Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

Author Topic: Are there adipose clipped sockeye on the Vedder?  (Read 4904 times)

DanL

  • Old Timer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 685
Are there adipose clipped sockeye on the Vedder?
« on: September 27, 2015, 11:29:52 AM »
Just wondering if you can encounter adipose clipped sockeye on the Vedder?

Saw a very clean fish bonked yesterday that looked very much like a coho doe but with had basically no spots whatsoever. A few blemishes on the back and tail which could be interpreted as spots. White tongue too which made me wonder if it could have been a sockeye. Clearly hatchery clipped though, which the guy said aren't done for sockeye. There was no argument or anything, just a nice friendly chat about it's identification...
Logged

Geff_t

  • Old Timer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2276
  • Cork floats hand made by myself
Re: Are there adipose clipped sockeye on the Vedder?
« Reply #1 on: September 27, 2015, 11:45:00 AM »
I'm pretty sure that they do clip the Cultus lake strain.
Logged

<*((((((><                        <*(((((((><                       <*(((((((><Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he will phone in sick to work and fish all day

SilverChaser

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 180
Re: Are there adipose clipped sockeye on the Vedder?
« Reply #2 on: September 27, 2015, 12:24:51 PM »
I'm not too sure if they do clip sockeye on the Vedder, but in my honest opinion, its kind of dumb. They try to protect the Cultus/Chilliwack runs, but with all the people that fish the Vedder, any late sockeye could easily be mistaken for a hatchery coho.
Logged
Freestone Fly Co Ambassador
Halieus Outdoors Team Member

samw

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 139
Re: Are there adipose clipped sockeye on the Vedder?
« Reply #3 on: September 27, 2015, 12:31:42 PM »
Logged

mikeyman

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 444
Re: Are there adipose clipped sockeye on the Vedder?
« Reply #4 on: September 27, 2015, 12:37:38 PM »
The cultas lake sockeye r clipped.
Logged

Dave

  • Old Timer
  • *****
  • Online Online
  • Posts: 3415
Re: Are there adipose clipped sockeye on the Vedder?
« Reply #5 on: September 27, 2015, 02:40:13 PM »
Wow :o
Logged

FlyFishin Magician

  • Old Timer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 866
Re: Are there adipose clipped sockeye on the Vedder?
« Reply #6 on: September 27, 2015, 02:55:09 PM »
Quote from: DanL on September 27, 2015, 11:29:52 AM
Just wondering if you can encounter adipose clipped sockeye on the Vedder?

Saw a very clean fish bonked yesterday that looked very much like a coho doe but with had basically no spots whatsoever. A few blemishes on the back and tail which could be interpreted as spots. White tongue too which made me wonder if it could have been a sockeye. Clearly hatchery clipped though, which the guy said aren't done for sockeye. There was no argument or anything, just a nice friendly chat about it's identification...

Yes - Vedder sockeye are definitely clipped.  Was the fish bullet chrome?  The sockeye will not likely be bullet chrome like a coho, but they can be confused with one.  Coho will have spots on the back and top portion of the tail, but they can be hard to see if it's a true bullet fish.  I stopped a guy from bonking a sockeye last year.
Logged

canso

  • Old Timer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 597
Re: Are there adipose clipped sockeye on the Vedder?
« Reply #7 on: September 27, 2015, 04:42:31 PM »
There are a few different fins they could clip or even the maxillary. Why the adipose?
I guess for quick identification in the ocean during commercial openings, but the commercials aren't looking for it anyways.
Logged

clarkii

  • Old Timer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 585
Re: Are there adipose clipped sockeye on the Vedder?
« Reply #8 on: September 27, 2015, 05:08:43 PM »
Quote from: canso on September 27, 2015, 04:42:31 PM
There are a few different fins they could clip or even the maxillary. Why the adipose?
I guess for quick identification in the ocean during commercial openings, but the commercials aren't looking for it anyways.

Maxilla's and other fins can be fairly easily removed by people angling.  be it line tangles cutting maxilla's and fins or hooks right through the max.

The adipose is in a tougher spot
Logged

CohoMan

  • Old Timer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 593
Re: Are there adipose clipped sockeye on the Vedder?
« Reply #9 on: September 27, 2015, 05:39:32 PM »
I was fishing last Wed and this guy hooked a hatchery fish. I told him it was a sockeye but he insisted that there is no hatchery program for Sockeyes.

He bonked it and all the other fishers that saw it had no idea what it was.

I have been fishing for cohos for over 25 yrs and I can tell the difference between those 2.
Logged

DanL

  • Old Timer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 685
Re: Are there adipose clipped sockeye on the Vedder?
« Reply #10 on: September 27, 2015, 05:56:48 PM »
Quote from: FlyFishin Magician on September 27, 2015, 02:55:09 PM
Yes - Vedder sockeye are definitely clipped.  Was the fish bullet chrome? 

Bullet chrome? Not quite. Green back and green head. The sides had that purplish hue that you see alot on coho.
Logged

Dave

  • Old Timer
  • *****
  • Online Online
  • Posts: 3415
Re: Are there adipose clipped sockeye on the Vedder?
« Reply #11 on: September 27, 2015, 05:58:21 PM »
Quote from: clarkii on September 27, 2015, 05:08:43 PM
Maxilla's and other fins can be fairly easily removed by people angling.  be it line tangles cutting maxilla's and fins or hooks right through the max.

The adipose is in a tougher spot
It is also a relatively minor invasive mark with the least measurable mortality to fry, when the fish are clipped.  The missing adipose fin is readily identified in a mirror installed in the fish trap in the counting fence on Sweltzer Creek, allowing managers options for brood stock; this technology is basically what is keeping this sockeye stock semi-viable.
 
When managers made the decision to clip Cultus sockeye adipose fins they knew there would be issues with anglers misidentifying these fish with hatchery clipped coho, but really, all that is needed is a bit of pre fishing research for anglers to learn to identify their catch.  It is not difficult to tell the difference and this site, FWR, has always done a great job in educating anglers in salmonid identification.
Logged