I read with interest the article in the April issue about proposed change to trout regulations on the Wolf River. The change would open the current catch and release water of the Wolf to the harvest of three trout per day under 12 inches. Apparently this is being recommended because there is limited carry-over of stocked fish from year to year. There is sentiment that anglers should be allowed to keep the fish, as they might not live anyway. The protection of trout over 12 inches will protect the stockers that make it for more than a year. It is worth remembering that the Wolf River also contains some native brook trout and some wild brown trout. It seems highly unlikely (perhaps impossible) that they grow 12" between the time that they are born,and the season opener. It would seem that it would be worth requiring that all brook trout, and all wild brown trout be released. This would be easy to accomplish if the planted browns had a fin clipped. I believe that no brook trout are stocked in the river. Given the article in the same issue about all of the different fin clips on Lake Michigan Steelhead, there is clearly an ability to clip fins. Surely preserving the native and wild trout of the Wolf River is as an important a goal as counting hatchery steelhead that cannot even successfully spawn. Since one of TU's missions is to preserve wild trout, let's not destroy the natives in our haste to make sure the stockers get eaten. After all, we don't want togive up on the wild trout, and make put and take in the Wolf become a self-fulfilling prophecy. I would also note that the article stated "This change is supported by TU's Wolf River and Antigo Chapters." In another part of the same issue,the Wolf River Chapter indicates that, in fact, it opposes the change.