Rules Category: Eastern Washington and Columbia Region Freshwater
Species covered in proposed rule • Trout
Rule to Change: catch regulations on the Naches River
New Rule Proposal: Catch and release only on the Naches River.
Why the change is needed: The Naches has Blue Ribbon potential if we could just keep a few more of the spawning age fish alive long enough to prosper. It is a fertile stream with lots of food and can be very good. Making it catch and release would serve the great good for the angling community. It allows more users to catch more fish, plain and simple. It also eliminates anglers keeping juvenile steelhead that exceed the 12” minimum size requirement. There are a fair number of steelhead that don’t head for the ocean until they are over 12” long.
Names of individuals or groups with whom you have discussed this change: fellow fishing associates
Describe their support and/or concerns:
all in agreement that this would be a very positive change
Submitted by: WELKE, HAROLD H — ISSAQUAH, WA
Date submitted: 05/17/2012
WDFW Rule Proposal Recommendation
Not Recommended for further consideration Reference ID: DFW771484
This proposal does not offer additional conservation protection that warrants adjusting the current rule. The current rule is protective of native fish while allowing a broad spectrum of recreational anglers to use the resource. Implementing the proposed rule would potentially reduce recreational use of the resource.
Online Public Comments(2 comments)
FRITSCH, THOMAS M October 16, 2012 GOLDENDALE, WA Comments: Naches River catch and reslease with selective gear rules from the confluence with the Tieton river upstream. To further protect depressed Naches River Spring Chinook, bull trout and steelhead that spawn in the upper reaches of the Naches River.
HIATT, STEVE December 12, 2012 KENT, WA Comments: Please leave the Naches river as is in respect to the regulations. I practice catch and release and have fished the river for over 40 years. There is only a relatively short stretch where a legal fish can be kept. If anything, reduce the number of legally caught fish to one. If the fishing guides want to protect fish give them a lesson on proper release methods. If you look at the way their clients squeeze fish in the pictures they take I would bet more fish are lost to that practice then a dad allowing his child to keep one fish.
