Skagit Steelhead Season Hangs in the Balance: WDFW Funding Crucial for Washington Anglers

Steelheaders up in Washington are buzzing right now, and not just about what’s tugging their line. According to the Confluence Fly Shop, the upcoming Skagit spring catch and release season for winter steelhead is literally hanging in the balance, hinging on whether lawmakers cough up funds for the WDFW’s Quicksilver Portfolio. No funding, no spring steelhead season in 2026—even if the wild fish show up. Locals are rallying, hoping to get Skagit back in play, and hosting Trout Unlimited’s policy ace to break down how everyone can pitch in and make some noise. If you chase steel on the Skagit or dream about it, now’s the time to get involved.

Meanwhile, Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources is stirring the pot with a couple new trout regulations on Beaver Creek in Washington County. They’re talking about stretching the catch-and-release artificial fly fishing section downstream, plus moving the upper boundary of the put-and-take section a bit lower. They’re also debating yellow perch limits—either dropping the creel from ten to five or adding a slot limit so only fish between 9-11 inches are fair game. For locals, this means more fly-only water and potentially tighter rules, but also healthier stream populations for future trips.

Weather’s been a wild card in Montana, but Jake Hensley, aka MissoulaFlyGuy, puts it best—spring’s been epic on the Clark Fork, Bitterroot, and Blackfoot. Skwalas, Baetis, and March Browns have kept guides busy, and with runoff a little slow thanks to cool temps, savvy fly anglers are enjoying some magic solo sessions during the tail end of spring. If you make it out to Montana before the crowds vanish and the water muddies, you might hit one of those legendary bug hatches with the river to yourself. Worth the gamble in Jake’s book.

Not to be overlooked, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service just dropped four new proposals to revise Endangered Species Act regulations, bringing back the 2019-2020 framework. They’re streamlining habitat designations, ditching the blanket 4(d) rule, and highlighting species-specific plans for threatened fish, which matters for anglers keeping tabs on what’s open and what’s closed. For fly fishers chasing native trout or worried about local ecosystems, these changes could decide where you can legally cast next season.

That’s a wrap for this week’s fly fishing news—action in the statehouses, new river rules, spring glory, and policy shifts that could shape your favorite runs and holes. Thanks for tuning in, and make sure to come back next week for more. This has been a Quiet Please production, and for more, check out Quiet Please Dot A I.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Steelheaders up in Washington are buzzing right now, and not
just about what's tug in their line. According to the
Confluence Fly Shop, the upcoming Scadget spring catch and release
season for winter steelhead is literally hanging in the balance,
hinging on whether lawmakers cough up funds for the wdfw's
quicksilver portfolio. No funding, no spring steelhead season in twenty

(00:23):
twenty six, even if the wildfish show up. Rocals are rallying,
hoping to get Scadget back in play and hosting Trout
Unlimited's policy ace to break down how everyone can pitch
in and make some noise. If you chase steel on
the scadget or dream about it, now's the time to
get involved. Meanwhile, Maryland's Department of Natural Resources is stirring

(00:44):
the pot with a couple new trut regulations on Beaver
Creek in Washington County. They're talking about stretching the catch
and release Artificial fly Fishing section downstream, plus moving the
upper boundary of the put in take section a bit lower.
They're also debating yellow perch linits either dropping the creole
from ten to five or adding a slot limit so

(01:04):
only fish between nine to eleven inches are fair game
for locals. This means more fly only water and potentially
tighter rules, but also healthier stream populations for future trips.
Weather's been a wild cart in Montana, but Jake Hensley
aka Missoula Fly Guy puts it best. Spring's ben epic

(01:25):
on the Clark Fork, bitter Root and Blackfoot, Squala's batis
and March browns have kept guides busy and with runoff
a little slow thanks to cool temps, Saddy fly angers
are enjoying some magic solo sessions during the tail end
of string. If you make it out to Montana before
the crowds vanish and the water muddies, you might hit
one of those legendary bug hatches with the river to yourself.

(01:47):
Worth the gamble in Jake's book not to be overlooked.
The US Fish and wild Wife Service just dropped four
new proposals to revise Endangered Species Act regulations, bringing back
the twenty nineteen to twenty twenty framework, their streamlining habitat designations,
ditching the blanket for d rule, and highlighting species specific
plans for threatened fish, which matters for anglers keeping tabs

(02:10):
on what's open and what's closed for fly fishers chasing
native trout or worried about local ecosystems. These changes could
decide where you can legally cast next season. That's a
wrap for this week's fly fishing news. Action in the
state houses, new river rules, spring glory, and policy shifts
that could shape your favorite runs and holes. Thanks for

(02:32):
tuning in, and make sure to come back next week
for more. This has been a quiet please production, and
for more check out Quiet Please dot ai