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Thoughts on killing the record steelhead, fallout and ruminations:

14K views 123 replies 62 participants last post by  Salmo_g 
#1 ·
The Sadness of Man, or Why We Will End Ourselves

The man who didn't understand anything killed it. He killed it until it was a symbol of the species with sadness and endings or nothing. We are smart in ways to win, and it will end us. And it was a symbol of the wrong reason to do something. Harvesting a wild steelhead, even legally, is a morally disgusting thing. Taking the fish for glory and shallow pride is rotten. And lying as a cop-out is a bloody, festering thing.

You're fish, Peter Harrison, was a steelhead. It was a wild and clean archetype of the steelhead, brawling with disarming beauty. It carried more environmental significance than you do, considering all species equal, your fish was several thousand times more significant than you. Your choice to harvest the fish makes you a hated man whose generation ought to have past with the extinction of California's beautiful rivers. Jim Kerr should have drowned you on your free cross-river boat-ride. He an accepting man and if others had seen you, it would have been a different type of free trip.

And this is why we are pulling our needs out from under us. Humans are good at taking something until they can't take anymore and must then take something else. It's the greed gene. Maybe its nature's way of letting a species destroy itself in a systematic way. Peter, you have saddened fisherman. Your decision to harvest a world record wild steelhead, for only the purpose of misguided immortalization was wrong. We, the fisherman, pray together on rivers and oceans and in the cold and rain of the west that you are left empty. May every cent you garner from your catch bring you self-destruction, malady and guilt. The guilt that flows fast and freely through your veins. The inescapable type of guilt that obscures the taste of your food and makes you change positions on the couch until you resign yourself to being uncomfortable. May you remember how the fish looked after it was dead, the beautiful eye. The eye of golds, and greens with and blackness deep like every ending put together to make true black.

We are left with only the realization that nothing can bring the fish back, but ask you to please leave now. The program is nearly ruined, and you are worsening it.


The Joker king holds his greed.
 
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#34 ·
To reiterate what I've said before.. I would urge people not to get caught up in the 'moral' or 'ethical' argument. Those could be justly argued by either side.

C&R is may not be morally or ethically superior to catch and kill BUT it is a vastly superior conservation tool.

It is all about common sense, practical results and the preservation/restoration of the species.

The great, well-enforced C&R waters of the world may suffer from overcrowding but they will be the very last places to loose their wild fish.

Eric
 
#35 ·
If so many people here are upset about the catching of wild steelhead, then why is the "WFF Hoh Down 2009" going on when the natives are in? If your interests are in wild fish conservation, then you ought not to catch them to begin with. Again, the guy caught a legal fish, and said the only reason he killed it was because there was a bleeding gill. He apperently belongs to several fish conservation organizations, why can't we take him for face value?
Many Tribal Gill Nets kill fish of this size daily. They are decemating our fisheries, yet people feel the need to bash one guy, when the real problem could be taken up with more appropraite people. If I catch a wild steelhead, and it's legal and I want to kill it, I will. If I felt different about killiing a fish, I probably would try golf.
 
#38 ·
Again, the guy caught a legal fish, and said the only reason he killed it was because there was a bleeding gill. He apperently belongs to several fish conservation organizations, why can't we take him for face value?
Because every picture prior to sticking his hands in its gills didn't have blood. Gee... Sounds to me like this conservationist specializes in conserving smoke to blow up peoples' asses. Nice that he showed his true colors before the end, at least now an honest obituary might be written.

Edit: sonofa... that was post 999??? and now I'm at 1000??? I was trying to save that for a report. Damnit. Well, guess I'm a "senior member" now. :rofl:
 
#41 ·
How about this funny side-note. We (C&R advocates) have BBQ'd English Pete many times over. The pics have been posted repeatedly on every i-net fishing site I frequent.

Guess what?? The Forks mayor got what she wanted. I hear that the Hoh is elbow to elbow trying to catch the next "World Record". And I'm sure the Forks motels and restaurants are packed with all those eager fishermen..

Forget about him. The steelhead's dead. As others have said, get the laws changed. That would be the most worthwhile legacy I can think of for that great fish.

