When should a fish be left alone ???

[STEELHEADKID]

I often frequented a local creek in Alaska after work and one of the things I noticed about the creek was the fish would be there one day and completely gone the next. The creek was short, no longer than two miles before there was a huge 30ft impassable falls. You could see every steelhead in the creek as there was no water deep enough to fully hide them. The local game warden told me that the steelhead return to the creek sexually mature so they come in on the high tide, do the deed and are gone within a day or two. I never did see a dead spawned out steelhead in the creek so I would assume most outmigrated. I would imagine that some Idaho steelhead attempt to return to the ocean but I doubt they survive the journey. While springer fishing the lower clearwater in early may I often witness steelhead that are barely alive floating/swimming down river. These fish look far too beat up and tired to return.
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