Interesting topic. I used to keep hatchery steelhead based soley on whether I wanted one to eat or not. With better information about the ecological implications, decisions are becoming harder. A couple weeks ago I fished a system that is stocked with hatchery steelhead from a native broodstock. However, I don't think it's really an integrated hatchery broodstock program, so the hatchery steelhead are most likely reproductive misfits in the natural environment.

Removing hatchery steelhead from the river system is a good thing, and they are stocked to be caught. Yet, that doesn't exactly mesh with my goals while fishing. I did keep one fish that was fairly bright, but if I'd kept the second, then I'd have had to stop fishing for the day and float downstream to the takeout, passing over water that was interesting to fish. And fishing is my recreational goal, and sometimes taking a fish home is part of that goal, and sometimes it isn't.

And then last weekend on the Skagit, I couldn't land a fish to save my soul. No decisions required.