Short rant

The discussion on the board about PS Steelhead has been the most scientifically informative topic I have read in the last 10 years of PP.

I tip my hat to all that have contributed with data and knowledge of the situation.

Here is what I think we have all learned:
We agree that we all want to see more wild Steelhead in the Puget Sound Systems. We have learned about many aspects of the life of a Steelhead and the problems they encounter in their life cycle. Many have gotten involved with the recovery of wild Steelhead because of the information and passion on this board.

The one thing that I find the most interesting is that none of these discussions would have happened with out HATCHERY STEELHEAD in the Puget Sound.

These fish plant the seed of Steelhead fishing in our upcoming fishermen.

With out local hatchery Steelhead the passionate fishermen may be a dying breed. Steelhead fishing will be for the elite,it will be for the people that can afford to travel great distances and pay for hotels.

The PS watersheds are nothing like what they were in the past, they never will be. We, as humans, have failed in preservation. I find myself looking at our PS rivers and note that in the last 25 years some things have changed for the better.

25 years ago the Tolt was logged to the river bank. Today there are setbacks in place to keep timber companies away from the stream side. Its not perfect but its a start.

25 years ago there were over 40 dairy farms in the Snoqualmie Valley today there are five.

25 years ago there was a dozer that pushed gravel and vegetation out of the lower Tolt River. Today there are trees as old as I am growing on what used to be gravel bars.

25 years ago there were no nature preserves in the Snoqualmie Valley. Today there are over 20.

Things are improving, its slow. If I have learned anything from our disussions its that there are bigger issues creating problems then hatchery fish. In fact these fish keep me passionate about fishing my home river and its wild Steelhead. I hope that the day will come when I can show my son where his grandpa fell in love with wild Steelhead and passed that passion down to me. With out these fish that may never happen in my lifetime.