Some Things are Worth Fighting For.....

....and about also!
I am on a crusade so to speak. I happen to believe we are truly blessed to have one of the last populations of wild trout right here on the north coast. Of course I am talking about coastal cutthroat trout.
Think about it for a moment. Where on the Oregon coast can you find another species of wild trout?
What is really sad though is too many consider this trout as little more than an after thought. A nuisance that will steal your salmon roe! Fortunately they cannot be harvested and that gets them the scorn of many bait/gear fishermen who target the salmon and steelhead who inhabit the same coastal rivers.
These trout are marginalized by those who just need to kill something every time they are on the river.
A few years ago when I still fished for fall chinook I happened upon a guy fishing for these trout with bait!!! To make matters worse it was the off season to boot!
I asked him if he knew what those dead fish were on his stringer and he swore they were jack salmon!
Of course he knew what they were but pleaded ignorance when confronted by me. I went up to my vehicle to call the Oregon State Police and when I returned he had left and he also left behind the dead cutthroat trout.
Sad isn't it?
We are facing an upcoming battle with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife over these trout. They seem to think that their populations can sustain a harvest! I am not a fish biologist but I know that these fish are no where near plentiful enough to harvest.
It's time to get in peoples face about their nonchalant attitude concerning the coastal cutthroat trout.
There are those with influence who could do more about the plight of these trout but they don't! There are those who think that killing a couple of eight inch trout is their right. It's the ignorance and selfishness of these people that the fight is against.
I intend to do all that I can for these wild fish and other endangered wild fish. It's time to fight!