I think that in a way this fishery for this surplus of wild steelhead on the Chehalis system might do some good. Everybody is looking at the negative side of this fishery but could there be a positive side to this....
I think so, being one of the thousands of steelhead fisherman west of the mountains here is a thought to ponder... with the mass increase of steelhead fisherman this past few years, I don't think the O.P. rivers will be able to keep producing wild fish in fishable numbers being that those rivers are still open to catch and kill fisheries so late in the season all this "surplus" of steelhead anglers are going to fish somewhere right? And where will that be if the only rivers that are open are on the O.P.?
I guess most people won't agree with me but if the biologist are predicting Wild steelhead returning in fishable/harvestable numbers than why not take advantage of this and take some of the pressure off some of the other rivers.