On one hand chambers creek fish do "their thing" on a different schedule than wild fish. On the other hand, if done right, broodstock programs have been a proven asset to sportsfishing.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/news/release-print/may0517a/

Just curious, what is the 'right way'?

For the sake of discussion, on one hand, chambers fish have "less" impact on later run wild fish while if done right, broodstck fish in certain populations have been a success. For example, the Vedder River has used wild broodstck for decades and has been a shining example. Vedder River wild runs continue to be strong after years of using wb. Of course everyone's idea of success differs and this and this certainly not me personally making a case for either.

Just thought it was an interesting report that the chambers are being replaced with broodstck fish and wanted to share.

The early return is first and foremost a product of age-1 smolts. Across the board, hatchery or wild, and age-1 smolt returns from salt water earlier than an age-2. On average. When they started the White River broodstock the first return of hatchery fish was earlier. This was with no selective breeding.

Then, if you advance spawn time by selecting your bloodstock for the fish that spawn earliest you add to it.

So, the short answer is yes, all the broodstock programs that use age-1 smolts will come back earlier. I have only looked at a few situations where you got age-2 and age-3 hatchery smolts and I forget how similar they were to the wilds; I just remember they were later than the age-1s.
And, these age-2 and 3 hatchery smolts had been released as 1s, they just residualized and smelted later.

I have not seen how a program that purposefully produces age-2 hatchery smolts affects time at return.

In 3 years they will have produced nothing but excuses.

BOOK IT!!!

For a variety of reasons I am leaning towards either/or for steelhead. The stream is hatchery or it is wild. Especially when we have non-selective fishery impacts there is no way that you can have both types in the same watershed.

We will have to decide. Somebody call the God Squad.

The current hatchery runs have not had the time in hatchery to be selected for earlier spawning in order to exacerbate the earlier return of age-1 smolts.

If they make no change in spawn timing then they will only have to deal with the smolt age return.

WDG tried very hard to develop hatchery fish that returned differently from the wild. But, they made the assumption that all wild steelhead were equal even though there was some evidence accumulating that the early returning/early spawning wild fish were the tributary spawners and the later fish were mainstem spawners. The Green (in King County) really showed a loss of the tributary spawners.

http://www.columbian.com/news/2017/jun/01/overhaul-coming-for-winter-steelhead-streams/

A little more on this plan at the link, interesting read...

...Big changes are coming in the next five years to the Washougal, Kalama and Coweeman rivers — plus Salmon and Rock creek — as the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife responds to new federal requirements regarding hatchery-origin winter steelhead....

“Without additional support, we will not be able to achieve the goals set by NOAA Fisheries, and will be forced to reduce hatchery releases or halt production at some hatcheries altogether,’’ Cunningham said.



.......and we all know the likelihood of that additional support. Just one more step toward elimination of steelhead opportunity in this state and even more crowding on the few rivers remaining. I hope I'm wrong.

Eric,
You and I both know you are not wrong.
Steelheading as we knew it is a thing of the past.
I only hope they come up with a real profitable recycling program for graphite soon so I can cash in.
Hope all is well.

My feeling:

WDFW is very strong in promotion of "commercial fishing". In Region 6 there is no time, during the year, to talk about steelhead. Now salmon get talked about LOTS. The whole NOF process is spent talking about salmon....conservation, x amount for sports and x days for the NT gill netters.

Wynoochee Mitigation...1992, still NO salmon or steelhead have been raised from the mitigation funds.....QIN and WDFW, just can't get on the same page to start spending the $2.4 million, that is in a fund. Commission wants this done but still it get pushed to the back burner, and that burner is off...grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

With VERY few exceptions, it is a thing of the past and it sucks. Glad you and I got to experience some of the good. I'll see you in line at the graphite recycling station. Makes me kinda glad I didn't give into the craving to upgrade a few rods at Sportco last week.

Give a shout next time your over this way.

At merger, WDW brought something like 14 dedicated steelhead and sea-run cutthroat positions to the table. They were all sucked up into generic fish bios (translation=salmon).

WDFW is doing their normal trick when faced with adversity.......................

Rolling over and peeing on themselves.
The sportsmen and women of Washington are left to potty train the mutt.

I say we get a new dog.