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[knotbadman]

Are there hatchery (clipped) sockeye in Nicomen Slough or just clipped coho?
I am losing sleep regarding a hatchery fish I kept. White gums, clipped adipose fin.
I honestly wasn't even thinking about sockeye but then I noticed a lack of spots after I bonked it.
I submitted the head so I guess, I'll find out.
I am such a rule follower and thought I was pretty good at identifying my catches.
Thanks in advance for any info.
No need to beat me up if this was a sockeye, I'll beat myself up enough for everyone.

[Fish Assassin]

Caught a hatchery chinook from the Cap last month. A first for me.

[Dave]

Are there hatchery (clipped) sockeye in Nicomen Slough or just clipped coho?
I am losing sleep regarding a hatchery fish I kept. White gums, clipped adipose fin.
I honestly wasn't even thinking about sockeye but then I noticed a lack of spots after I bonked it.
I submitted the head so I guess, I'll find out.
I am such a rule follower and thought I was pretty good at identifying my catches.
Thanks in advance for any info.
No need to beat me up if this was a sockeye, I'll beat myself up enough for everyone.

That could easily be a stray Cultus Lake sockeye, they have been known to show up in strange places. Some Cultus fish are reared at the Inch Creek Hatchery so some imprinting could have occurred.

[knotbadman]

[RalphH]

they raise some sockeye at Inch creek I believe. There are no native sockeye there and usually by now they will be red with the green head.However coho will have white gums but a black tongue. They do have spots, particularly on the back and the top of the tail. Maybe it was an usually silvery chum? Don't stress out over it.

[psd1179]

looks coho to me

[bkk]

Both of those fish in the photo are coho. So if one of those fish was the 'sockeye" then you just have a misidentification. I've seen lots of coho ( and chinook ) with either no spots or very few so there are always exceptions to the general rules on identification.

[knotbadman]

Thanks for the feedback. I waffled back and forth all day as my main concern was just the lack of spots. But then I saw the picture above here: https://www.bcsalmon.ca/five-species
and that picture of a sockeye looks remarkably like the bottom of my 2 fish. Mainly the size of the scales and the lean look.
I used to catch lots of sockeye when I grew up in Port Alberni but that was 35 years ago.
So I started to question myself.

[RalphH]

the lower fish is a chum

[Rodney]

the lower fish is a chum

Are you talking about the photo with the two fish in it? They're both coho...

[Wiseguy]

the lower fish is a chum

They both are cohos.

[RalphH]

No spots? No coho!

[Rodney]

Are you being serious? lol...

[Fish Assassin]

Some people need to bone up on their fish identification.

[RalphH]

Are you talking about the photo with the two fish in it? They're both coho...

Coho

    Latin Name: Oncorhynchus kisutch

    Other Common Names: Silver, Medium-red (when canned)

    Average Commercial Weight: 2 kg – 5.5 kg (4 lbs – 12 lbs)

    Average Commercial Size: 56 cm – 66 cm (22 inches - 26 inches)

    Life Cycle: 3 years

    Migration: Adult coho usually return to fresh water between late summer and early fall. Most choose streams close to the ocean, although some will journey as far as 1,500 kilometres (932 miles) inland. Young coho fry are different than the other salmon species as they stay in their spawning stream for a full year after they emerge from the gravel.

    Outer Appearance
    White gums
    Spots above lateral line and on upper lobe
    Thick caudal
    Silver colour adjacent to caudal

    Flesh Colour: Vibrant reddish-orange colour is maintained when cooked

    Flavour: Moderately full and versatile

    Texture: Firm and fine textured

    Suggested Cooking Methods:

    Bake
    Broil
    Grill
    Poach
    Sauté


Chum (Keta)

    Latin Name: Oncorhynchus keta

    Other Common Names: Silver-bright, Keta (when canned)

    Average Commercial Weight: 3.5 kg (8 lbs)

    Average Commercial Size: 56 cm – 66 cm (22 inches – 26 inches)

    Life Cycle: 3 – 5 years

    Migration: Chum salmon generally spawn in late fall and usually in the lower tributaries along the coast, rarely more than 150 kilometres (93 miles) inland. Fry emerge in the spring and go directly to sea.

    Outer Appearance
    Dark metallic blue-green back with silver sides and belly
    Develop dark vertical bars called watermarks on their sides as they mature and migrate to fresh water
    Large pupil
    Large mouth with maxillary extending behind the eye
    No spots on the back, dorsal fin or tail
    Narrow caudal
    13 – 17 anal rays

the lower fish has no spots and the maxillary extends behind the eye while the upper fish has spots and the maxillary does not extend past the eye. I can't count the anal fun rays. How about you?

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