Hey Jack, Not so crazy an idea - I know that myself and other (like Leland) release many of our hatchery fish in waters like the Snoqualmie for the very reasons you mentioned.
Many do this, but I don't think you'll ever get a regulation to make it mandatory for the reasons others mentioned. We pay (one way or another) for those hatchery fish, and many feel that the best way they can get a Bang for their Buck is to make a meal of that hatchery Steelhead they just caught. I have enough fish in the freezer, so my first priority is having fish in the river. That's how I measure Bang for my Hatchery Buck. Good thread! Brian ---- Original Message ---- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], Subject: RE: here is an idea Date: Thu, 9 Oct 2003 09:08:42 -0700 >I agree with you Brian, most folks I talk to, even fly guys, can >hardly deal >with releasing a wild fish. > >In my case I am trying to think outside the box and define what role >a >hatchery fish plays on a watershed by watershed basis. In some the >fish >simply provides a harvestable commodity which leads to license >revenue. In >other cases like I described, the hatchery fish may be the only >catchable >fish in the system and if the numbers are small enough that the >system is >depleted well before the season ends then perhaps in that system the >hatchery fish plays a different role, that of providing sport rather >than >harvest. > >A river void of fish is a lonely place. > >I am not saying I have all the anwers. As you can see many folks >have >strong opinions. I am saying that I am not afraid put ideas on the >block >which at first may make me seem silly but in time may be honed and >polished >into workable solutions. The price I pay for looking silly is >insignificant >compared to the value of our fishing resources and their future >welfare. > >Maybe we need some sort of electronic device on some of us who >exercise >these fish too much. I have had days up North when I bent the hook >up on my >dry fly. I have yet to have a day like that around here but I hope >in my >lifetime we will see it on some of our rivers. The quality of many >of the >physical watershed areas local to us have not been so good in a long >time. > >-----Original Message----- >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Brian Reese >Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2003 8:47 AM >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: Re: here is an idea > > >Jack, on a realistic level think you will have a very hard time >convincing >anyone, let alone bait and gear fishermen, to release a hatchery >fish. But >I think you could probably find people who like the idea, it just >might take >quite a while and a lot of patience. However, only letting Leland >out every >couple weeks would be a big first step. > >
