I concur with WN1A - This closure has more to do about the change inthe status of the Skagit steelhead - now ESA listed than anything. As he pointed out we dicussed that very topic last November with the State and Feds at the WSC meeting. With the listing I think everyone expected that the "old rules" aobut when there a CnR fishery would be allowed (80% of the escapement goal) would change.

Besides the low forecast the larger issues will be can/when will the State get the necessary take permit to have incidentat impacts on the listed stocks while fishing for other stocks and second are there going to be circumstances in which a CnR fishery that is clearly targeting the listed fish be allowed? How far above escapement levels does the forecast need to be so that the federal folks would be comfortable in issuing the needed permits? Given past time tables we may not know those answer for months yet.

Bob -
I know we have had this conversation before but I have to chuckle about folk's concerns with the impacts on the coast fish if the Skagit/Sauk closes. Yes I can understand how that might effect the quality of the fishing; more rods on the water. However the spring Skagit/Sauk is a CnR fishery so aren't really see just adding more CnR folks to the water (aren't the bonkers all ready there?). Is the concern that more CnR is going to adversely impact the fish resource? If so many we should re-think this business of when we CnR our wild stocks.

Tight lines
Curt