long leaders are not going away in the absence of a sockeye fishery. The fishing community has asked for decades now for leader length regulations and the burracy of out inept government cannot get it done.
The trouble is DFO has looked at this 5 ways from Friday. Back in the early 90s when sockeye opening were first proposed, their big concern was sockeye would be primarily snagged (foul hooked). What they found both in the trial fisheries close to 30 years ago and in subsequent studies is, the large majority of sockeye caught in the floss fishery are legally hooked, that is they meet the definition of hooked in the mouth. Proposals to restrict leader length were more about a selective fishery regulation when the general river sockeye fishery had to be closed and not at a permanent regulatory change so bar fishing for chinook could continue. DFO also has long been keen to avoid tackle regulations that favored one part of the recreational sport fishing community over another. I am also sure Government at many levels hear more from anglers & other interested parties (guides, tackle shop owners and other local businesses) who don't want flossing terminated.
This discussion is the typical fruit salad ethical debate. to my mind there is a big difference between flossing a white spring that was raised in a hatchery with puling a wild coho 10 or more feet up a gravel bank to determine if it is a fish that has to be released for conservation of that species!
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Topic: Vedder river canal disgusting fishing ethics (Read 16000 times)