Bob Hooten, a BC ateelhead manager, pushed hard and successfully to get C&R fisheries for BC steelhead. His comment to me, after seeing what happened in the 20+ years they were in place, is that they did NOT help the populations. Why, he doesn't know. But the runs did not increase.

So, while C&R certainly works for resident trout, sea-run cutthroat, and native char it does not seem to have helped steelhead.