Is it a Native or is it Memoex ?

I agree, Hatches are inferior to Nates and were put in the rivers to be caught and eaten. But where did the Hatches come from? In most systems like the Sack, the Nates show up 2,3,4 months after the Hatches to spawn. That being the case, what if the Hatches spawn, {easy now, don't reach for the nitro-glisterin pills yet}, their fry miss the floods, the silt flows, dodge the Dollies and the Mergansers. They outswim Andre' the Seal, Free Willy, all those LOVELY nets and by some "Freak of Nature" they show up, back in the river with "THAT" little fin below their dorsal. Will this fish still be inferior after all it's been through? Will they still roll over and pee on themselves after they bite that Sand Shrimp that's so far from the ocean? Could this be a Native? If not, how many spawn cycles would it take to become a true Native again?

It took thousands of years for the native fish of any certian system to evolve into the fish with the best characteristics for that system. Who knows how long it takes.

Some say that hatchery born fish will not successfully reproduce in the wild, or studies show their reproduction success rate is very low. At least we all hope that is true.

As stated in the prior post, adaptations take thousands of years. Examples include disease resistance. Example: A fish native to a river sytem and it's ancestors may have become "immune" to a disease that occurs every fifty or so years. Whereas the Skamania strain steelhead that was "accidentaly" born in the wild now returning to the Nooksack comes upon the "fifty year virus" and does not have the immunity that the "native fish's family have developed over thousands of years.

The recent issue of STS clarifies some terminology
wild fish: as a fish that was born in a river system not a hatchery. May have originated from another river system
Native fish: Originated in a specific river system, born in the wild
I have always thought of wild fish as native, but this isn't so.

If your interested in learning more on the subject, "salmon without rivers" by Jim Lichatowich is an excellent explanation of hatcheries, native fish, and salmon history.

Hey, where does one find the "Salmon without rivers"?

PANTHFINDER, Semper-Fi from ex-combat/5811

Thanks G-Man! 5800 series is the MP area if I ain't mistaken...

Might have to fish a local water one day and swap war stories...

Semper Fi Mac!

Pathfinder,

I'm pretty sure you can pick up "Salmon Without Rivers" at the Washington Trout Store/Office in Duvall. Go to www.washingtontrout.org for information.

Oh, by the way, an extremely excellent book.

Fish on...

Todd.

I read an article in the paper a couple years ago about salmon that were released into lake washington(I think).they evolved in a very short time some moved into the river system and adaped to that enviroment others to the lake,the changes were dramatic not subtle.if I remember right this took place in about 50 years.Mother nature never fails to amaze me.

another marine here as well
7051 crash fire rescue
semper fi