30 + lb steelhead

[tlbradford]

He never said it was hooked deeply in his story, just that it was bleeding heavily from the gills.  I don't know if I believe that based on his own story.  I do know that after fighting a steelhead for 45 minutes, it is going to be so bound up from lactic acid that I doubt it could be revived.  Of course, all of this is conjecture based on his story.

[nw_bowhunter]

Amazing fish! What is the big deal of him keeping it? After fighting for 45 minutes I'm sure the fish was not doing that well and it would have went to waste. We don't catch and release 30" bucks

[stinger]

It's a monster!

[Alan K]

Who cares what people think, I'd have kept it even if it weren't mortally wounded.  Thats one heck of a fish!

Mind you I don't fish for steelhead, so I guess I don't have the same mindset as those who do.

If I saw a whopper 180" non-typical blacktail, I wouldn't pass on it just to let it spread it's genes. . . I'd shoot it and have it mounted, just like this guy took it home and is having it mounted. 

I know it's not really justified to liken deer to native fish.  Native fish are in much more trouble than deer are or probably ever will be, but that's how I percieve trophies like that regardless of the populations' situations.   

 

[boneaddict]

am I dumber than a rock or isn't the fly right there in its lip?  Good story, shouldn't lie, just man up and say its legal, I wanted the potential record so I kept it.

[SeaRun1]

Goldtip,

I understand your reasoning.  I plead ignorance on this because I know alot more about fish then deer.  If we put a moratorium on Muley and Elk hunting for a certain time period would they recover?  I ask because I don't know.

I do know that our natives are at a critical mass point and if if they continue to be harvested there will not be enough genetic material left to recover.  You can't bring a population down to just a few actual members and expect a recovery.  Thats how close we are to losing our steelies.  

Bottom line is that when they get past that mark there done and then it becomes yet another species in a f'ing long list of creatures we have put out of business when we saw it coming and could have done something about it.  

I still think that guy is guilty and his conscience will get him evrytime he looks at that aging skin mount.  

The one bright side is that the fly guys can't blame it on the gear fisherman for once!

Life goes on...

SeaRun1

[huntnphool]

am I dumber than a rock or isn't the fly right there in its lip?

I'm glad someone else noticed that, I wasn't going to say anything until then. It looks as though they may have done that for the photo though Bone, its mouth is open as if its been dead for a bit

[huntnphool]

I do know that our natives are at a critical mass point and if if they continue to be harvested there will not be enough genetic material left to recover.

Question for you Searun, without stating the obvious wouldn't F&W realize this and close retention of natives if that were true?

[clindsayrun]

I agree with lazydrifter and huntnfool...
It was the fish of a lifetime...he was allowed to keep one...if native retention were so critical WDFW wouldn't allow any to be taken...had he let it go there's always the chance that it would end up in a tribal net...
...forget taking nature and chance in to account, and the possibility that it wouldn't spawn anyway...

All in all I'm sure over the course of this guys fishing career he's contributed plenty towards ensuring that fish have a future.  I know I would have kept it.

Just pat the guy on the back and say congratulations. I'm sure he doesn't care that some other guys would have let it go. Also, don't forget to invite a few of those pretentious, "holier than thou" types to the barbeque.

[jackelope]

Also, don't forget to invite a few of those pretentious, "holier than thou" types to the barbeque.

there won't be a barbecue.

[MuleySniper]

I find it amusing how so many can badger a guy for keeping a potential state record nate. First off, it is perfectly legal. I have never kept one personally. I have let them ALL go. I have only been fishing steelhead for about 8 or 9 years now. That man claims he has been fishing way more years than I have and says it is the first nate he has ever kept. Kudos to him. That fish was not going to go and fertilize a ton of eggs with his magical 30# genes and miraculously create tons of future thirty pounders. Like the majority of everyone has stated... That is a one in ten lifetimes fish. People want to get all ruffled mainly because they are jealous. Not many guys get to say they have ever caught a 20 let alone a state record. If people want to point fingers for a declining native run, try looking at the gill netters. Although I don't think that much can be said about them either, they have WAY better hatchery's then our state does. That fish will make a great trophy on the wall and an even better story. Come on guys... he caught that thing on a frickin fly rod. Is there a purer or more fair way???
MS

[singleshot12]

+1  my thoughts exactly

[SeaRun1]

Hey this isn't the first time something like this had inflamed a board.  Guessing it won't be the last time either.  I'm not a hater.  I was just voicing my opinion like you people on an internet board.

I just do not think that anyone should retain wild steelhead.  It's my opinion and it won't change.  I really care about this fishery and it bothers me to see these fish disappear.  Every one of them is important.  Like I said before the real tragedy is the WDFW allowing wild fish retention.  Equally sad is the wanton netting by the tribes. 

Huntnphool I am new to hunting for the most part.  I am hoping as I gain experience I will see that our game managers are doing a good job to manage the resource for all.  On the fishing side I think Washington manages it's fish in the most poorly fashioned way they can.  At this stage of the game there should be no Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) on our native steelhead populations.

It's done and I know better then to get involved too deeply in these threads.  I'm off to hunt Coyotes and (hopefully) find some sheds.  Good luck to all in their weekend pursuits.

SeaRun1

[tlbradford]

I think all natives should be released as well.  I do believe that big fish are special and rare and do produce other big fish.  This is just a guess by me but that fish probably spent three years at sea because its genetic make-up told it to.  Most steelhead spend one or two years at sea.  I don't think anyone know the science of why.  Who knows it might totally be environmental factors, but why take the chance.

[Fishpimp]

 i personally think that all wild steelies shhould be released  but since it is legal to keep then it is his choice . the hoh hasn't met its escapement for quite a few years so i think they should stop the retention of all nates ther atleast.
 one thing that i was upset about was the  45 minute fight and the bleeding out the gills part.  i have never ever heard of someone fishting a fish that size for that long. i have caught a handful of 40"+ steelies and really it might seem  like 45 minutes but it was probably more like 8-10 minutes. if you fight a big nate for say 10+ minutes they are wiped out. they will fight till they are almost dead. if that poor fish was on for a true 45 minutes i bet it was dead or really close to death. i don't even see how 45 minutes is possible. that's how long it takes to land 12' sturgeon.  the bleeding out the gills part is a little fishy too. wasn't it hooked in the chops?  either way he should have just said"damn it was a monster and i kept". not make up stories. either way none of us were there and we will never know.

all we can do is tell him congrats on a true monster steelie and leave it at that