I guess you westsiders need to know what goes on here on the east side of the mountains. Perhaps you guys always get to fish for fresh run fish.

Unless you really like to eat fish, or happen to get a fish as soon as it completes its 300 or more mile swim, the fish here are not worth keeping for their meat. A good number of people here keep the hens for their eggs, not their meat. On the Snake river tribs I fish, I rarely see hatchery hens released. Its typical to see bucks released. At the beginning of the run (October), my cacth ratio is typically 2/3 hens. By March it has turned to 3/4 bucks. I credit selective harvest for that.