The WDFW and the Fish & Wildlife Commission are having their final meeting about the proposed winter steelhead fishing rules for the Olympic Peninsula. It is Friday, December 11th and it starts at 8am.
Public input is short this time and will begin around 8:15
This meeting is more about showing the commission who is willing to take the time and show up.
Meeting place:
Northwest Maritime Center
431 Water Street
Port Townsend, WA 98368
Time:
Friday December 11th at 8am
Summary from the November meeting in Olympia: Compiled from the written comments received from citizens.
Proposal #1: No bait during the spring steelhead season.
This proposal had a ratio of 10% against to 90% for the no bait restrictions.
Proposal #2: No kill, catch & release on native steelhead and rainbow trout.
This proposal also had a 10% / 90% ratio in favor of no kill.
Proposal #3: No fishing from boats in the upper Hoh above Morgan’s Crossing.
This proposal was split 50 / 50
P #1 – This rule is to help protect the juvenile fish in the rivers also. Still some push-back from a few guides who refuse to give up any and all ways to be ultra-efficient and effective every day of every season.
P #2 – Another rule that is long overdue, and the overwhelming ratio of support proves it is
time to join the rest of the northwest and Canada and stop killing native steelhead.
If the right remains to kill one fish per year, and maybe becomes a tag system like elk
hunting, then perhaps that angler should be done fishing for the rest of the season.
P #3 – This proposal was only for the short stretch of river above Morgan’s Crossing and still
every guide that testified at the November meeting was against it. The next put-in
above Morgan’s is washed out now anyway. Very few of the guides went up there.
It seemed perhaps they were afraid of the precedent it may create.
This is the best and most equal of all the proposals. It treats all anglers the same,
whether they are drifting corkies, floats & jigs, beads or glo bugs with strike
indicators. Most of the fly fishing guiding anymore is the same as side drifting with
gear. It is just as deadly (sometimes more) and has turned our sport into a numbers
game where native steelhead are considered the same as hatchery coho or triploid
trout. This is supposed to be about the fish! It’s not about how easy it should be at all
times to be the most productive and dominate every fishery every month of the year.
This proposal, especially if expanded to more rivers and more river miles, could be
the best thing for our winter steelhead fishery. It will decrease the encounter rates
which now are much too high. It will give the fish some refuge and places to hide
where anglers in boats can’t get right on top of them every day. It will give the bank
anglers more areas where they will not be subjected to the constant parade of boats
and guides. It will increase the enjoyment and the anglers experience.
It will be good for the fish!!
We will have to wait until December 11 or 12 for the commissions decision.
Will they do the right thing this time?