and gasping" when they are released, nor are they
"kicked into the river”. If done properly, catch and
release does not result in high mortalities, in fact,
there are many studies that-have been done that

prove this, and of course it is ‘these comprehensive
studies. of catch and release mortality that lead

bidlogists to encourage sportsmen to release prized

sportfish like steelhead. For every story of a released
fish dying, there are a hundred fish caught, two,
three; or more times with no ill effect. The largest

steelhead I ever caught on the fly was named 'Fred’
and I was the third person who caught him in three
days. What purpose would be served to kill such a
creature? If I need salmon to eat I can get it in more
appropriate places. B.C. biologists have placed many
restrictions on steelhead fishing to lessen mortalities,
such as bait bans and single hook restrictions, and
these are enormously effective. On the Yellowstone
River in Wyoming there is an intense catch and
release fishery for cutthroat trout, and these fish are
caught up-to 11 times per season and released. This
is a thriving fishery now, but it was almost destroyed
when anglers were allowed to keep fish. Sportsfisher-
men have. almost given up their fishery entirely to
compensate for the massive damage that has been
done to these stocks by commercial fishermen, both
Canadian and otherwise. Catch and release is no
longer an option on some rivers, it is a necessity.
It is curious that of the three letters that have

been written to the editors of Terrace papers this
year criticizing catch and release, all three have been
written by people who have connections to the
commercial ‘fishing industry. This is nothing more
than a very juvenile attempt to discredit men and
women ‘who are attempting to do something about a

fast disappearing resource. If you want to see a

creature being treated with disrespect watch’ what
goes on on the deck of a seiner as thousands of fish
lie on a deck thrashing and suffocating, or think
about how a salmon dies when it is ensnared in a
gillnet. This alone will become one of the main
reasons why traps are finally adopted for. salmon

- fishing. The general population will no longer ' toler-

ate these archaic and wasteful methods of fishing.
As far as how my grandchildren will feel’ about
me, all I can say is, that is one of the reasons’ T
belong to the Steelhead Society. I am doing’some- -
thing about this resource that needs doing, not
writing ill-informed and ignorant letters about
something that I have not taken the time to study:
thoroughly. There are hundreds of serious. issues
about our resources that need addressing, the moral-
ity of catch and release is a non-issue. If Mr. Bryant
wants to address the issue of our “heritage”, or-.
address a serious environmental problem, then he
should pick a more germane subject.
Brace Hill,
Terrace.

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