Two dozen anglers with bait rods go out to catch wild, summer run steelhead just as the fish begin to move onto the spawning grounds. The exercise, funded by the government of British Columbia, is allowed by the issuance of a special "scientific permit" - although an independant consultant and government biologists say the project will not provide any scientifically valid data. The project is justified on the basis that it will help improve the strained relationship that exists in the Bulkley Valley between bait fishers and provincial fisheries biologists.

We have a suggestion for improving the strained relationship between cops and robbers. Let's have an open season on banks.

The Bulkley River project, proposed shockingly enough by the local chapter of the Steelhead Society of B.C., will kill between 40 and 100 prime summer run steelhead.

The government should be ashamed of itself for yielding to the pressure of this small group of anglers who seem to completely out of touch with the times.

The next thing you know, they'll be proposing a kill fishery on the Bulkley, one of the few rivers in B.C. where steelhead stocks are relatively strong. Ooops, our mistake, the gang has apparently already made just such a proposal. They hope to prove with their scientific angling survey that there are twice as many summer steelhead in the river as biologists now estimate, thereby bolstering their argument that they should be allowed to kill wild fish.

The project should be cancelled. The decision should be made by senior staff in Victoria, so local managers don't have to take the heat. And the anglers in the Bulkely Valley should be told, bluntly, that catching steelhead on the spawning grounds simply can't be justified.

To A River Never Sleeps:

You've all done an excellent job capturing the wisdom, wit, and wonder of fly fishing. Thanks so much for an intelligent, non commercial look at the sport. You're already in my bookmarks and I'm looking forward to reading every issue.

Richard Comerford, Brooklyn, NY

To Columnist Glenn Baglo:

I LOVED IT!

I can't imagine taking someone else's daughter camping and have them start their first period. Hellzbellz, I can't even imagine that with my own daughter! Fortunately, when I did that, they were both 11. And we only had to come home 2 days early on a one-week trip to Minnesota (10 hour drive). Could have been a lot worse! After that, I did all my outings with boys (Boy Scouts). Heckuva lot less woes! I think it was the "been there, done that" situation (in the column) that made me about fall out of my chair. I liked the rest of the site too. Put me on the "please notify when updated" list.

Allan Fish, Greenwood, IN

Nice site. Very interesting, but where are the patterns for those flies? Your article was worth the visit. I bookmarked it. - Tight Lines

Richard Eppinger, Secretary, South Jersey Fly Fishers

To A River Never Sleeps

As a die hard steelheader now residing in striper country (Cape Cod), I love the site.

Juro Mukai

Really good work. One of the best web journals I have seen.

As for Glenn's article, my wife now says her idea of roughing it is the Holiday Inn instead of a Marriott Resort.

Jerry Goldsmith, Longwood, Fl

Very impressive Website, Congratulations! Thank you for advising me of it's launch.

Bill Stanley

An Open Letter to Corky Evans, Minister of Fisheries, British Columbia:

After lengthy discussions with Fisheries staff over the low returns of steelhead to the Cowichan River. . .I am suggesting recommendations to you which I believe are the very best regulations for our steelhead.

- A bait ban for the entire Cowichan River for all year is long overdue...Nothing is more effective for steelhead than bait; to eliminate this lure would greatly help our fish.

-A closed area for fishing of any species, year round, from Skutz Falls downstream to Stoltz's Pool on the lower river. This would give all species a sanctuary in the canyon in what is a prime spawning area for March run steelhead.

- A catch and release quota of 2 steelhead per day, both hatchery and wild stock, regardless of angling methods. This would be similar to the regulations in some Eastern provinces for Atlantic salmon.

- Fly fishing only above Skutz Falls to Stanley Creek, all year. This conservation regulation would leave the river open for fishing while allowing a method that catches very few winter steelhead.

As we all know, having a river open for angling is a good conservation tool as it puts people on the river, where they can report poaching or other offences. A river has to have friends.

I know there will be a hue and cry from the gear crowd, and many will say that if they can't fish above Skutz Falls with gear then it should be closed to all fishing. But common sense has to prevail.

If we really want to get serious about conservation regulations, we would extend the fly fishing only regulation for the entire river, with the exception of people under 16 and over 65.

These recommendations are not only for the short term emergency, but for the long term health of the Cowichan.

Sincerely, Joe Saysell, Cowichan River guide

An Open Letter:

Just got the word from the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans that herring gillnetters went over quota by 1,165 tons in the March fishery in the Strait of Georgia, on British Columbia's West Coast.

This is a VERY, VERY BIG NO-NO! Their quota was 7,000 tons and the preliminary catch was estimated at 8,165 tons of endangered coho food.

Regards, David Ellis, Fisheries Consultant.

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{E-mail letters may be edited for clarity, taste and brevity. It is understood they express the opinions of the writers, not the editors.}