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Blog

Fishing reports, forecasts, news, and updates from River Runner Outfitters.

 

Hatchery steelhead and the swung fly

Do hatchery steelhead that will chase and hit a swung fly have the competitive genes fit for the wild gene pool?

I have had people in my past encourage me to release hatchery steelhead caught on the swing because they are the ones that are okay to spawn amongst the natives (the ones with aggressive and competitive genes).  Personally I don't buy it.  There is a lot going on genetically that most of us don't understand.

Here Scott Hagen displays a pair of hatchery fish that clobbered a large fly on the swing.  So the question is thumbs up or thumbs down?  (Think Caesar at the end of a gladiator fight)

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Thanks for reading,

Chris