Zambi,
Your Whatcom Creek comments remind me of one of my once favorite streams that feeds into Lake Washington in Kirkland. Being self employed I use to grab my fly rod and bait, (this was many years ago before cutts and a lot of other fish for that matter were not considered endangerd) and go down the the creek five minutes from my house and catch a half dozen resident cutts for dinner.

One day I waded around the corner and there before me stood three brand new condo buildings where a thicket of black berries had previously been.

I stared in disamazement, broke my rod down and walked back down the road to my car.

I never went back.

Do look around for some small creeks that wander through lowland meadows near Bellingham. You may be surprised what lurks in these innocent looking creeks. If you can, fish lures or flies for C&R, if it is brushy or grass covered that it is only practical to fish nightcrawlers, do use barbless hooks and a quick hookset. If you have to kill a fish that is badly hooked, remember that the limit in most of these streams is 2 trout over 8 inches.

I kind of miss those old days with crispy trout and potatoes for dinner, but now days tend to release cutts, dollies, and keep legal salmon for the table.