I don't know enough facts to really form an opinion on the situation on those rivers...but...

The reason they're not clipped is because the hatchery run is a run intended to spawn naturally and increase the amount of naturally spawned fish. They are not planted to be available for harvest. If they were clipped they could be harvested all along the lower Columbia, or in other streams that they dipped into on their way up.

We have to remember that the wild fish there are endangered, not just threatened, like the rest of them. This reduces the management flexibility considerably...

Will this work to bolster wild runs? Who knows...

I do know, however, that I have a cabin on the Wenatchee, and it's pretty painful to sit on the back deck with the river running right by and not be able to wet a line, even if it was just catch and release.

Fish on...

Todd.