.02,

Brian
 
#46 ·
Mumbles, I know you not taking me the wrong way. And, for all the reasons you mentioned, I too will be headed to the WFF Hoh Down.
My only point is the guy caught a legal fish.
It's within peoples right to vote, carry a gun, kill a fish, drive a car, get drunk, etc.... Now, people seems to alway s have an opinion about the following, how they vote or who they vote for, about killing fish, how one drives, how people handle themselves when they get drunk, etc.... Each person is entitled to there opinion, I'm fine with that.
I'm just saying, there are thousands of steelhead caught in a gill net on accident. Why not bark up that tree? Of course I don't know what I'm talking about because I've only caught hatchery steelhead, so I'll sit down now.... :)
 
#48 ·
Most of us who fly fish for steelhead have dreamed about catching a record-class specimen. Peter Harrison achieved it. Playing by the rules of fair chase and the retention laws of Washington, he hefted the mighty fish and smiled into the camera, certain that his dream was fulfilled, his days of glory were at hand. Then the shitstorm began to blow.

Peter Harrison is now famous, and will remain so. He and his steelhead are at the tipping point of a sea change in sportfishing ethics. Every successful fisherman who's ever gripped-and-grinned with his scaly trophy has been doing so under an implied premise: "and there's plenty more where this one came from!" But now we understand that it is no longer so. This overstressed planet has nearly lost its ability to produce wild thirty-pound steelhead. Each one remaining is a genetic treasure, to be preserved at all costs.

When I was a boy, the nation watched with growing unease every reported incident of racial unrest and injustice. Then came the shocking films on the evening news: fire hoses, billy clubs, snarling white faces, police attack dogs. And something tipped overnight in the national conscience: this can't go on any longer, not in America.

Peter Harrison, the poor sonofabitch, has become the Bull Connor of his time, not the Lee Wulff. His crimeless victim will be its own punishment, for the rest of his life. Who among us would want to be Peter Harrison?
 
#50 ·
I identified a guy who caught and kept a legal fish to show why steelhead are doomed. Even if we continue to act lawfully, in accordance with current laws i mean, wild steelhead in Washington will probably go extinct. I was trying to illustrate that fisherman must educate themselves and act with environmental morality, regardless of current laws. If you can't see the errors in Peter's decision to harvest the fish, you are not a real fisherman.
 
#51 ·
Legality is the issue at this point only because it seems that many folks would do the same if the opportunity presented itself. If you do a google search of "english pete steelhead" you will find many different results on websites and forums from across the country and beyond. There seem to be two distinctions that can be drawn from a quick glance at these sites and forums: outrage for many, those who fish for or know about the true plight steelhead; or a full throated congratulations and agreement that what was done was great, folks not fishing for native steelhead, not in WA state, and unaware of the plight of wild fish. It is a moral/ethical issue (which is the basis of law) for those who are informed, but to others it is simply a fish of a lifetime and envy (greed) will drive them to follow Pete Harrison's lead. The real question ishow do you change those folks minds? Simply put, to many he is a hero and to others he is...
 
#52 ·
If it were not so sad this whole discussion about the killing of a single wild fish would be laughable.

Yes I get it that folks are upset to see such a magnificent fish die but we often get the type of management we deserve - way too many people are willing to sit on the side lines and complain and too few are willing to roll up their sleeves to work for change. At last count I see that there has been 231 different posting on this very subject on this forum alone. Can anyone imagine how effect it would have been if that engery and passion had been used in lobbying for management change.

The last chance we collectively had was in the development of the State's Statewide Steelhead Management Plan. I seriously doubt that the FW Commission recieve 200 emails in total regarding that plan and its implementation. If you were not in that fight (and it took no more time to send an individual email - something other than a cut and paste of someone else's) I'm not sure that you have earned the right to express your outrage at the taking of that single fish.

Just a different thought/spin on this subject.

Tight lines
Curt
 
#54 ·
i just want to point out that people who are upset about tribal netting need to get there head checked. how much more u think we should rape the natve american culture?? shit wehen it comes down to fishers vs tribal nets im gonna go with tribal nets everytime.
 
#59 ·
Yes, it's terrible what this country did to Native Americans, but I have a couple questions about this complicated topic:

1. When does the statue of limitations on those events expire? I mean, this was two centuries ago. Do we keep going another 100 years? 500? More?

2. How does gill netting with modern equipment constitute "native american culture"?

3. My family immigrated to the US from Lithuania starting in 1947, so I don't have a fight to pick about what happened in the US in the 1800's (though if you want to argue about Prussian aggression and Russian Tsars, I'm all-in). So how can I get Native Americans to not gill net my allocation of wild steelhead and only pick on those steelhead allocated to descendants of the Mayflower?
 
