have you guys read the McKenzie river trout study? it is a very interesting non biased study on the section of river that was previously stocked with trout, and is now wild only.The goal of the study was to see what would happen if hatchery trout and bait were eliminated and if it would help or not. it is incredible to see what has happened the past few years to the numbers of wild redsides in that section. Take it for what you will, but the elimination of hatchery fish and bait fishing has done a great deal to help these fish.
now the spring chinook, this is a touchy subject. because so many people buy licenses for the sole purpose of harvesting salmon and steelhead that is odfw's main goal is to produce fish for harvest so they get their money, despite the fact that their mission statement says otherwise.
we are coming up on a time in our economy where odfw is struggling,habitat is shrinking,and fish are vanishing.We need hatchery fish to help supplement the loss of our wild fish, but heres the thing, It's obviously going to reach a point where year stocking of thousands of salmon and steelhead will cease due to budget issues. Imo odfw needs to find a way to make things work for them to save money and time. Habitat restoration and boosting native runs on the few rivers that have them left, and the rivers that are void of fish,stock the hell out of them and restore that habitat too, and let those hatchery spawn in those rivers. Could make hatchery fish wild,just like the upper willamette coho,which have been a huge success the past few years after habitat restoration and fish passage programs. it created a whole new fishery.
bottom line is, i don't think the mckenzie is going to be one of those hatchery fish rivers. because it is a special one.
just my 2 cents. sure it will ruffle some feathers but just trying to keep an open mind and give a different view.
that fly flosser comment made me laugh,because every time i see a debate on hatchery versus wild someone gets mad and always points fingers at the fly guys. to me i look at it as some people don't fully understand fish or polotics and are mad so they look for someone to point a finger at and it's always the fly guys.
it's a flat out witch hunt.