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[brownmancheng]

X2
Every day
Your posts are much appreciated. I do learn quite a bit from yourself and the other knowledgable members of this forum.

[azafai]

thanks
I enjoy these posts and hate those BB debates.

[Johnny Canuck]

thanks
I enjoy these posts and hate those BB debates.

What's wrong with BB?.......

                               just kidding

[Sandy]

Its not that silly really.

DFO tried transplanting Atlantics into multiple systems on Vancouver island back in the day (and if I remember correctly even some Chwk River headwaters).
Most of those never took.

Steelhead are similar in some ways.
Each steelhead run is very unique in its genetics, run timings, where they spawn, what water temps they can tolerate, etc.
More so, the time that they spawn directly effects smolt survival based on when the eggs hatch, food available, etc which is diff in each system.
That is not to say the Steelhead cannot adapt to a new river environment, but generally they would die out before that occurs.
Now with a hatchery on that river system for so long, they may be allowing the fish to adapt, that may be why you are starting to see more "wild fish."

Some other examples of this is why the vedder reds colour so quick, and why it is practically all hatchery enhanced (they don't do well spawning naturally in the Vedder). It is also why FFSBC puts so much research into what strains they can stock into each lake, etc, just because each strain of rainbow is well suited for a particular environment (specific water hardness, pH, temp, etc).

got a link to dfo and atlantics, what rivers?

[Every Day]

got a link to dfo and atlantics, what rivers?

No link, you just have to search through the DFO sites.
Habitat wizard --> fisheries inventories --> type in river names.

Only one I can think of off the top of my head right now is the cowichan... I'll take a look around later in the day.

Cheers,
Dan

[Every Day]

Found an easier way to do it rather than type in river names and find what you get.

Go to (fish stocking query):
http://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/fidq/stockedSpeciesSelect.do

Select Atlantic salmon under fish species, and Province of BC and hit select.
That will generate a list for you of every system in BC that has at one point been stocked with Atlantic's.

Some Island notables:
Ash, Chemainus, Courtenay, Cowichan, French Creek, Englishman, Great Central Lake, Nanaimo Lakes, Qualicum and Sproat (among others).

Mainland notables:
Trout Lake, Stave River, Squamish River, Harrison Lake, Deer Lake and Coquitlam River.

All Atlantic's stocked were diploids in hopes to establish wild, naturalized runs.
None of these runs ever took hold.

This is partially due to the large difference in what Atlantic's are adapted to. The main adaptation they lacked that lead to their demise was resistance to BKD (Bacterial Kidney Disease). Almost all pacific salmon carry BKD, but they have evolved along side the disease for many years and have an immunity to it (unless they are spawning, or already ill). Atlantic's have absolutely no immunity to it, and die with exposure. This, among other diseases, and emergence times all kept the Atlantic's from establishing runs.

Now apparently, some years there are good runs of Atlantic's in the Salmon river. I haven't been up there to catch them, but I hear that they have somewhat started a small run there. From what I understand is they have also observed smolts (easy to spot, very large pectoral fins) in swim counts (although I can't find confirmation of this anywhere). It would be interesting to see if these fish have somehow developed an immunity much like pacific salmon to BKD, or possibly the low salmon returns higher up in the system have helped these Atlantic's along...

Cheers,
Dan