Sorry, Bill. That statement about "brown outs" not happening 'till late Oct. may be right (more or less) but the rains have been coming in earlier and earlier in the last 5 years due to "climate effect".

Heavy rains in mid Sept. have been the norm lately and the fish due indeed push upstream before the Oct. 1st openings. Since trolling isn't your thing maybe you haven't noticed the lack of effort in the last two or three years. Less then a dozen rigs in the parking lot at Monte on any given day and most people did not have success even when limited to 1 fish.

Lots of my elderly neighbors have expressed their disgust with the Oct. 1st openings, and they also have fished the Chehalis for the last 40 or 50 years. So you are not alone in history. Either shut the whole fu*king thing down so everyone is treated equally or keep it fair by sticking to "reasonable " seasons.

Since "everyone" seems to think that the ocean seasons are the real issue and that they'll never change it that must mean the fish are doomed eventually and that the tribes will fish it to the end capitalizing on "foregone opportunity".

I plan on advocating for our fair share and fishing until I'm told by the state that I can't. i don't plan on not fishing while other stakeholders do.

The reason the state wants to limit fishing until Oct. 1st is that they know the fish push upstream after the 1st heavy rains and if you think that's not happening in Sept. you are not paying attention. The river doesn't have to have a "brown out" to have most of an early run blow through in the last week of Sept.

It's pretty typical to advocate for a limited fishery when it doesn't effect where or how you fish.