#55 ·
Nice looking lady fly fishing I guess...but she's got some big MAN-HANDS! Freaky photoshopping stb, freaky. All those babies are gonna have some rank old meat after the IGFA process...and they are getting dangerously close to the waters edge there on the left. Water is too cold for such little tykes.
 
#58 ·
all you internet tough guys talking about violence being okay or thinking things would have different if you had been there... here's an idea. head down to cottonwood, barlow's, lyendeckers, richwine bar, etc and start your campaign of violence against people who keep wild steelhead.

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20090301/NEWS/303019990

"Last week alone (Feb. 16-22), state officials counted 47 native steelhead caught and kept by recreational anglers on the Calawah, Quillayute/Bogachiel, Sol Duc and Hoh rivers."

you're having a fit over one fish, while the genes of 47 other wild fish have bit the dust. changing the rule is the key, and the behavior and words on these internet bulletin boards by a bunch of people talking about harming an old man has done more harm in actually getting the regs changed.

it's not about approving of the behavior of pete harrison or the 40-50 others that week that harvested wild steelhead on the OP, but i certainly do not believe that talking #$% on the internet is helping, unless you're trying to help further the image that fly anglers are elitist, smug, and stupid.

go ahead, go down to the boat ramps and make good on all your tough talk with the gear guys.... oh, yeah it's easier to threaten an solitary old fly fisherman.

zen and flyborg =

 
#71 ·
Check your reading comprehension, nubtard. I didn't threaten violence, I merely pointed out that the people doing so are rightfully upset. And yes, those that fish with me regularly have seen me shit talk on the river, especially when I see guys pulling crap that's disrespectful to the resource. If you want to call me an "e-thug", so be it, but wtf are you doing for steelhead out in Colorado, aside from jumping in threads and trying to shout people down for making noise about an important issue.
 
#60 ·
1. the statue of limitations dooesnt apply

2. it doesn't, but that doesnt change how i feel. I think native tribes should be allowed to harvest.

3. I dont care what fish they are taking. The drastic decrease in salmon runs are not the reult of native fisheries. they are the results of logging and commercial fishing. I dont fully understand this question. Why does it matter where your family is from??
 
#61 ·
Dustin Bise: Having a maximum size limit for keepable steelhead is short sighted because all wild steelhead are valuable and add to the gene pool even if they are small. I can understand size slots for other species that are targeted before reproductive age, but the vast majority (except half-pounders) are sexually mature when they return.

Andy, nice poem. I know everyone is hating on people for posting and keeping this topic alive. People are saying go change the laws as if it were that easy. I am active in conservation organizations and atrocities like this fuel the fire to stay involved and active.
 
#62 ·
oh i thought this whole hype was based on the fact that he kept such a large fish with "special great genes"...... :beathead: Just thought i would offer up an idea

if this is more about ALL wild steelhead then yea, i agree that a maximum size wouldnt be very effective.
 
#65 ·
ZEN, well done! Bob ..... who no longer is a member would be proud....he was constantly 'schooling' you on your spelling and sentence construction, I have no doubt that he has read this and was probably smiling like a proud father! The fish was legally harvested and is dead, end of story. But the awareness that these countless posts have raised may help to bring some positive action[maybe]. The angler, who surely has heard or read much of the fallout can do one RIGHT thing now: remove his name and catch for consideration for any records....by doing so, he can hold his head a little higher when he says he kept the fish for sport[but I'm sure he won't]. I wish it had been released, but I think many of us whould have been really tempted to tag it.
 
#66 ·
The nets in the river catch fish like this every year some are even sold for molds by the tribe stop the netting and commercial fisheries and the runs would come back. get off this guys back for legally keeping a fish. if you feel that strongly about it I agree with numerous others, help in the fight to have the laws changed, I would start with netting (commercial and Tribal) then worry about the Sport guys.
and by the way the weekend of feb 20th, 29 wild steelhead were kept and killed out of the Hoh your poem should have been directed at everyone of the people who killed fish not Just PETER!!
 
#68 ·
Everyones situation is different-
Because it's legal , doesn't make it right-
The moral issues and leagalities of gill nets and natives are for another thread and way off topic of what Zen said in his original post-
Any sport fisher , Especially a Spey/fly guy, fishing for sport fishing reasons , who kills a wild steelhead , is a thug, plain and simple, legal or not. It's the sport fishers responsablity to know the difference between right and wrong, and not use the excuse of some bullshit law that makes it ok-
Bleeder... Bullshit! Don't insult our intelegence please-
Looks like a Gloomis rod... Think the pic will make the catalog?:eek:
This fish should have died of natural causes...
 
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