Salmo g.-

You make good points and also must be noted that there is a stray rate for steelhead, as high as 5% from the reports that I've read...

Anyways, I fear this idea as we might get the jumbled up genetic mess steelhead that is typical of the 'wild' fish of the Upper Columbia system. When Grand Coulee was built, returning adult steelhead were trapped at Wells Dam and spawned. These fish were then planted in the Upper Columbia, because of this the native steelhead of the Wenatchee are now extinct and the wild fish of today are of little resemblence to the pre-Grand Coulee native steelhead.

Its tough one though and to tell you the truth I am fascinated by steelhead genetics. If I have enough motivation and rod and reel do not pull me too far away that is what I want to study in grad school.