Thanks for posting Todd, I'd be interested in checking out some of that research...

The fish I was observing were hatchery fish. They were everywhere and feeding aggressively, I believe that they were from somewhere about two or three days upriver, the high water was flushing them out. They were from what I could tell exclusively hens. My observations seem to support that research.

I am curious now about the big bucks of the OP...When we see one of these magnificent beasts its likely to be their only successful spawn? I'd have to see some pretty conclusive data to believe that.

I am reevaluating my position (again) on killing hatchery snakes...I used to bonk them mercilessly and smoke the bejeesus out of the them (still bad) because they were hatchery fish, but I've been releasing them lately because they are nasty and I am not the bloodthirsty type.

Its all pretty confusing really because there is so much conflicting data. In my heart I believe the native fish on my home river are perhaps the most genetically distinct in the state of Washington and even the chance of hatchery genes comingling with the native genes scares me. What is the thoughtful angler to do?