Rich
A valid point. I realize that OP is the only place that wild fish maybe kept. However that has been the case for a couple years now. Has there been a dramatic increase in the number anglers there due to this change?

As plunker points out way is the release ratio only a 1/3 of what it was last year?

Even with the wild fish harvesters outnumbering the CNR folks I would have expect closer parity between the kept and release numbers. The harvesters are constrained by the 1 fish limit (won't pretend that the 5 fish annual limit constrains the harvest) and the area they can fish (downstream of hwy 101) while the CnR folks are not. I would expect that on the average with equally skilled anglers the CnR boys will average more fish caught than those that keep fish.

In my experience steelhead fishermen today are like ball parks in corn fields - if the fish are there they will come. From reading reports from you, Bob and others where for good anglers catches are typically measured in fish/day rather than days/fish as it is in Puget Sound I would think that OP would be attractive to both the CnRs and harvesters. I could see that they may separate themselves by the type of regulation (CnR verus Keep). However you pointed out that few folks are fishing the CnR water. Bob pointed out there has been lots of high water this year - that likely means that those upper sections should have more than normal numbers of fish this year. If it is the case that upper rivers is where all the early wild fish go as many have postulated then it should doubly so this year.

Are all the fishermen there locals or are the guide's dudes and others from east of Forks?

I had another thought on checking the CnR areas. It may be that the Department is not trying to estimate effort but is more interested sampling the catch (scales). In which case they would likely not spend much time (any?) in the CnR areas.

Again thanks for your thoughts. As I stated before I'm not as familiar with your rivers as I am with those on the "dry" side of the Olympics. As such my questions are based on the creel numbers, and observations of those more familiar with those waters such as yourself, Bob,and others on this site.

Still curious!

Tight lines
Smalma