A wild broodstock program will kill far more wild steelhead than a catch and release fishery would...and closing a catch and release fishery wouldn't do anything to help the stock, either.

Of all the things in Puget Sound that have bad effects on wild steelhead the thing that is amongst those that have the least effect are hatchery fish, and hatchery programs as they are now are being closed will also have the least beneficial effect of all the things we can do to help wild steelhead.

I'd wager that WDFW/NOAA-F will get their collective schit together and the permits will be forthcoming, and the programs will continue on just as they have the last several years.

I'd also wager that you will see at least one CnR season on a Puget Sound stream by the spring of 2016...if it's not held the spring of 2015 first

I find that the oft-used accusation by many that WDFW's steelhead "management" is just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic are vociferously supporting a course of action that does exactly the same thing.

Fish on...

Todd