11-05-2005, 06:20 PM
Hey guys, I think its fun to make these kinds of photo essays - and read/view them from others, too. (Hint, hint.) Kinda lets us fish vicariously when we can't get out otherwise. I haven't posted any others because much of my fishing has been on foot or out of my regular boat - so not tube related.
This was a fun trip, though quite unique. Those golden boys are still finning their way around that lake as I released them all with plans to try to get back soon to give them some more exercise.
TD, the Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife and the hatcheries have changed their focus. They're now largely taking their broodstock from wild fish, then spawning them in the hatcheries and raising the progeny to be released back into the rivers. Since wild fish return later, the children of these wild fish also return later. Whereas the unofficial starting time for winter steelhead used to be Thanksgiving, now it is more like New Year's Day. Salmon and steelhead numbers have been down from the record highs of 2001 and 2002 that we had. Probably something natural going on in the ocean - along with a burgeoning protected seal/sea lion population. Lots of different explanations.
That said, those high fish population levels brought a lot of newbies into the sport. There has been an explosion of interest and an infusion of the accompanying cash that runs the surrounding sport fishing industry. The result has been many more guys lining the banks and floating the rivers - a force that sometimes drives me back to tubing the lakes and ponds.[
] I tend to try to "fish around" the peak times and the peak locations.
I didn't get to salmon fish this year due to my work schedule. I heard that the returns were down. Last year was nearly a wash on the Columbia. Fall fishing for them this year is still going on, though it is winding down quickly. I live on one of the Columbia tribs (S. Santiam) but we don't have a fall run of salmon coming through our little town.
Good chattin' witcha.
zonker
[signature]
This was a fun trip, though quite unique. Those golden boys are still finning their way around that lake as I released them all with plans to try to get back soon to give them some more exercise.
TD, the Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife and the hatcheries have changed their focus. They're now largely taking their broodstock from wild fish, then spawning them in the hatcheries and raising the progeny to be released back into the rivers. Since wild fish return later, the children of these wild fish also return later. Whereas the unofficial starting time for winter steelhead used to be Thanksgiving, now it is more like New Year's Day. Salmon and steelhead numbers have been down from the record highs of 2001 and 2002 that we had. Probably something natural going on in the ocean - along with a burgeoning protected seal/sea lion population. Lots of different explanations.
That said, those high fish population levels brought a lot of newbies into the sport. There has been an explosion of interest and an infusion of the accompanying cash that runs the surrounding sport fishing industry. The result has been many more guys lining the banks and floating the rivers - a force that sometimes drives me back to tubing the lakes and ponds.[
] I tend to try to "fish around" the peak times and the peak locations. I didn't get to salmon fish this year due to my work schedule. I heard that the returns were down. Last year was nearly a wash on the Columbia. Fall fishing for them this year is still going on, though it is winding down quickly. I live on one of the Columbia tribs (S. Santiam) but we don't have a fall run of salmon coming through our little town.
Good chattin' witcha.
zonker
[signature]