The numbers of salmon and steelhead moving through the Columbia and Willamette systems are so low that ODFW voted to instate an emergency closure to all salmon fishing on the Lower Columbia effective at April 20 until further notice. Numbers do not bode well for those of us who rely on Columbia and Willamette salmon as the bread and butter of our Spring and early Summer guiding operations. Biologists are at a loss to explain this deviation from what was projected to be a banner Springer year. Two theories of explanation exist. Some biologists believe that cooler river temperatures are but delaying what will still turn out to be an excellent run, once temperatures rise. Others maintain that fish at the bar are sensing low water conditions and and will wait for a change even if it means coming in a year later. Lets hope that there are indeed hordes of fish at the bar and that projection were not way off base. It's now a wait and see game. Some fishermen who traditionally fish the Willamette and its' tributary fear that unprecedented pressure on Willamette system fish will result from this Lower Columbia Closure.