I cannot claim any understanding about arguing over harvesting a measly few hatchery Chinook in the GH basin recreational fishery. From where I sit as a taxpayer and fishing license buyer, producing hatchery Chinook in GH is like throwing money down a black hole. And as long as QIN practice their policy over science that hatchery and wild fish are the same in the spawning escapement, managing for wild salmon production in the face of significant hatchery production is a fool's game. If I could be the WA salmon czar I wouldn't spend a dime of state money producing hatchery salmon in the GH basin. That simple act would force all parties who give a damn about GH salmon to employ management practices that conserve wild Chinook, coho, and chum.

I don't see that as having much effect on my opportunity to retain a Chinook in the foreseeable future. As it is, my wife and I each bagged a Chinook once in GH in the last decade, and I don't see that happening again anytime soon, if ever, whether hatchery Chinook are produced or not. Tell me again why it makes sense to spend our state money to produce hatchery Chinook for fisheries other than our own?