Howdy,
Couple quick points, all who blame Tribal harvest(or just resent it) check the numbers Salmo G. posted just on the big river alone before we jacked it up. The Tribal effort historically was intense and yet the salmonids ability to procreate was never diminished.
If a smolt is barged, couldn't it just be trucked to Astoria.
He who doesn't learn from history is condemned to repeat it. Kill a Dolly save a thousand Salmon. We pay stupid money to bounty native Squawfish (now Northern Pikeminnow, the cute new name is the first step to the E.S.L.) while slot limits protect the "smolt friendly" Wallys.
Dino those 250lb. Kings will dance in my head, Lord I want to fish the Wenatchee. Near Tumwater my son and I visited an archaeological dig in progress in these cool caves right along R.2. We were shown a bead made out of seashell found at 2,000 year old depth which showed the Inland/Coastal trade going on.