Todd,

If what you say is true, why then aren't these native streams thriving with "wild" fish returns now? Does WDFW still stock those wild fish streams with hatchery steelhead? Like I said in one of my earlier replies on this thread, the upper Cowlitz River has watched its reintroduction program of hatchery mixed steelhead that have naturaly spawned almost triple in its returns in the last three years. The hatchery coho have also been allowed to spawn naturally above the dams in last 2 years and the natural production of coho has gone crazy. They have already captured, this year, over 432,000 coho smolts and that's only with a- 48% capture success rate at the Cowlitz Falls fish collection facilities.

So in 2 years, we will see what the most recent studies may say about hatchery fish survival rates vs. wild fish rates. Remember that there are no Indian nets on the Cowlitz or lower Colombia, and the commercial boys can't keep the wild unmarked coho either, so we should start to get a pretty good idea on what natural spawned hatchery coho survival rates really are. You may be right, but then again, you may be in for a real surprise! Time will tell.

I believe that when more unbiased research and studies are finally done, we will find out that these dumb "hatchery fish", if given the same opportunities and protection as "wild fish" get, and that's including harvest protection, that after a couple of brood cycles have been completed, that the old "dumb hatchery fish" theory and image just might change. It may be as simple as just adding wild fish genes to the hatchery adults, either by natural means or by man made techniques. Who knows for sure! Thanks for writing such a well written reply. Your points were well made even those I may not fully agree with all of them.


Cowlitzfisherman

Is the taste of the bait worth the sting of the hook????


[ 08-20-2001: Message edited by: cowlitzfisherman ]