Tyee Steelhead Index to Sept.03

Here's the latest Index numbers:
Aug.31: 3.17....150.60
Sept.01: 7.72...158.33
Sept.02: 2.90...161.23
Sept.03: 3.46...164.69

The days with 7's and 8's are great days for sure, but remember these late fish generally never get impacted by our marine commercial fishery. It is still the early run fish who show up in July at Tyee that are the important segments to rebuild. Commercial sector reps are always quick to point out large steelhead runs as evidence that everything is fine. Unfortunately, steelhead who show up now at Tyee wont be available to the sportfishery until half of the season is over. It is the July steelhead that are the ones that started to arrive in tribs by mid-August. By now you might be lucky enough to begin catching some of them somewhere on a Skeena tributary. These fish come the earliest and stay the longest, thus providing the most access for the sportfishery. And as we all know too well, it is these early fish who have taken the disproportionate impact of the commercial fishery for decades.