Post number #47 on the topic of the "Terrilble Steelhead Video" is a super risky post to be left on the site, and very sickening...just a heads up. There are several other post that are slander, un-professional and down right sick. This is a serious topic, we dont need that.
For the record, the reason why I asked my client again about whether or not he was sure he wanted the fish was just that...to make sure. If he said no, (even though his goal of the day was to potentially keep a wild fish where legal to do so) I would have put it back if he'd had changed his mind regardless of the law. You have to be sure when keeping these fish.
...so again, that fish was PRE-DETERMINED to be kept before I netted it, I just wanted to be sure. 95% of my other trips durng that time of year, we go to the shore for wild steelhead, picture and release, and this is a personal rule...even though I probably loose trips becuase of it.
If you guys knew me professionally and knew that I kept maybe 3 wild steelhead out of 200+ trips last year and let many, many more go...you would not be treating me this way. Also, most of the folks out there do know who I am and know that I do practice conservation and care very much for the fisheries world-wide. Do you know that I'm an active member of the Coastal Conservation Association, and I also try to get more anglers to join each day.
If any one of you knew me personally, and what Im about, you would feel ingnorant for the things you have said about me. The YouTube video say's nothing to promote keeping wild steelhead nor was the the intention. That video was on there for almost 10 months and nobody even notice the little adipose fin on that fish until someone here made a big deal about it. It was about a fishing trip.
I'm also a bit suprised especially since no one knows that my videos were taking over the course of 5 years...yes, many of them BEFORE the recent rule changes of removing fish from the river, and releasing wild steelhead, etc...oh.
Im on the river almost every fishable day and I'll tell you what...the biologist/fish checkers that I run into at the end of each day are happy to see a few wild steelhead kept so they can take their samples and records. The WDFW has set the rules and regs for wild steelhead retention that are safe for the river systems that are open to do so. In this day and age they are not going to let us do something to hurt what fisheries we still have. Everone is so afraid they say...its Ok to follow the rules.
You are spending an awful lot of time working on a conservative guide over one wild fish you saw on YouTube. What about gill netting?
Did you know that when everyone banded together a few years ago and created the Statewide Steelhead Moratorium it actually allowed for many, many more wild steelhead for net fisherman in Washington State? One net takes 10 + wild steelhead each day...one net!
Thank you,
Mark