[Don Freeman]

View attachment 27651
(Click on image to enlarge)

Support for Coastal Cutthroat Needed

A group of advocates for coastal (sea run) cutthroat have been working on an updated conservation sign, such as used to be found at fishing and launch sites throughout Western Washington. WDFW is in the process of approving this copy, and we'll need help to both pay for the printing, and volunteers to post these at likely access points.

So far, Les Johnson got his friend Ron Jenkins to donate the use of his art work, both South Sound and Clark/Skamania Fly Fishers clubs have donated $200, and several other organizations have pledged to help with the project.

Here's what you can do:

South Sound Fly Fishers, an FFF sponsored club has agreed to sequester funds until we've raised the roughly $1250 for printing costs. We're nearly a third of the way there already. It will be most efficient if other interested clubs and organizations bundle their contributions and organize members to reduce the number of individual donations, and to consolidate distribution and posting of the signs. I'm hoping that some of the sponsoring and contributing shops on the board could help organize their patrons too. I've spoken briefly with Leland and Clark, so I know they are aware of and support the project. I can provide paper copies to post at your stores and meeting places or you can print from the attached file.

If you can help, send me a private message here on the board. We'd like to have this street-ready by around the middle of April.

(I'll be out of town for the week following Christmas, so be patient if I don't respond immediately).

Don Freeman
Conservation Chair
South Sound Fly Fishers
Olympia

Boy howdy, up for less than an hour, and we're getting donations;

I should have added:

you can send donations to:

Cutthroat Project
South Sound Fly Fishers
PO 2792, Olympia WA, 98507

CURRENT CONTRIBUTION TOTAL $1050 + AND GROWING FAST! SEE MY UPDATED POST ON NEXT PAGE

 

[D3Smartie]

good work Don. We have been talking of doing the same thing up here. I would really like to put some paper copies in the mail boxes of a bunch of summer homes that are found along the canal. i see a lot of dead cutts during the summer from those homes.
Dont have much cash at the moment but i'd be willing to donate something if you were to put together a raffle type fundraiser.
david

 

[Don Freeman]

It's fine if you're strapped for cash, we also will need volunteers to post and replace the signs as needed. We all do what we can. Keep watching the board, this kind of cooperative program is the wave of the future with WDFW, and Chris is super supportive of using WFF for publicity.

 

[Smalma]

No bait for coastal cutthroat!

When did that happen? While a good idea I doubt it is very enforceable.

If you need help with getting the signs out or support for raffle or other type activites let me know.

Tight lines
Curt

 

[Dizane]

No bait for coastal cutthroat!

When did that happen? While a good idea I doubt it is very enforceable.

That's news to me too. I support signs like the one posted as a way of informing the public, and have seen the older signs on a few beaches around Puget Sound.

However, I wouldn't support a sign that was inaccurate.

 

[Don Freeman]

That's news to me too. I support signs like the one posted as a way of informing the public, and have seen the older signs on a few beaches around Puget Sound.

However, I wouldn't support a sign that was inaccurate.

I have been working on this publication for months, submitting new versions to my contact at WDFW, and revising to reflect intent and regulations. What you see is the version I was most recently told is acceptable. Frankly, I can't find any reference that applies selective gear rules to trout either, what I find is "catch and release" in all areas. I personally hope selective gear IS required. However, rest assured this is an official government publication (per the footer) that is being vetted thoroughly before we hand over the money and the state prints it. It's easy to hit the delete button. The final version will be accurate and enforceable. Due to horrendous budget cuts, the state no longer has the "luxury" of providing non-essential services, this is one of many cooperative efforts.

 

[Stephen Butter]

:thumb:Outstanding Don! Thank you for your efforts. Merry Christmas everyone.

 

[rockfish]

I'd help out, i would put up the signs in the south kitsap and key penninsula areas.

 

[Tony]

Its strange that bait is allowed for searuns and that should be changed not on the sign but in the regs, but you can count on me to help out, PM forth coming. with all the posts concerning searuns you should have no problem reaching your goal tony

 

[brownheron]

An idea might be to partner with one of the local 501 (c)3 organizations. Many people have charitable gift matching programs through their employer from 1X to 3X the original gift for contributions to qualifying non-profit orgs. That might help you reach your goal much quicker.

 

[Tom Bowden]

Don, thanks to you and the South Sound Flyfishers for taking on this project. My contribution is in the mail.

