Steelheading Curtailed

Sun., Dec. 3, 2000

By Rich Landers richl@spokesman.com (509) 459-5508

Fishing

Citing poor ocean conditions and possibly the worst wild steelhead returns to Puget Sound since 1980, Washington fisheries officials are severely curtailing steelheading on several rivers this winter and spring.

A season for hatchery steelhead opened Friday and will run through Feb. 28 on the affected rivers. However, all steelheading, including catch-and-release for wild or hatchery fish, will be closed on the affected waters beginning March 1.

The March 1 closure is a huge issue for businesses in the north Puget Sound.

“Fly fishermen from all over the world come here to catch big native steelhead,” said John Koenig, owner of a guide service in Rockport. “All the stores are going to be big-time affected by it.”

Chuck Phillips, who manages the region’s fisheries for the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, said the agency had no choice.

“The policy in the agency is pretty clear with what you do when you expect runs to be this low,” Phillips said. “This is not something we wanted to do.”

The March 1 closure affects steelheading on the Skagit, Sauk, Snohomish and Stillaguamish rivers.

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Steelheading Curtailed

Jesse Tinsley

Jim Meehan

Molly Quinn

Rob Curley

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