I usually spend a good portion of my free time during February and March on the Methow river. The last two years I've had tremendous success there. Its the one river I knew I could catch 5-10 steelhead a day. Well this year its closed. The reason I'm being told is that there are too many wild fish compared to hatchery.
From what I'm being told by others who fish there plus a few fishing guides who get there best business during Feb. and Mar. the problem is not being reported accurately....the true problem is that the hatchery's are not doing a good enough job clipping, so consequently hatchery fish are being counted as wild.
Can the people reporting these numbers be trusted? Who's watching the counters....I'm also being told those doing the counting are also allowed to fish....anyone know any truth to that? Even worse then that, I was told that these counters go down the river in a raft counting the fish and then later go back to where they have found good numbers of steelhead and they get to fish for them and it's legal for just them. Of course there catching and releasing, but that's all I do as well.
Sorry for complaining....and I'm sure I don't know the whole story....but this really has me bummed out.
