"Fishing suffered from depleted runs. From 1976 to 1988, the Coho salmon catch dropped from 1.38 million to 74,000."


I ran into this excerpt from a historical account of Grays Harbor (Chehalis) County. Really puts things into perspective when present-day managers talk about "banner" runs by modern-day standards. I mean every one is oohing and ahhing over (bemoaning?) the bumper crop of 72,000 silvers the gillnetters took out of Willapa this year.

Funny how we all tend to look at salmon abundance in terms of such a small timescape.... ie the past 10-20 yrs.... and consider that "historical" abundance.

Don't get me wrong here.... I fully appreciate the opportunities presented by 2009's bumper crop of coho, but man oh man, what would it have been like to fish the salmon superhighway that WAS the Chehalis back in the day?