

25K views 156 replies 73 participants last post by  William Wallace 
#1 ·
#78 ·
Well, let's just hope that the F&W society or Foundation or club see's fit to not allow me to take them on my fishin' license then. :)

If I catch it, There is a chance that I'm fishing for it for a reason, that reason is to eat one. Fairly simple to understand.

If I don't want to eat a fish, I'll just do what those other fellers do, I'll cut the hook off the fly and just stand there and pretend to fish all day, some call it practicing....

Why preserve a fish that you are never going to eat? Just to catch the damn thing???

Do you get mad at the cavemen for not saving the Pterodactyl's or Brontosaur's for us to catch and eat today? Darn I sure do miss T-Rex meat!

I don't get it.... Not that I am out after steelhead, but I don't get the fuss. If they're endangered then save the phuc'n species by droping them from the anglers license!

If you're not willing to give up ALL fishing of that species then don't bitch about others eating them.

Simple :)

Fishing is ONLY a SPORT until you get HUNGRY :) Oh boy that's sure to piss off somebody... ;)
 
#82 ·
He said hatchery steelhead, they feed in the ocean, perhaps your confused with the difference between trout and steelhead.

And about your comment about preserving a fish that you cant eat or never will be able to eat... its about making sure that steelhead survives to spawn, keeping the genetics in the river, and ensuring the future of the run. So maybe one day your kids, or their kids will get to gorge themselves on steelhead, if there are enough of them.

And about people fishing for fish they cant eat... fishing is fun.
 
#83 ·
Wow Koolminx,

A showing of true ignorance....


"Why preserve a fish that you are never going to eat? Just to catch the damn thing???
Do you get mad at the cavemen for not saving the Pterodactyl's or Brontosaur's for us to catch and eat today? Darn I sure do miss T-Rex meat!"
-Koolminx


So a species has no value to us unless it is a food commodity?
By the way Pterodactyls and dinosaurs where not around in the time of cavemen...
The comment about dinosaurs and cavemen from anyone else I would take as "Tongue in Cheek", but from you I just don't know.
Get educated.
 
#84 ·
Holy hell koolminx you need to step back a sec and realize what a noob you are to your surroundings that we'd be happy to welcome back to if you would chill out for a second. I mean, c'mon, think for a second: so you wanna eat a steelhead... you're going to get your shit in your rig and drive out to one of the few rivers that allows you to keep a wild steelhead, you're gonna fish for it, and kill it and eat it... all because you think there is a major taste difference between a hatchery and wild steelhead? Moss? F*ck man I think you are thinking of farm fish that you mentioned earlier in your post. Except for being genetically inferior, and bred in a hatchery, these *hatchery* fish have been out at sea for about the same period of time eating the same things as the wild fish and - ohhh - they are what they eat! Everyone knows that, f'in fish that eat garbage taste like garbage - guess what, hatchery coho, steelhead, chinook, etc, that spend their time at sea, they taste great! So get off your little high horse about all this crap and give it a little longer to digest.
 
#85 ·
i think this thread has gotten a bit off track,, reacting to reactions of reactions......

i think the only one who should be flamed is the guide who took this english guy fishing. apparently he is good enough to get a newbie to get a fly in the zone to not only nail a fish but land lifetime (BIG) fish too, very impressive. i think the english angler should be given a pass for "not knowing" but a kick in the ass would still due IMHO to teach the lesson the guide failed to give.

The guide, should be tarred and feathered and black listed and relegated to working at cabelas for the rest of his life.
it was his job to teach the english guy how to do the right thing. I bet we could have some fun at the Hoh Party if we knew who he was....

sounds like some on here might even know those involved. its a very small world.
i would love to see a pic of the fish. i've heard a lot of different numbers on here
with regards to the fish's lengh. based on calculations, how long would a 32# fish be?
is that close or less than the 45inch kispiox buck we've all seen?


JD
 
#88 ·
so this has me thinking, what could we do to avoid this situation from happening again? here is an idea for the WSC, CCA types out there.

three ideas:

(1)
Why don't you put up about 4-6 bill boards? there's only one road in and out and two ways to go. there's only a few gas stations, a few rivers can't be that expensive. i bet the hoh convervancy guys would put a few up.

at least the english guy would have read one or two of them before meeting the idiot guide in forks.........

you could also put a "kills wild fish" mug shot board of shame too for every guide that posts a pic of a wild fish from this season on their site......


