OSP Officers have quite a bit of latitude in their interpretation of angling rules but I don't believe they would cite someone on the McKenzie, unless they were fishing in an area that catchables are never stocked. Even then, big trout will take a leach pattern and there is no rule against targeting big trout, even Bull trout as long as you release those fish.

Lots of rivers with no catchable trout: Elk River, Sixes, Chetco, Coquille, Coos, Umpqua, Smith, Trask, Tillamook, Siletz, Nehalem, Kilchis, Nestucca, Wison...

BEWARE out there boys and girls...
EVERYTHING'S "grey" in the World of ODFW and OSP!!

Different bodies of water may have the same written rule; but its interpretation of the rule is different for each water body.

If in doubt...email both offices for clarification before you venture.

I think you have to take the mortality rate in to consideration. Some fish don't survive the fight.... Do you just let a hatchery fish float away because you can't tag it?

When did resident and searun cutthroat get classified as non catchable?

Interesting read, this thread! Glad to see Old hatchery Guy adding two cents worth/gud info.

At times trying to make sense of what any state dept does or does not do is a waste of time. Logic isn't on the table. Coming from several other states, Orygun has proved to be interesting. Just read the regulations, try to play along, go with the flow.

In old WV we paid for a fishing license.......if we wanted to fish for hatchery trout, a trout stamp was required.....more money. Notice I wrote hatchery trout.......timber & coal mining put an end to native trout, if there were any. The state tries to say there are native trout streams today, but when backed into a corner and asked if the trout are reintoduced or native, the story changes to reintroducted.

Be glad there are a few native fish still left in Orygun.

hoopie,

PS: gotta pay to play

To be accurate, I said that OSP game officers might interpret a rule differently. I specifically mentioned the McKenzie as I am most familiar with it. If you are fishing the section that is open to take of catchable rainbow, summer steelhead and spring chinook I'm pretty sure that OSP is not going to bust you for fishing that section without a salmon/steelhead tag. If you harvest a chinook or steelhead you better have a tag, otherwise, in my opinion you are good to go.

Again, I am stating an opinion, not ODFW policy.

I don't think you are using the term "catchable" correctly. Catchables by definition are reared at the hatchery until "catchable" size, 8 to 10 inches, and released to be caught immediately, not released as fingerlings to be caught as returning adults.

Don't bank on it!!

You are caught by an OSP officer with a two hander, sink tip and an intruder tied on...and no salmon/steelhead tag...you can count on a ticket from the boys in blue.

Also, if you play one till it's belly up and release it...you may just find yourself with a "wasting of game" citation.

(I've often wondered...what would happen if I load my limit of smallies in a trash bag and deposit in the nearest receptacle?...afterall, I helping rid a stream of an "invasive, illegally introduced, predatory" species...yep the same ones that ODFW propagates and encourages all in the name of MONEY)

[/quote]
I don't think you are using the term "catchable" correctly. Catchables by definition are reared at the hatchery until "catchable" size, 8 to 10 inches, and released to be caught immediately, not released as fingerlings to be caught as returning adults. [/quote]

Sorry, I didn't realize that you were limiting use of the term to hatchery management terminology. I was under the impression that the discussion was about the legality of fishing with gear that is primarily designed for the taking of steelhead/salmon, but which can and does regularly take legal trout, on a stream that has salmon & steelhead, without having a salmon steelhead tag in possession. Not about whether those trout in the stream, that are capable of being caught (catchable in the broader sense), must be trout that were planted at a legal-to-keep size.

Oh my, we are really off and running now. What have I done!?



Something very similiar to this has actually happened to me. I was fishing the McKenzie at Armitage, using a 6WT Switch to swing Rolled Muddlers. I was also using a sink tip. Well, the police boat rolled up on me, and the guy who popped out the top asked to see my license. I showed him the only license I had, my OR Angling License. He spyed it with his binoculars and that was it. No mention of a Salmon/Steelhead Tag whatsoever. Also, when the guy on the opposite bank realised what was going on, he suddenly felt the urge to reel in and high tail it outta there, hmmmmm. The cops in the boat, watched this person retreat, while making a less than half-assed attempt to intercept him. hmmmmmmmm.

I will say, that even though I had only trout in mind, I was a little nervous when they first asked to see my license. I also found interesting that even though the other guy was obviously fleeing, they really didn't seem to care. Finally. I thought it was super special that they literally lauched thier boat 100 yds. down from me, powered up river to question me, and then drifted right back down and took the boat out. WTF? They know it's Armitage and they could have just walked down the trail and talked to me, right?? But I digress.

OSP catches the bankies too at Armitage, and OSP knows it is a hot spot for bait & no license. Spend enought time there and one will see the boat pull into shore down river. Troopers will watch with the binoculars, then one trooper will get out of the boat and get above the bankies to cut off their retreat.

I've been checked by the toopers several times at Armitage, wish there were more toopers in the field.

hoopie,

Many years ago, on the Grande Ronde on Labor Day Weekend, I was swinging a Green Butt Skunk (single hander, floating line), when an OSP pulled over on the road on the opposite bank.

Him:"How's fishing?" Me:"I caught a residualized smolt of about 15" and a small trout" Him:"What are you using?" Me: "A size 6 Green Butt Skunk." Him:"That's a steelhead fly, and C&R fishing for steelhead doesn't open until tomorrow. Are you fishing for steelhead?" Me:" I'm only catching trout." Him: Are you fishing for steelhead?" Me:"I'll switch to a size 12 hare's ear." Him":" I can live with that." And He drove off down the road.

I switched to a size 12 hare's ear and promptly caught a nice hatchery steelhead. I fished it for another couple of hours with one more grab. I then switched back to a skunk and caught a couple more trout before going home.

It's pretty simpe; if your going to fish for steelhead regardless if your going to catch and release you need your steelhead tag.

Rich

Thank You.

Good night, thread