Sad doesn't begin to describe this. When I first came to this state, every book I read about steelhead fishing eventually talked about the Skagit. The most legendary system in the state is looking like a casualty.

During my time in Washington, I have always lived in Olympia or someplace at a similar latitude, so relative proximity to other (once) great fisheries has kept me from making the pilgrimage to the Skagit or Sauk, but it really hurts to learn that I may never have an opportunity to cast a Skagit spey line on its namesake.

The elimination of the C&R seasons on the Sky, the Sauk, and the Skagit was likely the beginning of the end. Full-blown closure of the mighty Skagit must surely mark a much more ominous milestone.

Sorry to pour on the doom and gloom, but it's getting harder every day to hold on to whatever hope I had that the trend might turn. I am seriously questioning how I can justify continuing to fish for steelhead at this point. I used to be able to tell myself that whatever harm catching and releasing the few steelhead I do encounter has done is relatively insignificant. With escapements below 5,000 fish almost everywhere and dropping, that reasoning no longer seems valid.

I have a trip booked on the OP in March. If things don't start changing for the better in a hurry, I may very well make it my last.

Did I really just write that? Ouch.