Naturally, no one wants to see steelies go away, but to break this down ask yourselves this.

You're starving. It's winter. Your life may depend on the strength you get from food. The only thing you can get your hands on is a steelhead. Even if you knew it was protected, given the circumstances would you care?

I'm not saying I agree or disagree or that there's a right or wrong answer. Just playing Devil's advocate.

I'll even take it further. You're striper fishing and catch a short. Homeless man appears on the beach begging for it. He hasn't eaten in weeks. He's almost crying he wants it so bad. What would you do?

I am sure the tens days of jail was due to lack of funds to pay the normal fine. We all say if he is homeless to pick yourself up and get a job. Lets remember people with college degrees and 15 years experience are having a hard time gettin work these days. As to dumpster diving if your going to do it go for a place with the good stuff, like a bakery with a nice sourdough. After all homelessness is no excuse for bad taste in dining.

The case does have some philosphical aspects. Are we more concerned about a species that is on the brink because of human development(people with homes and and the places they work) or people living on the streets in conditions most of us can't imagine. This is not to say the homeless and impoverished should be able to break laws at will, its just something to think about.

Well, if he'd poached and poached it, it would have been better than turning it into a poached mousse. [ducking now! ;) ]

I bet if you or I got caught with the fish we wouldn’t have been sentenced to 10 days in jail – we probably would’ve received something far less. He probably got 10 days because he has some prior offenses, plus he didn’t put up any kind of fuss with a good lawyer. As M. Diehl says, it’s doubtful he had much to lose.

That said, I’m guessing the punishment fit the crime. But your second point - about where the real causes of the steelhead decline come from, and how to address those crimes - are personally more meaningful to me.

Also, Dude
homless man is not the preferred nomenclature.
housing deficient, please.

Get a job? Most of the homeless people I see wouldn't be able to get in the front door to be able to ask for a job, much less be given one.

As they say in the military, wath are the lessons learned, next time have a stout stick or a rock ready to smack the game warden over the head with.

Dude - it was a steelhead! This guy should have had his fingernails pulled as well - homeless or not. What ever happened to dumpster diving?

Maybe if he hadn't eaten a female FULL of eggs, he would of got less.

I feel sorry for the guy, and yes he broke the law. So the punishment fits the crime. Now with that being said, if the state had any common sense, they would ask "why is he homeless?" and then try to help him. But unfortunately these state run agencies are run off money and politics, so the guy goes homeless and they'll make him a convict because he was hungry.
Having been in his shoes before, less the criminal arrest and conviction, I found that if you are starving and your fellow man can care less about you to even help you off the street, then the laws set forth by the same fellow man will no longer apply, as the only law that has any precidence is the law of survival.

Ok I think the punishment fits the crime. Also in response to Blacknblu's dumpster diving comment. I work at a grocery store and let me tell you that dumpster diving is alive and well. We always have people dumpster diving, some homless and some not

he should have at least confirmed to someone to see if it was legal

If dude was homeless, I think 10 days in the pokey is more help than punishment. Did he actually know what type of fish he was catching, or was he too hungry to care? Were the other guys homeless? Where did the lemon and the bread come from?
I think if you're truly homeless and going hungry (starving) then I belive being charged with poaching is overkill. But that's just me.
Were I in a similar situation, I'd still be polite about it:
"Look Mr.Game Warden, I know you're just doin' yr duty. You can arrest me when I'm finished eating."

OK - you're homeless. You wanna eat. Again, I ask: a) what about dumpster diving? Getting a job might be an idea too, but said homeless guy was obviously too busy fishing/poaching to do so.