Wild Chrome -
You are correct, during the early 1900s egg taking stations were established on a number of streams (include a fair number of the larger Skagit tribs). The expectation was that a majority of the fry released would return as adults. Of course what happen was time and again those established egg taking stations (wiers across the creek to trap all the salmon/steelehad) would run out of fish to trap in 4 to 8 years.

Just one of the early examples of the failure of "Hatchery Promise" to replace wild production. Everytime folks learn a little more about the fish the thinking is that this time the production problem has been solved but once again the "Hatchery Promise" fails.

Bottom line hatcheries have been reasonably successful in producing fish for harvest. They a mixed track record in rescue programs. However the thinking that if folks are justr smart of enough the "Hatchery Promise" of hatchery fish being as good as wild (the old a fish is a fish) continues to disappoints.

Tight lines
Curt