There's a lot to say about the steelheading experience. We have lost a treasure. What infuriates me is that there were and have been suggestions for at least improving protections for the steelhead resource, and they were ignored for politics. rather than reality.
There's an elephant in the room, and no one is talking about it, so I'll say it:
We can't have nets in the river three, four or five days per week on the Olympic Peninsula killing wild fish, and then again killing spawners on their way back to sea. Co-management does NOT work if the non-Indian government does not hold up its responsibilities to the other 98% of the citizens. I don't fully blame the tribes because we have willingly enabled the destruction of an irreplaceable resource. Insley has been an abomination for fish management as a governor. This is obvious when he jumped into action to save Orcas, but ignored the other salmon related businesses, and families for years while the resource continued to shrink. I've got a lot more to say, but won't at least here. I'm mad as hell and not going to take it any more! (P. S. The Nooksack closed today.)