Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: clarki on November 02, 2022, 12:19:11 AM
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Today, while fishing a small stream, my partner and I noticed something upstream that took us awhile to figure out what we were seeing. It was a salmon, partly swimming, partly struggling, half floating, downstream that appeared to be attached to a branch. As it got closer we could see that the branch appeared to be through the fish’s gills and mouth.
The fish and branch got hung up on the far side of the stream so I waded over to see if I could free it.
The branch was smooth with no bark, 1-2 inches in diameter, 3-4 ft long, and curved. The chum salmon was hung up in the middle of the branch, with it branch running through the gills and mouth of the fish.
I pulled the long stick out, revived the fish for a bit, and remarkably it swam away.
A short distance upstream was a beaver dam. We figure that the chum tried to make the leap, didn’t quite make it, slid backwards, an upstream pointing stick slid into the gill and out the mouth and the thrashing fish dislodged the stick from the dam where it drifted down to where we saw it.
It was the strangest thing…
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Today, while fishing a small stream, my partner and I noticed something upstream that took us awhile to figure out what we were seeing. It was a salmon, partly swimming, partly struggling, half floating, downstream that appeared to be attached to a branch. As it got closer we could see that the branch appeared to be through the fish’s gills and mouth.
The fish and branch got hung up on the far side of the stream so I waded over to see if I could free it.
The branch was smooth with no bark, 1-2 inches in diameter, 3-4 ft long, and curved. The chum salmon was hung up in the middle of the branch, with it branch running through the gills and mouth of the fish.
I pulled the long stick out, revived the fish for a bit, and remarkably it swam away.
A short distance upstream was a beaver dam. We figure that the chum tried to make the leap, didn’t quite make it, slid backwards, an upstream pointing stick slid into the gill and out the mouth and the thrashing fish dislodged the stick from the dam where it drifted down to where we saw it.
It was the strangest thing…
good on you for helping the fish! is it normal to find wood with no bark at a beaver dam? Otherwise sounds like something a human did?
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Good thing you did what you did clarki. Not so much for saving the fish, but a swimming big snag in the little run would have been an utmost tragedy.
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good on you for helping the fish! is it normal to find wood with no bark at a beaver dam? Otherwise sounds like something a human did?
Yes, it is normal to find that.
No one was above us. A stick from a beaver dam is the likeliest explanation.
Good thing you did what you did clarki. Not so much for saving the fish, but a swimming big snag in the little run would have been an utmost tragedy.
Although some big snags are best left in the water.
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Nature is amazing. Thanks for helping that fish!
Somewhat related stories: I once "caught" a pink by involuntarily hooking with my fly a swivel hanging 3 feet away from a hook attached to a fin. Obviously released it and I'm sure the fish swam away a lot happier.
Also caught a handful of salmon (mostly pinks) that had other hooks or flies attached to them in their mouths and one was way deep into the fish throat. Amazing how this fish keep biting at flies or lures even though they are pierced and potentially in pain. The flies that I recovered via this method have a special place in my fly box ;D