Though I support a no-bait regulation, I suggest you take this stament out if it isn't true. There are a lot of confusing fishing rules and access laws on the Sound, and I wouldn't want to add more mis-information. I support a bait ban on the Sound, but it would be almost impossible to enforce as long as bait is allowed for salmon and bottomfish fishing. Perhaps a better approach would be to say something like,"Use of bait when fishing for cutthroat is discouraged."

Tom

 

[bigguy]

Don-
Thank you for your efforts. I am the president of the a small fly club on Bainbridge Island. Shoot me a pm with the sign attached and I will run it by our board. We could provide some $ and post the sign on the island.

Thanks
Joel

 

[Dale Dennis]

Don, as you know the Evergreen Fly Fishers have pledged to help in this effort, what ever it takes.
Also, in relation to the regulations for cutts; It applies to rivers and under the term TROUT (which includes searuns) a fisherman can still kill (no mention of bait) two over 14”.
I submitted a rules change to remove searun from the term TROUT and classify as a Coastal Cutthroat with a total catch and release on all river systems. It was rejected; this is their comment:

“No, 14” minimum size is put in place to protect sea-run cutthroat in many areas. Will add selective gear rules and catch-and-release on a case-by-case basis consistent with stream strategy. Retention is already unlawful in salt water.”

Is it me or does this comment really make sense?

I also might add, I was unable to find in the regs. the term coastal cutthroat except for the pictorial identification page.

I am really frustrated over this and you can be assured the next time around this will be challenged again.

 

[Bob Triggs]

"retention is already unlawful in saltwater"...typical wdfw doublespeak. The freshwater harvest of these fish is huge, and the unlawful harvest on saltwaters is also huge...and they dont know anything about it at all. Incidental to bait fishing for other species, many cutthroat die on saltwaters every season with two big barbless Siwash Salmon hooks in their head and heart. And on the beaches every season we see people shake sea run cutts off of the salmon hooks and kick them back into the weash like garbage. In the fall the river harvest on them is everywhere. And the size limits just focuses harvest on the most likely to succeed age/size classes, thus winnowing down the better reproducers. And they call this "management".

All of the old signs that we put up were torn down by people who resented the postings. Some of the remarks on this were that "the fly fishermen were trying to take away their table fish." It does not help to have fly clubs and groups posting their club names, logos etc on those posters. It just adds further divisiveness to the overall crap between fisherman here.

If the effort is to support the rule and to help protect the fish , then we should see no mention whatsoever of sign donors, sponsors etc; "Just the facts maa'm".

 

[Don Freeman]

"

All of the old signs that we put up were torn down by people who resented the postings. Some of the remarks on this were that "the fly fishermen were trying to take away their table fish." It does not help to have fly clubs and groups posting their club names, logos etc on those posters. It just adds further divisiveness to the overall crap between fisherman here.

If the effort is to support the rule and to help protect the fish , then we should see no mention whatsoever of sign donors, sponsors etc; "Just the facts maa'm".

For this very reason, we voted NOT to include the names of any of the donors or sponsoring groups on this version of the signs. The space was reserved for the phone number of the Poachers Hotline. Once these signs are posted, the next step we're working on is updating the very regulations referenced here and in Rogers post on this same site.

In the most recent rules submission, the proposal was made to end freshwater retention in Capitol Lake, and in the Deschutes River here in Olympia. I testified at the hearing in favor of the proposal, and believe it will pass. Our organizations here in the South sound have the advantage of proximity to the capitol, and the bureaucracy. Thoughtful, meaningful suggestions sent to our committee at South Sound Fly Fishers willbe submitted by a consortium of clubs and advocates for consideration.

 

[Bob Triggs]

For this very reason, we voted NOT to include the names of any of the donors or sponsoring groups on this version of the signs. The space was reserved for the phone number of the Poachers Hotline. Once these signs are posted, the next step we're working on is updating the very regulations referenced here and in Rogers post on this same site.

In the most recent rules submission, the proposal was made to end freshwater retention in Capitol Lake, and in the Deschutes River here in Olympia. I testified at the hearing in favor of the proposal, and believe it will pass. Our organizations here in the South sound have the advantage of proximity to the capitol, and the bureaucracy. Thoughtful, meaningful suggestions sent to our committee at South Sound Fly Fishers willbe submitted by a consortium of clubs and advocates for consideration.

That is very good news!

