Jerry Mt St. Helens errupting did not wipe out the Toutle river steelhead. Toutle river Steelhead are typical southwest Washington steelhead Most spawn not in the main stem but in tributaries. When the mountain blew all the steelhead were spawning or had already spawned and were not effected by the blast. That is why the South Toutle recovered so quickly and so well. It was only after WDFW resumed a kill fishery and started planting Skamania summer runs that the run went to hell. The Toutle is the perfect example of WDFW mismanagement of our fisheries resources.