I spent the weekend again at the Wenatchee River Salmon Festival in Leavenworth, and had an exceptionally good time. It is a chance for me to not only meet readers and listeners, and also see the people with many of the sports associations and state and federal agencies. Next year will be the 20 anniversary of this very special event, and I can’t wait to learn what they have planned. You’ll want to keep an eye on my reports and the Department of Fish and Wildlife web site, as an announcement about the coming steelhead seasons should be coming out very soon. The numbers are astounding. They are behind, again, posting the current counts at Priest Rapids, but they still show jut over 30,000 steelhead. There will be that many over Rock Island Dam by the time you hear or read this report. I am certain that this will be an all-time record return for steelhead to the upper Columbia, and there will be bonus limit for sure. I am trying to decide where to start on opening day, and I don’t think it will matter much. I will be on the main stem Columbia somewhere between Rocky Reach and Chief Joseph Dam.