Many of these "Dollies" are now heading down towards the tidewater areas of both the north and south fork to spend the late winter and spring ambushing smolts passing by on their way to the salt.

A good number of these nicely fattened sea-run fish migrate back up with the springers and sockeye in June and July. They can be real tasty fish at that time with the red meated ones seeming to be better than the ones with the whiter meat.

I usually keep a couple around 24" or so each year at this time. The rest of the year I just leave them in the water to voraciously gobble up everything they can swallow.

With thousands of these "Dollies" in the river year round I can't help but think they consume a substantial number of chinook and steelhead parr.

Good or bad?

I won't be the judge but I do think they have an appreciable impact.