"get to" release a fish

[monoman]

Remember the years of two days a week springer fishing that lasted just a few short weeks? How about the 20 or so year we did not get to fish! In the last few years we have had huge runs,lots of fish and lots of fish'n. Even with all these fish we would not be fishing if we did not release noncliped fish. It's not a matter of have too, got too, or get mad because you don't get to keep the three springers you caught.It's that we Get to let'em go. We are fishing, let's not go back to the times we are not. Let's get in our boats and go fish for these wonderful salmon, after all we could live where they have to fish for bass!

[lovetofish]

Well put! Let's hope they re-open the season...

[M W Sheller]

God bless you, MONOMAN. It's good to hear from a "kindred spirit".

[monoman]

Sorry for the bass joke..will sort of! But like a wise "Old man" once told me..I Don't do green!! :grin:

[Paddlefish]

Great reminder, Monoman!

My previous girlfriend (now my wife of 19 years) delighted in the feel of releasing a trout from her hand and watching it dive toward safety. Just too cool! (She thanked me nicely for the lesson too) :grin:

But it can't compare with the feel of releasing a bright, vigorous, incomparable Columbia River spring chinook. :cool: Think of what he's been through: dodged critters trying to kill and eat him since the time he was a one-month-old toddler; swam several thousand miles over several years, not-stop; had to run down and personally kill everything he's ever eaten (no mid-Pacific supermarkets and no way to hold a wallet;) dodged sea lions and tangle nets, only to get tripped up by a stupid Spin-n-glo! :blush:

When we feel that surge of power as we release him, he still has to locate and navigate a batch of tiny fish ladder distractions when he knows that the main mother-river-current is coming through an impassible spillway or meat-grinder-turbine.

And finally ascend (still swimming) another couple thousand feet of elevation against fast water and multiple hazards, unconsciously hoping for the chance to produce more wonderful little silvery miracles.

And every one of them a candidate for the same gauntlet.

Maybe we're paying the ($$) millions to the wrong athletes. :rolleyes:

[David Johnson]

.......and then get bonked at the Wind river hatchery if he's not caught again....

[David Johnson]

But seriously though, Monoman is right, we wouldn't be fishing at all if it wasn't for people like NSIA who have lobbied and pushed to get fin clipping and open seasons. They are the only reason we have had seasons at Astoria in the summer and seasons on the Columbia in the spring.

And if our polititions don't hear from us you can kiss it all good bye if they don't approve the Mitchel Act dolors to pay for Columbia River hatcheries and fin clipping at those hatcheries.

Same goes for Tillamook area hatcheries, if people sit around and complain about it instead of doing something than they will be gone.