Inside UDJ by Editor K.C. Meadows

We had a funny thing happen last week. A man who said his name was Michael Moore, drove up to the Daily Journal and ask to see someone who could take a photo of this great fish he just caught in the Russian River. Our photographer, MacLeod Pappidas, and our sports editor Anthony Dion, were both in the office and talked to the man and went outside to see this fish of his. Sure enough he had a pretty big fish there, one he said was a steelhead and which he caught somewhere near Hopland in a secret fishing spot of his own. MacLeod, who moved here from the wilds of Oregon where fishing is serious business and so are the rules about fishing, noticed immediately that the fish still had this rear fin that is usually amputated in hatchery fish. That meant the fish was likely a wild fish, which he was surprised to see. But being a fairly new resident of California, and not knowing the fishing rules here, he didn't question it. The man assured him that oh yes it was a wild fish. Being the cooperative and community minded folks that they are, MacLeod and Anthony took the photo and printed it in Saturday's edition. Then the phone calls from Fish and Game, and local biologists, started pouring in. Sure enough, Moore's fish is totally illegal and the authorities would sure like to find and talk to Mr. Moore. If Mr. Moore is out there, we'd advise him to come forward and admit he made a mistake. It may cost him a fine, but it would be a good lesson to other fishers about the problems with illegal fishing. We are planning an upcoming story on that very issue, but it would be great to have Mr. Moore participate in it.