Woohoo the state has sorta kinda woken up, if you can call it that. Begining Sunday all Wild Steelhead must be realesead in the Snohomish and Stilliguamish systems because harvestable numbers of wild steelhead are expected to be taken by that time. Its kinda sad to realize that that many natives have been bonked on the head but it can also be looked at as goodnews because never have I seen them close it to wild steelhead take because substaintiable (sp?) have already been caught, its usually because there are not enough expected to return. Could this be another banner year for wild winter fish?? It looks like it might be ...damn school and work take up all my fishing time .
For more info see the website of the evil people...www.wa.gov/wdfw
Tight Lines
Ryan S. Petzold

I haven't looked at the WDFW release, but I'm wondering if your interpretation is a little optimistic. To me it sounds like so few nates have shown up that WDFW is worried about getting escapement, so is shutting it down early. Their decision may also be influenced by the rather late and lackluster showing of hatchery fish on both watersheds. WDFW figures that whatever affected the hatchery fish in the ocean will also have an affect on the natives so is being cautious.

Anybody see this any other way?

obsessed,
Nope, I`m with you.

i agree totally. i fish the snohomish system and haven't seen or heard of all that many fish being taken. the numbers have are slowly picking up but not what it should be. and from what i have heard the bulk of the fish are hatchery with the occassional wild fish mixed in. i read the article in the herald today. real curios as to how the wdfw knows that the 800 natives for the snohomish have been caught. the fish checker can't be everywhere. i think the numbers are low as they have been for the last couple years.

From memory, when there are low returns of Nates they usually say so and that they are closing it to protect the few natives returnig but this time they said that and this a quote from the website "The release requirement is being imposed because the harvestable number of wild-run steelhead is expected to be taken in those river systems by Jan. 15." I just interpreted that it meant their pre-set numbers on harvetable natives has been reached already.
Maybe I am wrong...that would be a first though!! j/k
Tight Lines
Ryan

I just read the Wayne Kruse section of the Herald. My favorite part is the state biologist saying:

If you're interested in boating and keeping one of these larger fish, however, you'd best get right on it. Kraemer says wild-steelhead release goes into effect Sunday on the Snohomish (including the Skykomish, Snoqualmie and all tributaries) and Stillaguamish river systems.
"You can whack 'em Saturday, but not Sunday," Kraemer says.
In other words get on out there and kill as many many wild fish as you can.The state sure wouldn't want to promote any C&R with the over-abundance of wild fish in the system.

What's interesting is the tribe is still scheduled to net Sunday through Wednesday unless somethings changed there too which I doubt.