I agree Todd

Hatcheries are not going anywhere and there are places that they offer opportunity where none would exist without them.

The issue is whether or not any co-mingling of hatchery and wild steelhead affects the productivity of Wild steelhead. If it does than that is a valid argument for halting hatchery plants on rivers with a wild population that don’t need hatchery fish to sustain the run.

The big issue for me is the proper use of hatcheries.

Todd here's an example for you on a river that is most likely your favorite. The Sauk was planted with 30,000 hatchery winter steelhead to return this year though that is not very many I am sure you would agree that there is no viable reason to be planting that river. On top of that 30,000 is a 50% increase from years past. In this case it is not a proper use of hatcheries. Wouldn’t you agree? Especially since they have no way of trapping those adults returning.

The sauk is not the only one, there are others that receive very little angler effort during a time when those fish are present and unless they are harvested in the main stems most will go unharvested.