ETHICS AND THE FUTURE
The steelhead is a plastic fish. It withstands being subjected to such stresses as transplanting to new areas. It is a survivor and seems to have a solid future across its range. However, events have shown that the less we interfere with its environment, the better its chances. In order to ensure that steelheading will remain recreationally feasible, there are a lot of simple things we can do to improve the sport.
One way is to join a club that represents anglers in dealings with Fisheries managers, politicians, and developers so that you can lend /our support to the enhancement of ,steelhead habitats.
Another is to adhere to the ethics of the sport. While it may be acceptable to just walk into a line of anglers fishing a large pool, stream manners call for steering clear of someone fishing a smaller pool. Anchoring a boat in the middle of a pool being fished by shore anglers is also a quick way to be called something else besides a steelheader. And snagging is not only illegal but also a despicable practice. Avoid the temptation -- sportfishing doesn't mean you have to bring home a catch every time.
One of the best things you can do For the sport is to release a catch for which you have no personal use. How many steelhead do we really need to kill? Certainly, without the option of being able to keep and eat an occasional fish, something would be lost from the sport. But do consider if you really need all the steelhead you catch. When a dwindling resource forces fisheries managers to legislate how many steelhead an angler can keep per year, as has already happened on some British Columbia streams, then something else is lost to the allure of steelheading. Voluntarily limiting your kill seems the sensible solution.
Steelheading is a spectacular and challenging activity. You will discover much more about this spectacular fish than I have had space to tell you. With the increasing knowledge you'll gain, you will also realize that the more you know about the fish, the less it seems you actually know. It will continue to amaze you. Can any fish deserve less than our undivided attention to assure that it continues to thrive?
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