Quote Originally Posted by trayson View Post
So, I NOW know this, but until tonight I had no idea of the following:

On the Columbia River, the US Government has treaties with the Native American tribes that protect their rights to fish as they see fit on the Columbia. So when they decide it's their fishing season, they get in big boats with net reels on the bow, and sting out nets for distances of 100 yards to easily 1/2 mile or more across the river. Their nets have white buoys along the top rope, and there's a flashing stobe that marks the end anchor point of their nets.
EDIT: found out that it's not a native American thing. It's Commercial Gill net fishing. I hope the practice gets banned. It's the fishing equivalent of strip mining. they get all sorts of other fish/animals caught in their nets that die as collateral damage. Lame.