In the 80s, when I was in management, I also worked on Fraser Management and we (there) were used to runs in the millions. Plus, when I started out on the research project, we had a couple thousand chums in a mile or so of stream. So, I was used to high density.

But, one year we had a great pink run. Lots more than we had seen in years. So, I set up a flight in one of WDF's Beavers and took the staff out to actually see what lots of fish in a river looked like.

You're right about shifting baselines but we all do it. "Fishing/hunting was great in the (fill in the years when you were at your peak) and has gone to s**t now."

I started hunting deer down in Goldendale about a dozen years ago and thought I had died and going to heaven. Deer everywhere. Generally out of bow range but there. Numbers are way down now, probably due to all the new 5-acre ranchettes.

Look at how many people now drool over a 20-pound Chinook. That's barely "bait" to what Chinook should be. Same with coho; they seem to be shrinking........