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[BCfisherman97]

I hit the Fraser today with my dad. Upon arrival I saw an Asian man hook a sockeye. I was jumping alot and he brang the 4 pounder in easily. I turned around to look at some eagles flying above because I knew he was going to release it. I turn back a few seconds later and see him and his friend bashing its head with rocks! I ran down with another guy who was fishing to the left of me and we got in an argument with the two men killing the sockeye. After alot of yelling and some cursing one of the guys chucked the fish into the water. I just watched it float down the river with blood coming out of its head. The guy that was with me called the DFO and they said they would send someone down. The few hours I was there they never showed.

[alan]

That's good that you guys let them know what they're doing is wrong, but you don't want to get into a confrontation with people you don't know.  If someone came running up to me cursing and yelling i d pull out the bear spray.  Talking is one thing, cursing and yelling is another.  Better just to call DFO and walk away.

[BBarley]

I'm hoping the textbook response for people breaking the rules isn't to come at Mach 1 and start cursing them out. With that being said, calling the DFO is the proper thing to do. Regardless of whether or not anyone shows up (keeping in mind most officers are few and far between as it is) it will hopefully get logged.

Ultimately with enough pressure and complaints, the sockeye fishery will go back where it belongs, to the Indians and net-setters.

[BCfisherman97]

I told them it was wrong what they were doing and that its against the law, but they did not speak much English. The other guy was yelling and cursing.

[BigFisher]

Good to hear you let them know what they were doing. It's people like this that ruin it for the rest of us.

[BBarley]

Perfect response.

I find the best bet is to talk to people and try to explain the situation. Alot of people go out without knowing anything about salmon fishing and the exact regulations. Things should never resort to asskicking.

[alan]

I saw the same thing on Saturday on the fraser.  Two guys fishing hooked a sockeye,they pulled it out of the water and started taking pictures with it, obviously they didnt know what the regulations were.  Looked like they were about to bonk it but I guess they felt all eyes on the river glued on them.  So one of the guys came over to me and asked what the regs. were on sockeye.  I told him it wasnt open yet and will be so on Monday.  The guy put it back into the water after reviving it.

[Gooey]

It shocks me that we should expect anything else out of a fishery like the fraser.  

seriously, I spent a long time learning how to fish fresh water salomon, learning about their life cylce, species identification, where they lie in a river, what makes em hit, making bait, even learning what regs were in place for a specific river...I doubt most of that is lost on the average fraser river flosser.    

DFO should just have a snag fishery on the fraser...seriously why release a fish thats been injured by a hook.  Alaska has a "sustanence fishery" under that special licence residence can boat down the river with their net in the water and scoop socks right out of the water...no need for a rod even.  I am being quite seriosu when I say I would like to see the fraser river sockeye fishery distanced from what we call "sport fishing".  I personally would support a separate tag or liscence, I would recommend that one person be given a set quota for the year and be able to fill that quota in one day if possible (reduce traffic), i personally would pay $50-$100 (like a sturgeon or classified waters tag) to be able to go out an bag an annual limit of 10+ sockey in a single trip.  DFO could call flossing what it is: targetted snagging but allow it for the fraser fishery...I think it makes a lot of sense and then you also distance that fishery from any others too, reducing the impact of flossing on other rivers.

PS -I snorkelled the cable pool yesterday, pulled out probably 300 yards of line, 8 bouncing betties and a bunch of snaggers gear.  I have done this for several years and I have never seen so much illegal gear in the water....its been getting worse year after year  

[andychan]

teaching his kid how to handle sockeye properly 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PX51WCRXTHQ

[GFL108-12]

This is nothing new, I have experienced many similar events like this on most of our lower mainland rivers. I have tried talking to some but it usually ends in an argument or threats. Calling DFO will not work as they have very few enforcement officers to cover a huge area. Not sure what the answer is. Knowing the regulations and common courtesy is something that is not practiced by many, expirenced or beginner. This is why I walk miles to find my own little space when I go.

[Fish Slayer]

Gooey: From reading your last post it seems as though you don't support bottom bouncing or the sockeye snag fishery? However in a recent post in the buy and sell section you said that you cast betties, I'm assuming you sell them which then supports the snaggery that it is... I'm confused 

[BBarley]

teaching his kid how to handle sockeye properly 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PX51WCRXTHQ

What's wrong with this video??

I mean aside from hooking it in the back and then not making any attempt to break it off......

[andychan]

I guess it's the fact of dragging the fish up on the rocks (not having a net handy for proper catch and release), not taking the hook out asap - (maybe pliers handy for a fast removal), lifting it out of the water to pose with it, etc. Just generally unprepared for fishing - except of course for a camera.

[BBarley]

Sorry, forgot to add the big  to the end of my post to ad the sarcasm factor....

My bad

[andychan]

Sorry, forgot to add the big  to the end of my post to ad the sarcasm factor....

My bad

LOL

you got me!

but in all seriousness...there are few things i don;t go near a fouled fish without - and that's a pair of pliers. Even barbless if foul hooked is tough on the fingers for quick withdrawl.