Re: Area 9 Shorefishing

[Cliff & Karen]

Thank you, Leland. I tried to call the Mill Creek office of WDFW yesterday to speak with a bio or manager as to the specifics of this issue but Mill Creek doesn't have a live person answering the phone anymore. It's now strictly a message line and they claim messages will be returned the following business day. So, hopefully, someone will call me back on Monday.

Regards,
Cliff

Leland Miyawaki wrote:

The July fishery was fought and won last year. This year, another group with another agenda horse-traded an April chinook kill fishery for the July fishery using the low returns of Dungeness chinook as the wedge. If you think saving wild steelhead is tough, try butting your heads with salmon fishermen, guides, marinas, tackle shops, bait shops, and the big lobbies. Leland.    

Leland,

Please forgive me a not understanding much about this, I'm sort of a lurker here on this site. Just so I can gain a better understanding of things, do you know why the WDFW decided to close Area 9 to all fishing? Or at least what they tell the public?

Thank you,
Cliff
Seattle

Leland Miyawaki wrote:

Fellow flyfishers, Yesterday, I submitted public testimony at the North of Falcon meeting where the salmon seasons for Washington, including Puget Sound, are set. At a previous meeting, it was decided to close Area 9 to all fishing. This includes fishing from the beach for the month of July, which was open last year. I tried to get them to reverse the decision yesterday. There is still time to voice your opinion. They will begin finalizing the rule changes this coming monday. It appears that the WDFW does not have a model that includes beach fishing. In other words, they don't know how many people fish the beaches in July for early coho in an area that includes: Point No Point, Eglon, Salisbury Park, Marrowstone Island, and all the west shore of Whidbey Island. Area 9 affords the most opportunities in Puget Sound for catching coho from the shore. I thought the closing was terribly unfair to people who: prefer to fish from the beach; don't have or can't afford boats; vacationing families at the State Parks (Casey, So. Whidbey, Flagler etc.) spending a summer vacation, including the 4th of July, during a down economy fishing from the beach; and definitely those of us who catch and release while flyfishing. If you would like to voice your opinion while letting the WDFW know how many people fish from the beaches of Area 9, email: Pat Patillo at:   [EMAIL PROTECTED] Anderson at:    [EMAIL PROTECTED] Floor at:   [EMAIL PROTECTED]  Thanks,Leland.