GBL,

I still can't make sense of what you claim to have done. Who was the biologist your work was coordinated with? What size summer steelhead were you planting? Fry at 2,000 fish per pound, parr at 400 fish per pound or smolts at 10 or fewer fish per pound? Other than the Sultan, where in the Snohomish and Skagit systems did you plant fry?

How do you know the "great returns of fish" were the result of your fry plants? How many years after fry planting did the adult fish return? Were hatchery smolt plants being made in the same waters that you were stocking fry in? I ask that because, if so, the returns were more likely from smolt plants than fry plants. Good returns of adult steelhead from fry planting is such a rarity that it would be irresponsible of me to buy your story without some persuasive evidence, which isn't the kind of info you're providing.

I know of summer steelhead fry plants, actually Vibert egg box plants, made in the Nooksack in the 70s, and it "appeared" that a few adults returned from those plants, but there was no conclusive evidence that the egg box project produced even a single returning adult, although there may have been a few. Smalma was probably directly involved in that and could provide more info.

I don't doubt that you had some good fishing, but that doesn't mean it resulted from your fry plants. You need to bring more info to this topic to make your story believable. Sorry, but that is the record of steelhead fry planting.

Sg