Good job WDFW on mandatory hatchery steelhead retention on the ronde!

[huntnnw]

Same rules as always on the lower. Makes no sense the whole point to keeping the fish is they don't want them way up river.

There is no real wild steelhead on this river.

[fish vacuum]

Steelhead is a sport fishery!

Incorrect. The upper Columbia steelhead fishery is allowed by the feds. In their eyes, angling is strictly a tool to remove hatchery fish. That's how it works on the upper Columbia tribs I'm familiar with.
If anglers choose to release hatchery fish and claim they were wild, then the managers will believe anglers are no longer needed as a tool and the fishery will close.

[huntnnw]

the whole point of hatcheries is for people to go fish, if people didnt fish that particular river there would be no hatcheries. Fishing isnt all about keeping the fish! The money generated by guys like me and others is huge to the area. Some days down there in March there is near 300 people fishing a 8 mi stretch.

[_TONY_]

the whole point of hatcheries is for people to go fish, if people didnt fish that particular river there would be no hatcheries. Fishing isnt all about keeping the fish! The money generated by guys like me and others is huge to the area. Some days down there in March there is near 300 people fishing a 8 mi stretch.

Technically, hatcheries are there for harvest opportunities. Hatcheries do offer the ability to have a cnr wild steelhead by catch fishery, but that's not what they are designed for.

[WDFW Hates ME!!!]

If they didn't want the hatchery fish on the ronde then they should let me keep unlimited amounts of 3-5 pound steelhead on the lower columbia every summer. Late july we get a 2-3 week fury of 3-5 pound ronde fish. i let them go as i am looking for the big boys.

Same reason i don't keep sockeye on the lower columbia, 2-3 pound sockeye or 8-10 lb steelhead. I will take 2 summer steel thank you.

[splitshot]

  how the hell do you guys catch 2 steel in an hour on the ronde.  either I am a dumb fisher or you are a  liar.  I have fished for 3 days and caught 1 or 2 fish.  I fly fish but still some is wrong.  the guides don't do that good.  I know cuz I hire them.  mike w

[huntnnw]

I have landed somewhere in the range of 2-3k fish on that river...3 years ago I landed over 600 fish. I know guys who lnad more than that and quite a few of them...I have had 30-37 fish days on that river

[ELKBURGER]

Fish stories If you fish as hard as you hunt, then I'm sure its true!

[TheHunt]

For the Grande Rhonde we can get a limit of all day fishing. 

[UBA]

When does the fishing get good down there? lets say you do catch 20 fish a day how many of those fish die from their injuries or miss snags and whatever else?  I don't agree with that rule. To far to drive just to maybe have your day limited to 2 fish. Having an epic 50 fish dream day is what keeps you fishing

[WSU]

  how the hell do you guys catch 2 steel in an hour on the ronde.  either I am a dumb fisher or you are a  liar.  I have fished for 3 days and caught 1 or 2 fish.  I fly fish but still some is wrong.  the guides don't do that good.  I know cuz I hire them.  mike w

Fly fishing is a big part of why you don't catch tons of fish.  2 fish in an hour is very easily doable on the ronde when fish are around.

[huntnnw]

All fall is great all the way up to April.. I only fish late Jan till early april. River conditions factor in when I fish. The river can plug up with ice fast and blow out fast so keeping a eye on the USGS site helps a ton.

I've taking many friends and girlfriend down and had 5-7fish days for them as rookies. All about knowing the river and putting them on fish and explaining how to drift fish and what to feel.

I don't see how any of the fish die that I release.. They never come out of the water barbless single hook and just pull hook and off they go. I can count on 1 hand in 26 years on how many steelhead I've hooked deep in the mouth. Nothing like salmon the seem to take every bait deep.

[TommyH]

Need to get a line wet!!!

[dscubame]

HuntNNW: I honestly have no idea why you are so upset.  (I haven't fished for steelhead in decades, and I have zero knowledge of this issue.)  If you are just ranting, then carry on, but if you have a moment, please explain the problem, and why you think there is a better way.   

Because he wants to fish not just catch fish.  Many fly fisherman do just that, fish all day fishing hence the release.  I completely understand and this mandatory keep what you catch sucks. 

[Jake Dogfish]

They have lifted this unenforceable anti-fishing law on several Snake tribs due to low returns.
Runs are down so fish away!?