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The Thompson River will be closed to all angling commencing October 1st 2004 through to the end of the year in order to protect steelhead.
This is sad but expected news. The run is in serious decline and something needed to be done. I'm not interested in pointing fingers and shaking my fist, just quietly shaking my head. Another great river is lost.
I landed my last Thompson steelhead in October of 2002. I fished only 3 days last season then stopped fishing when it became evident that the run was looking poor. Many anglers joined me in this even when last season's announced closure was cancelled. Last fall was truly "the best of times, the worst of times" on the Thompson.
The Thompson and its great steelhead were the reason I took up the Spey rod in 1994. 10 years later I now face the fact that my rod tip may never again carve the lazy figure 8s of a double Spey into the river's morning mists, my new Perfect never sing its first light reveille at the Shark Fin.
Yes, there are other great rivers, and other great steelhead.
But there is only one Thompson.
This is sad but expected news. The run is in serious decline and something needed to be done. I'm not interested in pointing fingers and shaking my fist, just quietly shaking my head. Another great river is lost.
I landed my last Thompson steelhead in October of 2002. I fished only 3 days last season then stopped fishing when it became evident that the run was looking poor. Many anglers joined me in this even when last season's announced closure was cancelled. Last fall was truly "the best of times, the worst of times" on the Thompson.
The Thompson and its great steelhead were the reason I took up the Spey rod in 1994. 10 years later I now face the fact that my rod tip may never again carve the lazy figure 8s of a double Spey into the river's morning mists, my new Perfect never sing its first light reveille at the Shark Fin.
Yes, there are other great rivers, and other great steelhead.
But there is only one Thompson.