Now, all wild steelies on the Smith will be headed back where they belong: The water!
One of the worst fishing regulations ever written was finally reversed at the beginning of March and now all wild steelhead on the Smith River must be released! With the amount of fishing pressure the (California) Smith gets, it was only a matter of time before the wild steelie population there crashed and burned.
Luckily, this new regulation took affect before that happened, hopefully ensuring the state’s largest breed of anadramous rainbows lives on!
Keep track of the action on the Smith and other steelie rivers in our Fishing Reports section.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Victory!!! Now we just need to get the other 85-90% of those Trinity/Klamath hatchery kings clipped!
It’s about time.
The whack ‘em and stack ‘em mentality just over the border on the Chetco is almost comical. My wife released a large wild female in front of several frothing, outboard motor gravel churning, guides in the North Fork hole a couple of months ago. People kept asking us why we let it go. When the state troopers did a license check in the run below, the guy wouldn’t believe her when she told him she let it go. Made her open up the front seat box looking for the hidden fish. She made sure he looked under the rowers seat and the front compartment, too. Just to back him down a little.
He did mellow out a little when my dog licked his face, though.
Nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! show them fooos how it’s supposed to be done, congrats to your lady, and the pup for putting a smile on Mr. Trooper
finally!! because if that smith river strain was gone its gone forever. get rid of the barbed hook option also… hiouch!!! dan
RIGHT ON, it’s about time they woke up,now maybe our grandchildren will have a place to catch and release in the furture!!!!!
Ron
JD, it’s suprising how long it takes for some of the population to get the BIG picture, and it’s sad that most of them are in a position to really screw things up! I applaude the people who care enough to stand up and fight this kind of stupidity and are willing to spend they’er time and energy.
Thank You to those who care.
cliff