TJ and Hootchie,
I've worked on the Cedar for the last 4 years or so during the fall and winter sampling Sockeye and Chinook, I agree with you that this is a gourgous(sp?) river and worth it to check out the spawning socks.
In regards to closing the river helping with the recovery of stocks, Stealhead and Chinook are still in trouble. Like I said I have only been on the river for the last couple years but, Stealhead adults have seldome broke 100 fish, and this is the first year we had more than a few hundred Chinook in the system, I believe it will be around 1,000. Still the Min. Escapement is 3,000 Chinook. The Sockeye run in cycles and the last two years have been preety darn good. Nothing like the mid 70-80's, but a sport fishery last year and close to one this year. The next two years will be low years and don't even think about a fishery. This river needs protection, don't get me wrong, there are more jerks then those two out there, but protection alone will not bring back the rest of the critters.

NEN