One of the big problems of hatchery fish was, pre selective fisheries, we simply hammered the early part of the wild run. Wild fish (used) to return in December, January, February.

The sport and net non-selective fisheries hammered them out of existence. Some of the folks who worked on major watersheds believed that it was the early returning fish that spawned in the tributaries. Data I saw, through '10, was that the tributary spawner numbers are falling. Some in the Skagit, tons in the Green. Had nothing to do with interbreeding, but simply a mixed stock fishery. Not the only reason, but it's one of them.