1972 plunking with my gramps in the Rowell's hole on the lower Puyallup. It was a furniture store just West of Howard's drive in on River Rd. Later, when I started drift fishing, that stretch to the weigh station in low water was hot just after high tide. Caught a lot of fish out of there over the years. Minutes from where I grew up. In 1883-4 season when state wide showed record returns, I caught over 100 steelhead just out of the Puyallup. I was in college at UPS, living at home fishing everyday, limiting out and releasing lots. 10,000+ were harvested that season making the Puyallup top in the state. I think back and wonder why I filled a punchcard +? I was part of the problem, but that's how it was then. Currently never could have guessed I'd see it this bad in my lifetime, where I can't even wet a line there any more. Would love to swing a fly with modern gear in that stretch today.
IIRC, wasn't '83-'84 early stages of wild release on a lot of rivers? Pre-fin clipping, but around there I think was when they started giving out the credit-card fin measuring device. Might have my years wrong...but it was around that era.
I fished the upper Puyallup heavily those winters. I remember days when a lot of fish were dragged up on the beach to be measured. Handling left something to be desired to say the least.
Either way, can't beat yourself up over it. It were what it were.