There are lots of wildfish guys, but most of us, will not turn down a hatchery chinook on the end of the line. Expressing a vision for a fishery (aka Wet dream) is a target for criticism on these sites. We have a lot of unproductive hatchery runs. We also have streams like the cowlitz, that at this point, are more suitable, for a heavy hatchery fishery, than trying to save, whatever wild fish, that linger in the system. In short, designate hatchery and wild fish streams and dont keep trying to have the best of both worlds in one river. From my view point, the tribal rights in certain areas, makes that goal really tough, if the tribes want to have a fishery. Wild fish cant keep up with that level of demand. Set asides or exemptions for ESA must be granted for the cowlitz to become a great hatchery river. We cant continue to fight with TU and others over bastard fish from other rivers.
We must have more power and control, than the friggin power company does. period.


Lots of things help. You have to work with others, or come up with your own ideas, that will enhance the reproduction or stability of the life cycle of the fish. I dont care if you want to rid the Columbia of Walleye, or squaw fish, its an improvement.
Obviously, some projects like culverts or small dam removal will have a major impact on the production capacity of a particular creek.

However, this fking issue of selective harvest cannot go unfinished. I relate the wild fish we have left, to the money you have for retirement. If you keep drawing down the account, the amount of compound interest (aka compound spawning) is never going to grow the account. Given the choice of an inheritance of cash from which you create a retirement account or college fund, would you rather start out with 100 dollars or 1000 dollars. Yes, 100,000 is needed to get people excited, but IM REALLY talking about wild fish and there arent 100,000 wild fish left in any river, that I know of. Fish reproduction is slow and not steady. But the old penny saved theory does work. Take a penny and double the amount everyday. In thirty days, the penny will become one miillion dollars. (I did the math). Salmon reproduction may be more like collecting aluminum cans, but people do it.

Selective harvest is ONLY the beginning. In order to make the money grow, you have to find good opportunities for growth and you have to monitor the fundamentals of the company stock (aka river) to make sure, you dont have bad managers.