 

[The Quan]

Not to be a downer, I am a realist. As usual this type of warning and rules are not working. This is coming from someone who has released 1000 of the last 1000 fish and cutthroat I have caught in the sound. Why is the state not paying for this. the burden seems to always fall on everybody else, yet they take our money, more and more every year. This state needs to get its shit together and start dong things that work. Like increasing enforcement with our tax dollars instead of keep on changing the rules and making signs that true poachers ignore. Instead the fishing and places I can go fishing keep getting more difficult and the rules just keep getting dumber and dumber. Just like the incident with the Elk hunting on the news the other day. A total Joke !! A total disgrace !! This state seems to have some of the dumbest people working in Fish and Wildlife. Our Quality of Sport has done nothing but diminish unless you like to fish at the mouths of fish hatcheries or shoot Wild Elk that are fenced in and are like shooting fish in a barrel. I am tired of the talk of protecting this and that. WE have seem to forgot that we are part of the food chain. We need to increase " ENFORCEMENT " and actually have significant fines to help pay for that ENFORCEMENT. Until then I am convinced that things will not change. As far as the bait subject. You can't even use a barbed hook let alone bait ! I made the mistake one day when I was approached by a fish cop on the beach and had forgot to pinch my barb ....$90 bucks he hit me for !!! $90 bucks for a slight mistake. I was legal until I told him I had been hooking some cutthroat! Then out came the ticket book, Fuck you state of Washington !!!! That is the only ticket I have ever got. We have gone from when I was I kid in the 80's of having a 6 cutthroat limit to not even having a barbed hook off the beach !!! Now the 6 fish limit was not necessary, but look where we are now. Everybody stands elbow to elbow fishing the same spots. That can't be good either. This state needs to hire people that make sensible rules and can develops sensible programs that don't wast tax payer dollars and have nothing to show for it !! Here is a perfect example of what is going on.........I stopped by the union river during the time they do a salmon count with round the clock volunteers. So I was chatting with this guy and asked him if he has got any other fish in the traps other than salmon, maybe like an occasional steelhead or cutthroat, and his response to me was " yeah, I got this cutthroat in the trap, and this Owl had been hanging out in the trees so I put the cutthroat on top of the screen for him, and he swooped down and pocked it up " ..............I was like are you fucking kidding me !!! It goes to show you the lack of management and oversight. I should have gone to the state. I am still thinking about it.See while the sensible people are busy hard at work in their daily life. We are leaving these programs in the hands of idiots and unqaulified people. Especially since I got a ticket for a barbed hook and I am catching and releasing everything in site. I just catch and release everything now, because I don't even want to bother with the pathetic reg book anymore. I can't afford to have an attorney follow me around on my fishing trips. I am also glad that the state rejected the idea to include cutthroat in the river language of the regs, because we cannot over protect a given species. Don't forget that Sea runs in the streams and rivers eat tons of salmon fry !!!!!! So I ask what is really wrong here ........................... If people really want to " conserve " don't fish at all !!! Go play your play station or X box or go drink 10 starbucks coffee's a day.

 

[SpeySpaz]

uhhhh, OK. Thanks for your opinion bro.
Gentlemen, a bump to the top please.

These signs at beach and boat accesses will remind folks about important stuff. They're approved by DFW as suitable for posting.
Let's throw a few bucks down, get out our staple guns for a couple hours, and make a small step on behalf of a great gamefish, the SRC.

I'm throwing down fifty bucks and an afternoon of my time, anybody else in?

 

[riseform]

Nice to see this back on top.

Any chance of making this a sticky in the saltwater section until the goal is reached?

Stephen or Don, could you periodically update the first post as cash comes in to let us know how close you are?

 

[Don Freeman]

You got it. As of today, I know of $850, including commitments from several individuals posting in this thread, a juicy contribution from a small fly shop frequented by our members, and two more clubs have written in this week that plan to vote their amounts in next weeks meetings. I'm submitting a request to Washington FFF also. This is really encouraging, as we'll need postage to get signs to you guys all over the state after we pay for printing.

The final version was just approved by DFW. I have sent files to several contacts who will present to their organizations, and will attach it in this post. One of the contributing shops has a client with a sign company, who may be able to print these for us. It just keeps getting better.

On a personal level, I want to thank all of you who have responded, volunteered and contributed. It is sincerely rewarding to be part of this community. Rather than wring our hands and whine about what the government can't do for us, we spontaneously come together to protect what we believe in, and I'm proud to be associated with you. Sorry if that's too gushy.

Once we've put this project to bed, I'll fill you in on the new year round catch and release trout program at Munn lake where we can reimburse the state to stock with quality fish. I got a message today that they've added 15 8# trout to the 5,000 browns already planted there. Don't tell anybody. Despite some of the posts you may read, we have friends and like minds at WDFW, and they are very receptive to cooperative efforts, and that comes straight from the commission on down.