Sol o' Duc,

You assume that reproduction is what is limiting steelhead populations. That is almost certainly not true on most streams showing a declining run size trend (ie cedar R or puyallup.).

Once again, THE PROBLEM IS HABITAT. Its not sexy or controversial, but it is true.

If harvest limits the population, when you stop harvest there should be a population growth response. The fact that there hasn't been on many rivers where WSR has been in place for a decade or more suggests that WSR will not solve the problem of decline for many rivers. Only remedying the limiting factor (poor habitat) will recover these runs.