With the poor returns we have been having on many rivers, would it be right to retain a hatchery fish before they reach the there escapement goal?

I think that's an interesting question.

First, it's perfectly legal to do so.

Second, if you catch a fish downstream from the hatchery, there's a good chance that it's headed to the hatchery, where right now they need all they can get.

Third, if you're fishing upstream from the hatchery, the fish is probably not going into that hatchery, though they do sometimes go up and then come back and hit the hatchery later.

My personal take would be as follows: if you catch a hatchery fish significantly upstream from a hatchery, it is being responsible to take that fish out of the river so it doesn't spawn; if you catch a hatchery fish around or downstream from a hatchery, depending on how far off they are on their escapement, it might not be a bad idea to let it go.

If you want to keep fish, I'd suggest fishing rivers that don't have hatcheries, or fishing above the hatcheries, until they get their escapement of hatchery fish.

Always release wild steelhead.

Fish on...

Todd

...I have sort of a follow-up question to this...last weekend my buddy landed a 9lb hatchery hen well below the hatchery on the Stilly--looked all the world like a fresh fish, but when he held it up a stream of clear liquid ran from its anus and when he cleaned it it had no in eggs in it to speak of...I don't mean loose eggs, but NO eggs at all. The skeins seemed intact, but emptied. He got a buck out of the same hole. Why would an otherwise bright hen have no eggs? Did she spawn and fall back, or spawn and keep going?

Seems I remember one low water year on the Nooksack, when all the kings and chum were spawning really low in the river...

Thanks for your input...

As to egg take, I'm surprised the state doesn't close more water immediately adjacent to hatchery intake/outlet paths. If they established 1000' deadlines or so, it'd drastically improve the chances of those fish that make it to the honey hole. The Cascade and Fortson come to mind...and perhaps in the case of Reiter and the Cascade it would allow them to keep the rest of the stream open...

thoughts?

I have seen more natives caught this year than ever. These fish are hatchery fish that spawned in the river. You can tell by the size and timming. Being able to "buy" all the food I can eat at a store, I only keep 2-3 fish a year. Kill the fish, kill the fishing.

good luck

The fish cops I've talked to all seem to say the same thing.
"The hatchery fish are there for us to catch."
Maybe they have some other voodoo they use to reach their goals. Some of my former fellow employees and I wanted to do some stream enhancement in Kitsap Co., and the hatchery at Minter Creek couldnt provide Coho eggs because they didnt have enough eggs for their own programs. This was 1999.

I think the state should keep a river closed to fisherman and nets until that rivers hatchery or native fish have reached there escapement goal. Just my .02 cents. Bob H.

It seems that there is an increasing frequency that steelhead hatcheries are failing to reach their adult return goals. What is the use of having hatchery fish if we can't fish for them? We might as well save our funds to increase wild fish production.

DaveD