I hear ya, D3. Sea-run cutts were among the first fish I caught when I moved to WA about 11 years ago. What cool fish they are. They kept me coming back, again and again, until I moved away from the Sound and wasn't close enough to make a lot of trips practical. My favorite beach was consistently good, and I had more than a couple trips where I landed more than one 20"+ fish, including one 24" hog whose equal I have yet to see. The fish there were generally large, and sometimes the action was nothing short of ridiculous. Last time I fished that beach, in late January, I didn't so much as see anything moving. I put up a post here asking if anyone knew whether the fish might have all been in the streams spawning, and the opinions were mixed. I sure hope that was the case, but I haven't been back yet, so I don't know.

I agree that many more people are likely aware of the sea-runs now than 10 years ago, but I think (hope) we may continue to see decent fishing for them for some time to come. The reason for my optimism lies in that they are still restricted to C&R, which means a lot of people won't bother to fish for them, and those who do will be mostly (poachers excepted, of course) conscientous (sp?) anglers who will handle them with respect and release them. I am a believer in that C&R, while it does kill a small percentage of fish caught, is generally an effective means of sustaining a quality fishery. Hopefully, that will hold true for the cutts. They can be a great cure for the frustrations that often come with salmon fishing in the fall, and I would definitely miss them if they started to fade.

Here's hoping this will be one species that continues to beat the odds....