Been fishing for head over 30yrs and I've never seen such a bad run. I've talked to a lot of fishermen and read many reports to verify this. Anyone have a good reason why it's so bad? Jim Marquis

I saw nets in the Queets yesterday!

Jim-
What rivers are you fishing?

Smaller run size, lower water levels, gill-netting has been real effective in lower water. Floods a few years back have effect. Some of the rivers that I fish had the smolt pond flooded during these floods and lost alot smolts. Fish are around, but not the numbers that should be around. A few rivers are doing well, but most are not. I am not excited so far about the hatchery run, but I have been catching a fair number. I am disappointed that the netting hasn't been reduced this year, but hey it is their "right" to take 80% of the returning fish if not more----whatever

MacSteely, mostly the south western part of the state, but I get reports from other fishermen threw out the state. Most saying the same reports. The Duck

Misery loves company! I have had a real hard time this Winter too. I'm chalking it up to inexperience, a crappy season and the fish God's paying me back for the far gone past years of success. I still love just getting out and the anticipation of why every angler gets out (day after day week after week and month after month, year after year)- the thrill of hearing and seeing that line zinging and the stick a bending!
Keep the faith and catch em (whenever that happens)till ya grop!

I fish SW Washington rivers for the most part and fishing has been tough to say the least. I feel that the fish came early and were not as aggresive as in the past. When it did rain and the rivers rose a little, I think the fish were in a hurry to get up and spawn, kind of like a salmon does. Early in December I was fishing tidewater areas when the water was low and was catching some fish, but not a lot. The fish I did catch were not chromers. They were mostly colored fish with sea lice and all the bucks were shooting sperm. And also nearly every fish had a scratch or a chunk missing from seals or sea lions. I wouldn't dout that the seals are a little fatter this year because there were so many fish held up in tidewater. It was a great big steelhead buffet and it is still going strong. And according to the weather forecast, it's not going to stop any time soon. The native fish are next on the menu.

So far, it's been better than last year from what I've seen (with the exception of the Green which is about the same). I would have to say low water levels and the gill nets are the problem.

The Green's been pretty good to me the last 2 weeks......a mix of hatchery and upriver nates to 14 pounds.

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Fish the best-Rainbow Jigs!

What have you been getting them on in the Green?

With more nets and more sportsfisherman than ever before it seems crappy, but I have found this winter to be really productive. It has required alot more driving and hiking than I normally do but the fish are around it just reminds me of the late 80's when the weather sucked like this winter. Keep the faith it is not over, this weekend a buddy and I went 7 for 7 with some teenie brats up to a twenty plus pounder all fresh fish. So I repeat it is not over, keep the faith..

I wonder how much of the added pressure you guys are seeing on the water is the result of the blackmouth closure on the Straits and the Sound. I know I've always been more inclined to go blackmouth fishing instead of steelheading, but my options have been limited in that regard.
But even if there is more pressure, it sure seems like the fish are fewer and farther between than past years.