Washington State Announces Full Emergency Closure of Steelhead

[IronNoggin]

Sign of the times. Steelhead are very much the Canary In The Coal Mine methinks...

In Unprecedented Move, Washington State Announces Full Emergency Closure of Steelhead Fishing on Coastal RiversCiting much lower-than-expected returns, WDFW and local tribes shut the entire Washington coast to steelhead fishing, starting in March

https://www.outdoorlife.com/fishing/washington-state-closes-steelhead-fishing/

[tubby]

At least Washington state has the balls to close it down. Obviously the netting will continue on the OP though.

Here in the lower mainland its almost mid March and we still have barely half our brood stock for the Vedder. Traditionally we would have had it finished by the latest mid Feb.
Maybe this year we should stop taking brood and let the wilds spawn....instead of using them for hatchery runts.

Almost all of the LM flows have had horrible returns....yet know one wants to bring it up. Its more important getting your pic on social media with a 6lb rat.
The island has had the same issues.

But what do I know...just someone who has had boots on the grounds for over 20 years and fishes 5 days week....

[Neckshot]

Hey Tubby don't feel too bad. DFO will spring into action by announcing another "user group round table" where they will combine all of the information and suggestions gathered at these meetings and promptly ignore it all. Followed 5 years later by another meeting only this time they will call it something like "the steelhead roundtable" where once again a ton of information will be compiled only to be immediately forgotten. Then 4 years after that we will have....anyway you get the picture.

[Bugle M In]

Nope, Steelhead season closed here (coming soon), while Chum still open, but not unless you have a status card.
Thats as good as we will get here in protecting stuff now and even worse, for the future.
FYI, that means "no future" for most of us.

Thanks or the post Nog and good on the USA.
Then again, they generally have been taking these types of issues way more seriously then we have been for some years now.
Mind you, they dont make as many exceptions either.