Salmo G. First the silvers that I saw were after the mass marking of hatchery fish started. All the silvers had those littel chip things in their head? But they weren't clipped. Basically they told me that they didn't clip them so they could study the run and they wouldn't be able to be caught? I thougth that was a little strange.

Also why doesn't the hatchery just capture a few of the silvers, and teh steelhead and get their egss? I would think that if the fish that returned survived the parasite, amybe their ofspring would be mor imune to it also? I know they can't raise the smolts there, but Maybe some place could until the new hatchery is built.

As for poor ocean survival, how is it that over the last several years we have had godd or very good ocean conditions, but we still don't get any fish back? Maybe it is the puget sound survival, not the ocean?

Yes you have a few years on me, but I have had basically the same fun you did fishing for cuts on that river. While I was a kid. I also didn't know what I was doing back tehn, I didn't even know what a steelehad was until a guy I new caught one. That is when I found out it had a good run of steelhead. That is over now! I will give a toast for hope that the river will again soon have a decent fishery in it again.

Rich G. Yes percival creek used to have some steelhead in it, I don't think there is anymore?

Chum Man, there really isn't a lot of access for the river. Even if you put a pontoon boat in it you have to be carefull where you float by as some of the property owners now have successfully had peole arested for tresspassing !!! I have basically stoped fishing tis river for a while, but tehre are a few places left for access you just need to really find them.
Buck

i know...i would fight it in court since i always stay below the high water mark on this river

the people that own the land right off rich road look pretty hostile, with the rope strung across the river covered in no tresspassing signs and all...

Dan,

Ocean survival rates vary from year to year and also in cycles, as has been described here in threads about Pacific Decadal Oscillation. Ocean survival varies in response to feeding conditions and predator abundance in the migration zones of each species. We've had good chinook and coho returns the last 3 years on the Columbia due to an increase in ocean survival. Survival rates were much lower in the 90s, especially for chinook. It's a natural phenomenon as far as we know, and we so far can't do anything about it.

Buck,

We've had improved survival rates for chinook and coho the last few years, but not for Puget Sound steelhead. I don't know why there hasn't been much of a coho or steelhead program on this river. Just not a priority I guess.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

With no Native runs of adromonous species and being so close to a large population area and being in Olympia for that matter it seems like a no brainer that this is the perfect opportunity for a brat fractory like cook creek or the salmon.

The Dechutes blood bath bonkorama !

Id participate just to watch the circus.

Not to mention it would bring alot of income to the area.

WDFW does it for Coho on the Quilicene and they do it for Chinook on the Skoke why not do it for steelhead on the Dechutes.