SB ... I was waiting for someone to bring this up. yes, both are commercial entities. However, there is a vast difference between the two:

one benefits most from HAVING the greatest number of fish in the rivers, one benefits from TAKING the greatest number of fish from the rivers.

Not even apples and oranges here ... more like apples and uh, liverwurst??

As I mentioned before, it's not THEIR river. Sure they have control of the lowermost section of river, however, the upper river and majority of the Queets is EVERONE'S river! There should be some say on the Fed's part as well as the state in the impacts of these fisheries on the remainder of the watershed.

I also challenge you to find the last time a group of guides fought for lower escapement goals on the rivers they fish on the OP???

9,000 years or 90,000 years ... it doesn't matter! 90 years ago there was a commercial marketplace on the scale we see today. That's the difference!

Big difference between the hatchery programs you mention ... yes, Bog / Calawah fish are there for harvest. But remember, only one user group can selectively fish and has the choice to release those fish that ought to be.

Sounds like you're missing the point on the Snider program ... it is not to generate fish for harvest (although some view it as such). It is to keep alive the naturally smaller early portion of the wild run that has been beat upon by meat hunters, both sport and especially commercial netters. We release all Snider progeny as we wish to see these fish spawn naturally if possible.

CF ... How many wild steelhead have I bonked? One ... and if I could do it over again knowing what I do now, that number would be zero.

We learn over the years our impacts on the resource and how to do our best to minimize them (C&R, selctive regs) when we need to and totally eliminate them in dire situations (closures).

WC ... I hear ya! It's one reason we fight so hard as local businesses to sustain these fisheries. Although, I'll tell you one thing ... odss are you'll likley catch more nice-sized fish from SE (Situk) ... your odds of finding a true monster, 25+ ... are still higher southward That comes from knowing several folks that guide there that see what it has to offer, not a sales pitch from a lodge