I've kept my distance from this discussion but I have decided to enter the fracus.

I must say that I agree with Rich...to me fishing is so much more about catching and killing fish and to me wild fish are so much more prized as not only a quarry but as an organism and it is OUR duty to fight for their long term survival. If you do not agree, sell your driftboat or sled, your steelhead and salmon rods and take up trout fishing at the local lowland lake.

Is Washington Trout's call for the closing of so many hatcheries truly necassary??...probally not. We all know there are succesful hatcheries and unsuccesful hatcheries (succesful being measured in benefits to sportsmen with as little if any detriment to wild fish populations). Succes is usually determined by many factors and yet at sometimes, success can come from the fact that a hatchery is isolated from wild fish populations.

Leadslinger-
You totally contradict yourself...at one point you tell Rich that he eats more fish then yourself but in the next paragraph you state you have a freezer full of salmon caught from Puget Sound. Last time I checked, Puget Sound did NOT have selective fisheries and some of those fish could be wild...how does that make you any better then Rich???? I would rather you kill a hatchery steelhead then a wild salmon...

...I still dont get how you can you fish for sport when prior you state you have a freezer full of salmon?? Sure do hope those fish can eaten up and not thrown away!!