(2) Create a few infomercial type spots. run cable ads at the forks motels........ (they're so cheap, realtors can do them)

in fact i bet you could have a contest for the best ammature 2 minute clips...
about the plight of steelhead and how he's not going to fish with his grandkids like
his gramps did......... put some cute kids asking,,,,, dad, whats a steelhead? at the class field trip to the museum

(3)
here is another idea.

create some kind of "logo" / brand for C&R guides and every guide who joins (for free) gets a free website, cooperative marketing, free gear, referrals and other things of value......... then run ads in steelheader, field and stream and other main market fishing mags plus fly mags,etc...

in real estate, if you have a certain "desgination' such as AB, associate broker or ABR, accredited buyers reprsentative,
you can put that designation "logo" on your business card and sometimes those associations will run full page ads for the members in seattle times.

JD
 
#92 ·
so this has me thinking, what could we do to avoid this situation from happening again? here is an idea for the WSC, CCA types out there.

you could also put a "kills wild fish" mug shot board of shame too for every guide that posts a pic of a wild fish from this season on their site......

JD
I really like that one! It would get my vote!
 
#89 ·
Holy crap! What a bunch of retards! HA HAHAHAH. :D

You guys are missing my point.

I ONLY fish when I want to EAT fish, I Only Hunt when I want to EAT wild game!

BOTH are passions to me, Both are enjoyable to the point that I don't even have to CATCH or KILL in order to enjoy that event in my life. But I certainly do enjoy fishing even when I don't catch anything!

From all the replies and posts I have read, a steelhead is a schitt fish and should only be fished for sport and recreation and not eaten, neither the naturals nor the stocked... I mean y'all are makin' it seem like it's only a fool that would eat one... Are they that nasty?

What the phuc dudes?

I knew I was opening a can of worms by telling you that I EAT MY FISH, and from reading this thread, I can take it that steelhead are like saltwater worm ridden flounder as far as taste is concerned, and that I need not partake in a hunt of them for taking sake, but only the skill necessary to catch them and let them go {that's sort of like going hogging with your buddies and NOT doing a fat chick, it jus' don't make sense......... :)}

You fellers really need to relax a bit. As far as you've read I type like some reatarded hill billy with the all the slang and strategically missing letters, but that's just me having fun :).
I'm really smart dudes..... For reals!

Don't be angry with me. I haven't fished these fresh waters since I was 14, I caught what I thought was a kickass salmon on the Dewatto River back in 82 and when Mr. Game Warden came by and seen it I got a $115 dollar fine for catching a fish that was too big :eek:. Soon after, I left with my parents to the deserts and the ephemeral lands of perpetuity.
I'm not planning on going river fishing here WITHOUT one of you going along with me. Right now I couldn't tell a Sand Dollar from Stewie Griffin, that's one of the reasons I poked my head into this forum.

As far as being a newbie here, I think that is moot. I treat all New Comers on my normal Forum as if they've been there forever, and never refer to their new status in a derogatory way. That's just rude. I treat the newbies as well as I do the Plank Owners like myself. It's just bad business to do otherwise. :)

You guy's have certainly held back on me thus far with the exception of three dudes, which I don't mind at all :)

I suppose that my only fault is that I like to eat fish. Otherwise I follow all the rules that the law lay's down before me. I always tread lightly in the wilderness, and as a matter of pride NOBODY in the entire universe can track me when I am out in the environment :D :D

But my point is, relax on fish eaters, there aren't as many of us out here as you may think. Also, according to the majority here that fish is gonna make that Brit puke as soon as he takes a bite... Maybe he'll not do that to another steelie again.

-K
 
#94 ·
I can see your point of view, having just emerged from saltwater fishing. It is a totally different world.

Yes steelhead are delicious, but wild steelhead are very rare. The more you kill, the fewer there will be. I'll leave it at that.

JD, not a bad idea. I wonder if large scale PR/awareness campaigns like that would be within the budget of our conservation orgs..
 
#95 ·
What does Troll Dirty mean?

Am I being made even more fun of? :((
 
#99 ·
Jason Decker, great ideas on the advertising possibilities. As I read it I was thinking museum display for steelhead and then read it as you typed it.

