WDFW to end two early winter hatchery steelhead (chambers creek) programs

[_WW_]

In a word, yes. Lots of smolts. And because of rearing in the lake net pens, half or more are lost every year to disease prior to release. So yes, they take lots of eggs, begin with lots of fingerlings so that they still have a lot of smolts to release. Not great from a fish culture perspective, but it has continued to yield fairly large adult returns.

So...it really is that simple.

 

[Stonedfish]

What’s the explanation of the big number of cookie cutter fish the Quinault still get back? Do they just release boatloads of smolts?

The Quinault runs into the Pacific Ocean rather than Puget Sound, which likely also makes a big difference in smolt to adult returns.
SF

 

[fishbadger]

Those are some fun fish. They eat like dirt, but they're fun to pull on, and big. Gives us something to do while waiting for the real steel to show up. I sure wish the DFW and the tribe could comanage things so that we could fish for them on the rivers they run, instead of confining us to a ditch.
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[skyrise]

Success requires effort.
Funny it works in Oregon.