I agree with JacobF. The State is doing this to
make it appear it is proactive. The end result
is going to be to push more steelheaders out
of the sport. Then hatchery production will
be reduced or eliminated. The Game Dept.
would like to do that already if it could. The
reasoning will be that hatchery fish interfere
with Nates. If the Game Dept would increase
the return rate of Hathery fish this wouldn't
be an issue, but the fishing continues to get
worse and worse. When there less and less
fishermen there will be less and less pressure
on the State and Game Dept. to even have
a steelhead season at all.