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Author Topic: Low Steelhead Return  (Read 6986 times)

SMOLT333

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Low Steelhead Return
« on: January 31, 2010, 02:00:55 PM »
Heard that four years ago there were only 90,000 steelhead smolts released due to desease problems. Normally there is 120,000 released. This would account for the poor fishing to date on the Vedder. Could someone on this forum please give us more information on what type of disease the smolts had and any other conditions  that would cause such low returns.
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kingpin

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Re: Low Steelhead Return
« Reply #1 on: January 31, 2010, 02:01:39 PM »
honestly, im seiing far more hatchery fish than wild fish...so why is that?
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RA40

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Re: Low Steelhead Return
« Reply #2 on: January 31, 2010, 05:41:42 PM »
Our guide Gerry walks/fishes the river twice a day, early morning, late evening. Today was his first wild fish and he says he has not seen any around. Every fish so far has been hatchery. Yesterday there was allot of fish caught, today was much slower. I heard about the low smolt count , not sure what happened
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Steelhawk

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Re: Low Steelhead Return
« Reply #3 on: January 31, 2010, 10:22:27 PM »
There should be a big push of wild fish in March. That seems to be the pattern in years past. For some reason, the hatchery fish are the earlier fish. Don't know why? So let's hope they can catch enough brood stock later.  ;)
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kingpin

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Re: Low Steelhead Return
« Reply #4 on: January 31, 2010, 11:25:53 PM »
there are usually maybe a few more hatchery fish early on...but that being said the ratio is in my opinion alarmingly one sided in favor of hatchery fish. there is usually an early push of wild fish, and this year seemed to be the weakest ive seen.
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bederko

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Re: Low Steelhead Return
« Reply #5 on: February 01, 2010, 03:27:16 PM »
Heard that four years ago there were only 90,000 steelhead smolts released due to desease problems. Normally there is 120,000 released. This would account for the poor fishing to date on the Vedder. Could someone on this forum please give us more information on what type of disease the smolts had and any other conditions  that would cause such low returns.

Returns from hatchery smolts occur 2 or 3 years after release.
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A river is never quite silent; it can never, of its very nature, be quite still; it is never quite the same from one day to the next. It has its own life and its own beauty, and the creatures it nourishes are alive and beautiful also. Perhaps fishing is only an excuse to be near rivers. - Haig-Brown

SMOLT333

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Re: Low Steelhead Return
« Reply #6 on: February 05, 2010, 08:20:05 AM »
You are correct bederko, Vedder smolts return after 2-3 years. The intent of my first post was to get any information on the low number of steelhead this year as I heard that there was disease with the smolts . Was there heavy flooding in those years?
This has not been a great year for steelhead, just talk to some old time fisherman.
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tnt

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Re: Low Steelhead Return
« Reply #7 on: February 05, 2010, 09:02:17 AM »
I think this year has been great so far... the fish are not where they typically are due to increased pressure...most people wont try new water and just complain when they dont find fish....
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HOOK

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Re: Low Steelhead Return
« Reply #8 on: February 05, 2010, 04:17:19 PM »
unfortunately that really hurts if your chucking flies cause there really is not that much river to explore unless you wanna basically gear fish with a fly rod  ::) I also like having tailouts pooched just as im about to get there  >:(
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firstlight

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Re: Low Steelhead Return
« Reply #9 on: February 05, 2010, 05:05:12 PM »
You should be quicker. ::)
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bederko

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Re: Low Steelhead Return
« Reply #10 on: February 05, 2010, 07:37:34 PM »
SMOLT333, your first post insinuated that there is a poor return this year due to a low smolt release 4 years ago.  I just wanted to let everyone know that smolts return after 2 or 3 years, not 4.  I do talk with many "older" fishermen (sorry Gadsy I don't mean to call you old!) and they are still catching fish. There are still 2 months left in this run. The hatchery has collected about 30 fish in the first 3 weeks of collection, another 40 to go but I wouldn't be calling it a poor run at this point.  Maybe if Thomas would stop fishing so much, there would be a few more fish for the rest of us... ;)
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A river is never quite silent; it can never, of its very nature, be quite still; it is never quite the same from one day to the next. It has its own life and its own beauty, and the creatures it nourishes are alive and beautiful also. Perhaps fishing is only an excuse to be near rivers. - Haig-Brown

kingpin

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Re: Low Steelhead Return
« Reply #11 on: February 05, 2010, 10:43:25 PM »
31 as of mid day.... gerry tubed a fish pushing 20 that his neighbour hooked.
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tnt

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Re: Low Steelhead Return
« Reply #12 on: February 06, 2010, 08:21:39 AM »
I had multiple fish rolling around in front of me yesterday... one hookup on the swing....but didnt get past the first jump.... there is some slabs around....
Bederko your one to talk......I fished three runs in the lower without a person around it was pretty nice for a change....
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Rodney

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Re: Low Steelhead Return
« Reply #13 on: February 07, 2010, 12:12:47 AM »
Bederko is just jealous because he cannot fish for the rest of this steelhead season, perhaps for the rest of this year, next year, the year after next too. ;D
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chris gadsden

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Re: Low Steelhead Return
« Reply #14 on: February 08, 2010, 08:42:38 AM »
Quote from: Rodney on February 07, 2010, 12:12:47 AM
Bederko is just jealous because he cannot fish for the rest of this steelhead season, perhaps for the rest of this year, next year, the year after next too. ;D
Be careful with remarks like that, you never know when one can be in the same boat. ;D ;D ;D
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