Kid,

The name on the dotted line reads "Dr. Jeffery Koenings"...start there.

From the information I've been getting over the past few days, there are enough fish in the forecast to have an opening under the Wild Salmonid Policy...5400+ fish. That's right at 90% of the escapement goal, and the WSP sets a pretty low bar at 80% of escapement goal required to have a CnR season.

Koenings signed, however, because 5400 fish is below the goal of 6000 fish, and the ESA listing combined with that makes a strange context to open the river.

**Conspiracy Alert**

I'm completely shooting from the hip on this one, and have seen no actual evidence to support this, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if Koenings signed such an order to "punish" those who supported yet another ESA listing under his watchful eye...those who most support the recovery of Puget Sound steelhead are, not surprisingly, steelhead fishermen.

**End of Conspiracy Alert**

Kid, conspiracy or not, this is a purely political decision, not a biological decision, so don't blame the bios...look straight to the top for this one.

As most of you know, I'd trade the other eleven months of the year for my April on the Sauk and Skagit...this bums me out quite a bit. Looks like I'll be part of the additional April crowding on the coast, since I'm usually done out there after the third week of March.

Fish on...

Todd