Lots of good thoughts I agree with here, and I don't have much to add. That said, Salmo g. Asked a very important question: Why is game fishing so much better in places like MT, ID, and Utah? One reason might be that there are a lot more fly-receptive fish (trout) in those states, but I think the most important reason is that all WA fisheries are constrained by populations of FOOD fish (and the competition between user groups for those constraining stocks). Once a species is classified as a food fish, it becomes a profitable resource for commercial harvest. That's the beginning of the end, regardless of the species.

I guess what I'm saying is that salmon escapement both feeds and constrains most of our fisheries, and decades of salmon overharvest have led us to a place where everything that depends on salmon for survival is less plentiful and must be protected. That leaves less and less for sport pursuits, so here we are.

I've only lived here about 24 years, and the quality and quantity of our fishing opportunities are much less than what they were when I moved here. It's been painful watching fishery after fishery disappear, and I can only imagine how that feels for lifetime residents. As much as I think Western WA is as beautiful as it gets, family is what's keeping me here now; the fishing is still okay, but it should be SO much better....