Been to a couple of Steelhead hatchery areas this winter so far and noticed good numbers of chrome hatchery Steelhead already within hatchery areas closed to fishing. It seems things are happening early this year and some early component runs may have already peaked. Question I have is. If Steelhead hatcheries have the numbers for there egg take, why not recycle some of them downriver to give anglers another chance at them? After all they are planted to be caught. Some places with liberal limits. Many summer run systems participate in this practice already and it is very successful and beneficial for the harvest and removal of excess hatchery fish. This early in the season still could be appropriate to avoid wild Steelhead interference.

I can tell you in some systems such as the Snohomish it is because of ESA Listings. Their view is all Hatchery Steelhead must be removed if possible. I personally have asked WDFW, if once Escapement is made at Reiter, could they close the Gate at the Creek. The answer was No Way. I had to ask.

Not poo-pooing your suggestion, but just being practical here.

If it's really all about the removal of hatchery fish, it begs the question "Why recycle them downstream at all when WDFW already has them in hand?"

The removal has essentially been done. Why take a chance on blowing pHOS with hatch strays that the rec fleet can't catch the second go 'round?

Wynoochee River has a trap, some years winter run steelhead ARE recycled. A punch in the gill plate and released in the lower part of the river, my understanding is, that not many are recycled a second time, so that would indicate that they are caught OR just died.

I've seen some ugly steelhead kept!!!!

The only problem I see....the recycle program is not done every year. Most years, some of the winter run are taken to the hatchery and used for brood stock, extra fish are placed either just below the dam or taken up to the lake and released.

My memory fogs on this but I think when recycling has been tried (and monitored) that it really doesn't put fish in the catch. They sometimes beat the truck back to the hatchery or they go to other streams.

Essentially, when a steelhead moves to the hatchery trap site it is to spawn. Time for sex and other activities get second or third place. If trucked downstream they don't suddenly lose the urge so they either hurry home or find a new one.

A summer fish, trapped in May and not spawning till the next March vcan be put back out and it will find a place to over summer so it might be catchable.

Recycling sounds like a no-brainer but if the fish don't get caught they cause more problems as Doc alluded to.

There have been programs to put these fish into non-anadromous lakes. Even as kelts. Post-spawn they should get back to eating again.

Melanie caught a nice 11 lb. steelhead on a spoon trolling in Lake Wynoochee a few years back, we've seen a number of these caught on opening day, but not after that. The one she caught was little pale, meat wise, but was still bright. Bob R

While operating a trap to study some creeks we noted the color of steelhead as they went up and down. I can't remember if any went up colored up and came back down bright but some went up chrome and came down, spawned out, and chrome bright. Some of the females, especially, were gorging on the carpenter ant hatch. I remember one that was chrome and even the belly was fairly tight. Recovering fast.

Wynoochee winter steelhead are integrated with the wild run (their Broodstockers, for some of you). This reduces the concern about the pHOS level. Skookumchuck is the same.

Other programs, like Reiter and Humptulips, others, use the Chambers Creek stock for the early winter fish. Those are the ones they want off the spawning grounds.

I knew my terrestrial troot box would come in handy out here one day!

Were those black or brown ants?

About a size 16 or should I go larger and huck 12's?

Sub-surface or in the film?

Tipped with prawns or no?

Scents? Would a craw-ant-anise-egg-herring be any good?

Do I need a long leader and a corky above my offering?

C'mon man. Spill it.

I promise I won't share anything on BookFace.