I know this thread has gone off and back on track, but based on much of what I've read I think that I'm gonna start knocking off those pileated woodpeckers, nutthatches, stellars jays and of course the cornish hen of all birds...the humming birds to see:
1) What will my kids think of me killing the birds we attract in our backyard.
2) How will they taste?
3) How long will the supply last before they are all gone?
4) Can my fly tying materials benefit from such a philosophy?
Sorry, I'll try to get back on track.
 
#100 ·
And one more thing.. for Manimal, and others who see hypocrisy in CnR fishing:

Simply put; if we couldn't fish for them, we wouldn't care about them - and we would let the fish and their habitat disappear.

If you want to look at things from the fishes point of view, hooking mortality is a small price to pay for the protection we fishermen provide them.
 
#102 ·
Simply put; if we couldn't fish for them, we wouldn't care about them - and we would let the fish and their habitat disappear
I do not and have never looked at it that way. I have a hard time believeing that anyone would!

If I'm not allowed to take something then I won't fish for it. Simple. But the does NOT mean that I don't care for them as a species, and it does not mean that I would support their extinction. To say otherwise will get you a boken nose!:mad:

The thread is about an ass that killed a magnificent fish, and everyone here agrees that it was wrong.

Although I am a catcher and an eater, I'd not have taken such a strong and large fish from the world that it was one of the last of, and where that fish alone could likely have propagated half of the years run of his or her species for that river! Not a chance I'd have kept it or killed it!

Besides, I don't have a frying pan that would hold it :p
 
#101 ·
Woah there Hossenpfeffers.... I already said I give up :)

Also, I NEVER EVER claimed to be an endangered species taker!

Also again, I likely take less fish in a lifetime than any oe of you do in 5 years of fishing, so climb on your own backs not mine.

I also support that the Brit was in the wrong to kill such a magnificent fish, but I if they're as ass nasty as you all say then there's absolutely no reason for me to fish for them!

I can't believe that there are still several people that don't understand that...


-K
 
#104 ·
Easy Kool, I wasn't directing any of that at you. Just at the idea that CnR fishing is hypocritical if one actually cares about the fishery.

I wasn't saying anyone is supporting extinction. My point was that if fisherman are not actively engaged in a fishery, they will be less inclined to fight for it and it will be more likely to slip away. I firmly believe that a CnR fishery does far more good for the fish population than it does harm - and hence, there is no hypocrisy in it.
 
#105 ·
Oooh , ok My bad :)

Sorry for jumping to conclusions there :)
 
#107 ·
It was s figure of speech... I hit like a girl anyway...
 
#117 ·
the dead horses are piling up. Bottom line, shitty, shitty, shitty thing that happened....

How can we turn this into a good thing, i/e more Education

before we have hurt feelings here...as it seems like we already have

other option...close the thread down
important point.
every guy who's pissed off by the thought of that fish lying on the beach bleeding out (legally taken or not, it sort of pushes a button for steelheaders with runs under such pressure already), might want to consider taking a break from posting here and use the same amount of time emailing their representatives, encouraging them to push for hatchery reform and sound fisheries management.
Mention they should be voting in favor of HB 2266.
Also, write a check to CCA/WSC etc...they need to build the warchest now. Time to get behind them and throw a shoulder to the wheel, gents.
I'll get off the soapbox now.
http://www.washingtonflyfishing.com/board/showthread.php?t=55261
 
#112 ·
Word Coach!

You are a true steelhead Ambassador and a crazy fucker (in a good way).

I think I love you.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.
 
#115 ·
Good for you coach. I'm glad that you would continue to fight for Steelhead after we are no longer allowed to fish for them. I imagine I would too, but the truth is that there would be less interest, across the board - and you know it. I'm not saying there is enough now, but there would be less. We need more people willing to walk the walk, not fewer.

My only point is that it is not hypocritical to participate in a C & R fishery for a depressed run of fish. I think the minimal damage inflicted by hooking mortality is far offset by the enthusiasm generated by an open fishery. How are you going to explain to a newcomer what it means to fish for and even catch steelhead, and why it is worth fighting for?

As for my comment being self serving and hypocritical, I will own the self serving part - I (selfishly) want to live in a world where there are steelhead that I am allowed to fish for. I want that for me, and my kids, and their kids. I have and will continue to fight for it. I'd be willing to bet your motives are just as selfish. But, how was my comment hypocritical?

And, I am not talking about any specific CnR season, I am talking about being able to simultaneously practice CnR AND be rightfully pissed off when someone purposefully kills a wild steelhead.
 
#122 ·
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