Wow! This is my first post in a long, long while. Forgive me if a get a little long-winded. I've been a reader/participant in Bob's BB since the beginning, even before mandatory registration. Not that anyone would remember, but my old "handle" was TK. Since I changed my ISP amost two years ago I have not re-registered but have been "dropping-by" frequently.

Yes Ribber, WA rivers have immense runs of native steelhead. WA rivers have many, many more native steelhead than any river in BC, Alaska, Oregon, and CA. That's why here in WA can still kill native steelhead, while at the same time there is virtually no native harvest of any wild steelhead anywhere else on the west coast.

Yes, I know that BC fishery managers and those of other US states realized over 20 years ago that each native steelhead was unique to its' individual watershed and that they should be protected. But not here in WA, we still get to whack 'em.

Our wild steelhead runs (unlike yours Ribber) were so phenomenal in the 1990's that we were allowed to kill native steelhead THREE different years during the 90's on all of the Snohomish, Skagit, and Stilly systems through Feb 28. Sadly Ribber, these above mentioned rivers have now been closed for THREE years in a row during March and April, due to all of sudden "depressed returns". Unfortunately, this is when the small runs of native fish actually return to these rivers. When no winter hatchery fish return to these rivers (like this year), these rivers essentially become summer-run only rivers.

So now because ALL of the rivers within an hours or so drive of ALL of the major population centers are closed, ALL of the die-hard anlgers make the trek over to the Olympic Penninsula rivers, where not only can you still fish for steelhead Ribber, you can still kill any steelhead that hits the beach! How's that for a bonus? You see, the runs of wild steelhead in these OP rivers are so immense that they can easily support ALL of the fishing pressure/harvest of the entire state of WA.

Oh Ribber I forgot, you can still fish the Skagit River for steelhead. The return"prediction" for native steelhead for this river is way, way over the escapement goal of 6,000. You see, 6,100 fish are expected to return to this river this spring to spawn. Get this though, the "reported" (can you imagine creel checks on the Skagit in '62?) sport HARVEST for the Skagit River for winter steelhead in 1962-63 was 21,400 fish. What were the netting totals from just that year, for a total harvest? Now WDWF are hoping that a whopping 6,000 fish make it back to spawn? That should fill the river with spawners.

How about the Pilchuck River, the river I hold so near and dear? This river has been raped, pillaged, and plundered for 75 years. This is the first river in North America that Roderick Haig-Brown fished in visit in 1927 (he got skunked....some things never change). Long before WA State Fisheries had hatchery programs stationed at Chambers Creek, Soos Creek, and the Nemah River, the "Game Dep't" trapped most of the fish for their "hatchery" program from the Pilchuck River. This practice was abandoned in the late 30's when the outcry from local fisherman demanded changes. Trapping stopped, and fishing was closed on the Pilchuck for a number of years. Then the built a dam, then the gravel companies arrived and took all of the rocks from the river, then because there were too many twists and turns in the darn river they decided to straighten it out with bulldozers and rip-rap. So now I get to go fish a sand-filled ditch with no rocks for fish that return after the river closes.

Ribber, be thankful that you live in a state/province where your governing agency actually places the welfare of the fish above the right/wants/needs of commerical net fisheries, tribal net fisheries, and sport fisherman. Around here the fish have always finished last. You have no reason, NONE, to visit WA in search of steelhead.

OK, I'm done venting. I'm obviously upset by not being able to fish my local rivers for the THIRD year in a row.

I don't know if this is old news or not but you won't believe what I ordered from the Cabela's catalog this evening. 50/50 Pen-Tac BC Steels. Yep, I even paid the $7 extra so I could beat all of you to the river with 'em. Oh, that's right, I can't fish until June.

Glad to be back.

Ike (Todd)