Do you ever wonder what fishing the river would be like if the regulations were different?
I have heard that at one point the regs said that your weight had to be atleast 10 feet from your hook?
I wonder how big the "flies" would be if the 1/2 inch reg wasn't in place?
I wonder if you were still allowed to use trebles (on lures) how the fishing would change?
I wonder if it would be any different if you were not allowed to keep trout during the salmon run?
I wonder if a 1 per day limit on the lake would change anything?
I wonder if guys would act differently if their families came on their trips?
I wonder if there would be as many "fly fishermen" if the same limit of weight on the line applied to the whole river instead of just the fly zones?
Just useless ponderings
But I like to think about how things might be.....

Rained off my slate roof project, so I'll venture an opinion or two. For the most part, my behavior is very little changed from when Nancy is around, because she often is. She's met some of the guys on this forum and felt perfectly comfortable with them. Those that I've met and she hasn't, I'd be perfectly glad to introduce her to.   To me, I don't see much difference. We're there to fish not to have some "freshman at  his first frat house party " experience. Doesn't mean you can't have fun and let loose a little bit, but there's limits.  At least for some.
    I tie herring flies on 5/0 hooks and sharpen the heck out of them. Tuna's seen me chuck some in the Hudson.  The gap is about 7/8". They're also about 11" long. On the SR, they'd be wrapped with black estaz and nothing would extend  beyond the bend of the hook. 
   I won't comment at all on limits as they are a hard call. Biologists and hatchery folk lose hair and sleep over it. It's a balancing act between what a fishery can produce and what it can sustain.
    Not the least bit useless your ponderings are. It shows you belong to the group of fishermen that truly are just that, fishermen. Which means you are interested, engaged and willing to do the right thing. Getting rarer.

I wonder what it would be like if they just enforced the regs as they are now. During shark season I would guess less than 25% fish within the regs. No trout until 11/1. Hmmmmmm.........

How about catch and release of all trout all the time. Only being able to keep Salmon.         What would that do to the numbers for Steelhead, Browns and Atlantics?
Could the conditions in the river and lake be able to support it?
 

Personally, I don't think all C&R would be good. There would be a very high mortality rate, the fishery or the economy wouldn't support that.
I believe the reduction from 3 steelhead to 1 now was needed and is helping the numbers of steelhead. Now if we can only get the lake to reduce their steelhead creel to 1 also , it would also help the returns .

What would it be like if the fly zones were closed again ? Would it create natural reproduction for trout seeing as there are cold water springs in those sections ?
What would it be if they closed the two major tribs of the SR ?
And yes , Clint has the best suggestion, enforce the regulations we have now

You'd have to wonder if the balance would tip a little and not provide those egg wagons for the river bio-mass. The lake is still the big player, you'd have to start there. Like those planted  Lake Trout that HT mentioned,  the Goby  problem may force the hand of those that make the decisions.
At least earlier in the run, did people think it was a little cleaner this year? I noticed garbage cans in the lots and people actually using them. Maybe a tiny stumble forward?

I forgot my bag today.
There were coffee cups cig packs, beer can and more where I had cleaned Fri as I left.

Less slobs leds garbage. Less fish less slobs. I like keep a trout or two throughout The season. I would definatlylike to See The feeders to The river Closed. IF they Closed The lfz and ufz i would like to See another section made for fly flingers

If they close the "zones" and not replace
 them the SR would not be on my list to fish anymore.

I agree Jack that is the water I like to fish not the fast water. I like the deeper pools like the few that are in the zones.