When the month of January comes to an end, there will be some changes occurring in the current fishing season. These changes will begin a series of like-minded changes through April.

For starters, inland salmon fishing will be closing in the Harbor rivers, where it is allowed, on Jan. 31. This brings to a formal conclusion a season that has been marked with uncertainty.

The warm and dry fishing conditions of last fall took their toll on the early months of this season. Anglers needed to be in the right place at the right time throughout the fall months to capitalize on any available salmon. This now becomes a thing of the past as we move on when it comes to fishing Grays Harbor streams and waterways.

The focus clearly is on steelhead. This has been the case for the balance of the season. Anglers are in pursuit of these fish and favorable results are being reported. It seems these fish are running a little larger than the average for this time of the year.

When we transition from salmon to steelhead exclusively, the rules and regulations change to favor the steelhead fishery. This means the statewide rule of fishing for game fish becomes the dominant factor.

That is, fishing game fish in our state is allowed 24 hours a day while salmon can only be pursued during the day. In addition, the rule of a single barbless hook has now expired and game fish gear are allowed except for where the reflective gear rule is applied.

It has become the case on many of our rivers that the mandatory hatchery steelhead retention rule may apply. This rule states that, when in effect, the catch and release of hatchery steelhead is no longer allowed. It states that these fish when hooked must be retained if legal to do so.

So, we are currently in a time frame this season when a shift is being made from one type of fishery to another. This shift is going to require some change or adjustment as we continue to the conclusion of the season. Some of other changes we are about to experience will be the closure of smaller rivers and streams until the next season begins.

Another one of the big factors to bear in mind is the means of pursuing steelhead. In particular, there are sections of rivers that prohibit the usage of internal combustion motors.

This simply means those sections of rivers are either a walk-in or drift boat access. This measure is designed to protect spawning fish and generally apply to those sections of a river where spawning may occur.

Needless to say, there are changes in the wind. This is not only the case due to the species, but it also takes into consideration the duration of the season when fish are going to become at greater risk because of spawning.

All this being said, January is a good month to land a steelhead.