Fishihngjunky -
Your cutthroat example is faulty - yes the marine waters are closed to the retention of cutthroat but it also closed to the retention of the wild steelhead and has been for some time. There are plenty examples of waters where retention of cutthroat is still allowed - for example the Nisqually, Puyallup, Green, Lake Washington, Snohomish, portions of the Stillaguamish, Skagit, Samish, and Nooksack.

Where the cutthroat were in mixed stocked areas (marine waters) the retention of the them is prohibited once they sort they themselves out in local rivers harvest is allowed where it was thought to be appropriate based on biologically sound bag and size limits. As you point out this system seems to have worked well given the good cutthroat fishing you and others report. They are being managed as steelhead were prior to recent WSR moratorium.

tight lines
S malma