[denisr]

Closing lakes Sammamish and Washington to all fishing because of WDFW's inability to come to terms with the Indian Tribes over catch quotas is nuts. The Indians keep on gill-netting salmon while people like me can't fish with flies in the lakes for coastal cutthroat, a salmon fry predator, most of which I release anyway.















clsin

 

[Olive bugger]

Since when has reason and sanity been an issue in decisions on fishing? To allow a resource like salmon, especially wild salmon to decline to such a level is criminal. It is all political and thus is smells like three day old dead fish. Denmark is not the only place that there is something rotten.

 

[Salmo_g]

Yes, it is crazy. But according to the law, certain paperwork is required. And WDFW got burned a couple times in legal proceedings for lack of necessary paperwork. I don't like it, but I can see why WDFW might want to play it safe for now.

Sg

 

[Bug Out]

I have been chewing glass over these past weeks, as I have a new Sage Bass II rod crying out for Lake Washington bass. I even have a friend who lives on the lakefront in an area with great fishing. He lets me bank fish off his dock or launch my kayak from his dock and fish back toward the banks. Argh.

 

[Buzzy]

I wrote my two United States Senators and my United States Congressman letters protesting this salmon "closure"/lack of "agreement". I completely wasted my time. Totally! I was reminded by my beloved United States Senator Murray that our beloved Judge Boldt and his beloved Decision allows Tribes to catch 50% of the harvestable salmon. I guess even questioning this lack of agreement between the Tribes and the State makes me racist (even though I've been in an interracial marriage for 44 years now), that's just the way it is anymore.

I don't poach, I don't cheat but I'm seriously tempted to be part of a movement for me, and my fellow non-Tribal fishermen, to have some rights. 50% of the harvestable fish but I can't fish, I can't harvest yet nets are set? Four letter words thought.

 

[Lugan]

I don't poach, I don't cheat but I'm seriously tempted to be part of a movement for me, and my fellow non-Tribal fishermen, to have some rights. 50% of the harvestable fish but I can't fish, I can't harvest yet nets are set? Four letter words thought.

A certain "cold dead hands" speech from another context and time comes to mind. Really feels like an issue that is on the edge of turning a lot of law-abiding people toward open rebellion.

 

[Richard Olmstead]

So a couple years ago Congress couldn't get its act together over the budget and our government was shut down for several days, and we're talking rebellion over losing a few weeks of fishing in the Sound and Lake Washington while professionals who are hired to do this sort of thing work out the agreements necessary to re-open the fisheries? Let's have a little perspective here.

From someone who doesn't fish for salmon in the sound or in the lakes...

 

[Buzzy]

So a couple years ago Congress couldn't get its act together over the budget and our government was shut down for several days, and we're talking rebellion over losing a few weeks of fishing in the Sound and Lake Washington while professionals who are hired to do this sort of thing work out the agreements necessary to re-open the fisheries? Let's have a little perspective here.

From someone who doesn't fish for salmon in the sound or in the lakes...

So my "particular attitude toward or way of regarding something" needs adjusting? That's what my assumption is regarding your reply. You're probably right. I am type-A.

I fondly recall commuting up the canyon west of Leavenworth and needing to use a vault toilet during the "shutdown". I can't repeat my thoughts, my perspective, on finding signs on the doors of the locked vault toilets because I'm trying to be a gentleman.

Peace.

 

[Lugan]

So a couple years ago Congress couldn't get its act together over the budget and our government was shut down for several days, and we're talking rebellion over losing a few weeks of fishing in the Sound and Lake Washington while professionals who are hired to do this sort of thing work out the agreements necessary to re-open the fisheries? Let's have a little perspective here.

From someone who doesn't fish for salmon in the sound or in the lakes...

It's not just about salmon. Even my kids can't walk with me to Lake Sammamish and hang a worm under a bobber. It's insane, and a sign of professional failure.

 

[Jpfish]

Is there any chance these closures will be reversed in the next few weeks or months? Or are we just screwed out of fishing most of western Washington for the rest of the year for sure?

 

[Smalma]

Jpfish-
There are really only two hopes for getting those fisheries restored. As Salmo g. alluded to the issue is ESA coverage for potential encounters with ESA listed Chinook (either adults or juveniles) in those fisheries. In the past that coverage has been provided under the co-managers PS Chinook Management Plan which would go into effect May first after the successful completion of the North of Falcon process and the establishment of the upcoming fisheries for both parties. As you know NOF was not successful in reaching agreement this thus no ESA take protection beginning May first.

There remains an outside chance that the States and the tribes (and it takes agreement by all the involved tribes) could still reach some sort of agreement on seasons. It is my understanding that lawyers from both sides of the table are still "talking" so there still is some chance of reaching an agreement; having to involve lawyers to do the "talking" is never a good sign. On the off chance that agreement could be reach those fisheries could be restored in days or weeks (fingers crossed!).

The other path is for the two parties (Tribes and State) to get there own incidental take permits under ESA from the feds. As we are seeing doing so for the Tribes is much easier path that it will be for the State (due largely to prior federal connections in there fisheries management - BIA funding). The State has submitted their fisheries plan so the process is under-way but it is likely to be a difficult and time consuming process. Optimistically that permit may be in hand and those various fisheries restored by min-summer but it could just as easily not be available this year at all.

In my opinion the State in this high stake game of poker called the 2016 North of Falcon salmon season process was less than fore right in acknowledging that more than salmon fishers had "chips" in the pot in the event that an agreement was not reached.

Curt

 

[Jpfish]

Jpfish-
There are really only two hopes for getting those fisheries restored. As Salmo g. alluded to the issue is ESA coverage for potential encounters with ESA listed Chinook (either adults or juveniles) in those fisheries. In the past that coverage has been provided under the co-managers PS Chinook Management Plan which would go into effect May first after the successful completion of the North of Falcon process and the establishment of the upcoming fisheries for both parties. As you know NOF was not successful in reaching agreement this thus no ESA take protection beginning May first.

There remains an outside chance that the States and the tribes (and it takes agreement by all the involved tribes) could still reach some sort of agreement on seasons. It is my understanding that lawyers from both sides of the table are still "talking" so there still is some chance of reaching an agreement; having to involve lawyers to do the "talking" is never a good sign. On the off chance that agreement could be reach those fisheries could be restored in days or weeks (fingers crossed!).

The other path is for the two parties (Tribes and State) to get there own incidental take permits under ESA from the feds. As we are seeing doing so for the Tribes is much easier path that it will be for the State (due largely to prior federal connections in there fisheries management - BIA funding). The State has submitted their fisheries plan so the process is under-way but it is likely to be a difficult and time consuming process. Optimistically that permit may be in hand and those various fisheries restored by min-summer but it could just as easily not be available this year at all.

In my opinion the State in this high stake game of poker called the 2016 North of Falcon salmon season process was less than fore right in acknowledging that more than salmon fishers had "chips" in the pot in the event that an agreement was not reached.

Curt

Thank you very much Curt!

 

[gone johnson]

Optimistically that permit may be in hand and those various fisheries restored by min-summer but it could just as easily not be available this year at all.

Amazing how quickly they can come up with a plan when they need to!

 

[Smalma]

Wayne -

While the taxonomists think steelhead are salmon the State clearly does not; another example of the Department of salmon at work.

Curt