On "Policing Ourselves"

[Unskunked]

In reading the thread regarding circle hooks and the Salmon River, several people referred to "policing ourselves" as the best policy. I started to post this reply there, but it is really a different and important issue in itself. While I support self policing in principle, I am not sure how effective it will be. I am not a law enforcement officer and really don't want to get into conflict with someone who is flouting the law. There is a VERY high likelihood of violence in this situation. It's not worth it to me to risk injury or possibly my life by confronting someone who is already choosing to violate the law.

[The Fishing Geek]

I'd rather not fish than get into a conflict with someone on the water about fishing. It's just not worth it to me, I guess. I'll leave the conflicts to those who don't mind bleeding.

[Born to be Wild]

Henry Miller Came out with his Salmon River meeting article today in the Statesman Journal
http://news.statesmanjournal.com/article.cfm?i=57435

Good article with some good points that I missed.
He did make an error however on releasing wild Chinook. Wild & Hatchery Chinook can be kept (retained).

quote:
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is to maintain the fishing opportunity while protecting native chinook, which must be released un-harmed by anglers, and to cut down on the illegal activity.

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Points in the article regarding self policing:

Graves said he was driven from the river twice last summer by threats, “because I was too … old to argue.” <font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helv"> Suggestions for the social approach included:


Carrying video cameras to record illegal activity, or at least make law-breakers think their activities were being monitored.


Posting notices similar to “Neighborhood Watch” signs that would say something such as “Snagging Watch.”


Forming some sort of fishing club or organization to patrol and report violations.


A commitment to collecting information, reporting violators, offering to be witnesses at trials and following up by writing to district attorneys and judges when they fail to prosecute. <font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helv">

[willametteriveroutlaw]

Anyone who wants to become the fishing batman on the salmon river can, as for me I don't confront anyone who has less teeth than me :grin: :grin: . Ever get hit with a beer can, it hurts when there more than half full.

On a more serious note there are several problem areas on the north coast. I went up to Blaine on the nestucca and saw as many snaggers as on the salmon, when I questioned the guy next to me he said that OSP was "scared to go down there". Anywhere that there are lots of salmon that are easily accessible then there are going to be problems. Low water defiantely dosen't help anything either.
Heres my personal top 8 of snagger hangouts:
1. Big Creek (railroad Tressle)
2. Salmon river at the barn hole (banky part)
3. Logging bridge on the Kilchis (this year)
4. Blaine on the Nestucca
5. Cedar creek hole on the NF lewis.
6. Naselle
7. Hoodsport
8. Three Rivers
These are random observations made over a couple of trips to each of these places, a couple are lowater contingent.

[ 02-27-2003, 06:07 PM: Message edited by: willametteriveroutlaw ]

[Born to be Wild]

I hear what you are saying unshunked and Geek. I went through it a lot last Fall on the Kalama and it took some of the pleasure out of my fishing experiences.
But it was effective at chasing some of the snagger's out of there. And at least two of them converted over to fishing properly.
It did seem to get even more effective as more anglers starting joining in and speaking out.
I was concerned for my buddies sled that I left moored over night that a snagger might vandalize it.

There is strengh in numbers. And I just think if all or most fishermen with good ethics would ban together and let it be known that times have changed and we are not going to accept this kind of behavior anymore through preseason articles, signage and word of mouth, it would make a difference.

The State Police at the meeting warned of the dangers of getting into physical conflicts with these guys.

But I have done it and been successful at ridding the river of some of these outlaws without getting into physical conflict with them. Especially after others joined in they began to fill out numbered or intimidated.
I think the biggest problem is the lack of doing nothing!

For example, Camp Kalama on the Kalama river. What a joke (sad joke). You would think it was legal to snag fish there if you ever stop on by and watch for a minute.
But all it would take is for a bunch of us fisherman to go in there and run them out in the proper manner.
It would help tremendously also if the manager/owners of the camp and store would not condone this and kick them off there property.

As I said, I have seen it make a difference.
What other options do we have?
The State Police have been cut back and weren't to effective before the cutbacks.
I'm sure even if they (I'm moving out of the area) formed a "friends of the Salmon River", they wouldn't be willing to pay for a rent-a-cop.

I really believe educating the public, forming the group or club I mentioned above, signage for example "Salmon River Watch Area" or "Snagging Watch Area" with warnings included on the sign, and then have Newspaper write-ups on this durring the summer prior to the fish showing up, it would really curtail the problem. Let them know your serious.

Possibly push for a much stiffer fine and loss of fishing priviledges. But there again, with lack of law enforcement I believe the fisherman is going to have to do the majority of policing himself.

Victor from the Salmon River hatchery and my friend Mark who guides that river just stopped by while I was writing this and I asked Victor about the mortality he mentioned at the meeting the other night.
He said he forgot to mention at the meeting, the high numbers of dead Chinook he saw in the Salmon river would normally have 3 or 4 corkies in there back.

[Fishful Thinkin']

Hey folks.
I get the feeling that for the most part we are looking at the words "self policing" as us policing other fishers. What I think it's supposed to intend is that we watch our own.
(You watch you, I'll watch me) graemlins/eek13.gif

That does leave the problem of those who have no integrity. All of the people I've fished with from ifish have integrity, in spades! :cheers:
However there are those out there who don't. graemlins/berry.gif

Now the question comes-up should we say something to them. Of-course we do! We simply make it a gentle reminder in case they don't know the law. :whazzup:
If they tell us to get lost, we go back to what we were doing before. If we get a chance we can turn them in to the authorites. If not, it's not worth getting shot over. :shocked:

It's unfortunate that some few have to make things bad for everyone else. But greed isn't limited to the gillnetters. graemlins/icon_argue.gif

And hey. If any of you out there see me doing something improper you are welcomed to straighten me out. I probably need it. graemlins/dork.gif

[Brine]

The fishing club is a great idea.
Oh, wait a minute, you probably don't mean a big stick.
Never mind.
Signs work amazingly well.
They will get trashed but keep putting them up and awareness will be raised and behaviors will change.
Don't confront. Simply tell them to keep doing what they are doing while you go for the cell phone. Call and report poachers and the like. Response time typically sucks, but the threat of the call will radically alter the actions of most people engaged in illegal activities.
Keep up the good fight.