"I think that your article comes across as saying that those who are drifting beads are the primary ones snagging fish. Well, that's not true. Every one, on occasion, will snag salmon regardless of the method they are using," he added.

He goes on, "I have caught literally hundreds of salmon on beads and the majority of the fish have taken the hook in the mouth. I have snagged fish using this method, in fact I have snagged fish with every technique I have ever used."

Now regarding bead fishing....I've fished the American River probably 500 times for salmon and steelhead, the Feather River 50 times and the Sacramento River around 50 times. I have fished with some acquaintances of mine who are proponents of bead fishing with long leaders. I do not have a "somewhat distorted view of drift fishing for salmon." I've been on the river and I know what's going on.

I was told by my bead fishing buddies they were hooking fish in the mouths on the American River. However, when I went fishing with them, I found that virtually all of the fish caught by them and the hundreds of other anglers on the river weren't in the mouth; many were on the dorsal, caudal and pectoral fins, while others were on the head, gills and outside of the mouth. Very few fish I have seen - maybe one in 25 - were hooked inside the mouth.

I also tried beads on the American River for steelhead a couple times in 1995, and while using a short (4 foot) leader did land a steelhead that swallowed the bead. However, every one else that I saw using beads on the river snagged their fish while using long leaders. The next day, I quickly switched over to nightcrawlers and landed two steelhead to 8 pounds, releasing both, and lost one another...all hooked legitimately in the mouth...while the others continued snagging with long leaders. Beads, like other small roe imitations, will produce strikes at times. They were designed to be fished as single egg imitations for steelhead and salmon in low, clear water conditions.

However, this is not what happens of the American and Feather Rivers. People are specifically trying to foul hook the fish; I've been steelhead and salmon fishing hundreds of times and this is what I've seen personally. Virtually all of the drift boat and jet boat guides on the rivers every day will back up what I say.

As I pointed out in my column, anglers who use jigging spoons with illegal treble hooks are also guilty of snagging violations. I agree that fish are snagged occasionally while fishing Kwikfish, Flatfish, roe and spinners also. However, what I'm talking about here is intent. The intention of bead fishing with long leaders, as now developed, is to snag fish.

"Bead fishing is little more than a form of snagging that's unenforceable." Terry Hodges, DFG patrol lieutenant and the author of three books said. That, to me, sums up the technique as I and many others have seen it in practice. I agree 100% with Hodges.

I also believe that since the bead fishing mania started, it has made it harder for legitimate anglers on the Feather and American rivers to catch salmon. By "legitimate" I define as those who work hard for their fish by fishing spinners, salmon roe, spin-n-glos from the bank or spinners, plugs and legal-hook jigging spoons from boats to entice a salmon to voluntarily take the lure or bait in its mouth.

For the past two weeks, I have been fishing with Merv Spencer, Rich Spencer and others on the Sacramento River below Freeport. We are fishing for active, moving salmon. I have as yet not snagged a fish or seen anybody snag a fish. Of , course, you're not going to see 20 hookups like bead fishermen report at Thermalito, but you will catch quality bright fish with the satisfaction that you caught the fish legally in the mouth.

Witness the case of Dallas Oliver and his father who fish regularly together on the Sacramento River. Dallas, only seven years old, caught a 20 pounder one night, a 14 and 16 pounder another night, and a 10 pounder on another evening. All of the fish were caught in the mouth; the kid and his dad had to work for their fish.

I give an offer to Oldenburg or any bead fishing enthusiast to take me on the river and show me a day where they hook the majority of fish in the mouth. I'll be very impressed if they can show me a method of bead fishing with long leaders where the majority of the fish actually strike at the bead like they would roe, a plug or a spinner.

Doug Boyd of San Jose wrote, "I agree with you 100% that people who purposely or inadvertently snag fish and then keep them are as, you termed, law breaking idiots. However, I would like to challenge you to think further about the suggestion you made about leader lengths with beads."

"I follow the opinion of the world's fly fishing enthusiasts, who of late, have been strong proponents of using smaller hooks in combination with longer and lighter leaders...My leaders ranging from 4 to 10 pound test, from 2 to 16 feet long, and my hooks range from 8 to 1/0 depending upon water conditions. Since I often use beads or derivatives there of (corkies, glo bugs, yarn, spin-n-glos, flies etc. it really bothers me that the DFG may put limitations on the distance between my weight source and my bait. In my opinion, this will greatly hinder my ability to present my baits in the most effective manner."

"I guess this is a classic example of a few bad apples ruining for the entire bunch. It is just unfortunate, because it seems to me that limiting leader lengths is dealing with a symptom rather than the actual problem. Please reconsider your suggestion."

This letter has a good point: long leaders are effective in legally catching fish in certain situations. However, as practiced on the American and Feather Rivers, most anglers using beads on long leader set ups are snagging the fish. I understand the concern that Boyd, as a legitimate angler, has with a limitation on maximum leader length. I suggested that the idea of a maximum leader length be "examined;" not that it be submitted as a proposal to DFG. It may or may not work.

The ultimate solution will come about when (1) more DFG wardens are put on the rivers to cite snaggers and (2) when law abiding, ethical anglers educate novice anglers out on the river that illegally snagging fish is simply not acceptable, regardless of whether they're using beads, jigging spoons, treble hooks or whatever method.