Salmon report from the Great Northwest

[OregonSalmon]

Dismal...dim..non-existant...zero...zip...nothing...null and void...FREAKIN' AWFUL!!!. The rivers are full of my tears and devoid of the lovely beasts. Salmon are not running for any state office in 2007. Maybe the word was out of my 4,000 new utterly perfect patterns destined for their demise so they avoided the happy fornicating grounds this year. Could have been an ocean rumor that Rosanne Barr was to swim naked in their natal streams disturbing my finned friends so terribly they came to a schooled conclusion to wait a year before spawning. I am consumed in ignorance on the matter, but not in apathy for I care for those noble critters more than my big toe. One more bout with gout the toe is gone. I'll saw it off with a dull elk antler.

There was a point for writing my usual silliness....oh I have it: are there any salmon down south? How are the runs on the Sacramento River drainage? Someone toss me a report, hopefully positive. So dismal here I've taken to the new hobby of licking electrical outlets. Ya ought to see my hair. Wicked cool.

[Darian]

Hey Galen,.... I share your pain. Altho, I don't think I'll be sacrificing any digits to the Salmon gods anytime soon.... :lol: :lol:

Not much reporting on Salmon going on around here either. I know some have been observed/caught but no numbers yet. :( :( :( There was a report posted under Salmon/Steelhead Forum that indicated reduced numbers of Salmon in the ocean off the coast, too.... :? :?

Look at it like this, if they've decided to stay in the ocean because Roseanne is swimming in their native waters (Note the proximity to Haloween....), maybe they'll be heavier when they finally arrive.... :D

Here's a question for you: if Roseanne is swimming in your river, is she there to spawn or for "tricks or treats" :?: :?:

[sculpin]

Well it looks like Roseanne did a little swimming in the Rogue river before she hit the rivers up North. The salmon returns are almost no existant on the Rogue. The Smith and Chetco were fishing well for salmon for a couple of days after the last rains but it's to early to predict the run sizes there yet. Once the rains get with it and the water rises we'll know for sure. It's hard to know how the run on the Klamath river is overall, with all the nets that have been blocking the mouth for an extended periods of time. I went to the Klamath Friday with a gear fishing friend for a short drift above I-5 and we hooked 10 and landed 5. None of the salmon we landed were of any quality though. From all the heads off of steelhead that were at the take out boat ramp, it looked like they are around in good numbers and I will return soon with my fly rod.

Mark

[OregonSalmon]

Darian,
I hope Rosanne isn't swimming in our river since it is my drinking water!!!

Spent yesterday crabbing on the 12'th street bridge here in Seaside (about a mile from the mouth) and low and behold there were four or five pushes of fish. My best guess is that we will have a late and weak return. Still a bit of hope. The conditions are perfect for tidewater, the weather is holding so I have my good toes crossed. May be no need to sacrifice a virgin.

Sculpin,
What crazy bugger would eat a steelhead out of the Klamath? They taste like mud. I've never had one but my father fished there for years and I don't think they kept a fish and they were killers!!! Sounds like they have the taste of a Pit River rainbow: a trout breaded with dirt. I attempted to eat one Pit River rainbow which I had wounded badly and my taste buds are still pissed off. Something in the water, which they can't avoid, gets into their flesh and renders them inedible. The Pit River fish (I kid you not) will graze on the moss. Vegan trout. Some of the locals will bait their hooks with moss. May be the origin of the Mossback pattern. Bad tasting trout eat moss....yeah...that's it.

[Darian]

Been catchin' up on my reading when I saw an article in Thursday's SacBee, Metro Section titled, "Chinook salmon shortfall puzzles anglers, experts." Hatchery(s) staff on all valley rivers are wondering what's happening. :? :? :? Everyone's hoping the run is just late arriving as water temps are still above optimal for spawning in most areas. :? :? :)

Interestingly enough, there's an op-ed piece in the same issue by the Secretary of the Cal Dept of Water Resources titled, "Projects serve needs of Delta ecosystem." This piece appears to put a poltitcal spin on by defending the former Cal-Fed project and the governors efforts/initiatives to "....repair the Delta...." :roll: :roll: One of the alleged benefits of all of this was the statement, "Ecological improvements and fish screens upstream of the Delta have contributed to improved Salmon runs;...." :lol: :lol:

The most egregious example of spin is the following, partial statement, "....understanding the dynamics of the decline of the Delta Smelt-the little fish that has caused a big problem."
Excuse me.... :? :? Isn't mis-management of the Delta Ecosystem by federal, state and local agencies the cause of the decline of the Delta Smelt and other species :?: :?: :roll: :roll:

Oh well.... 8)

[sculpin]

I have to agree with you about the flavor of Klamath fish. A mouth full of moss and mud is a good description. I think most of the fish are kept by the gear guys for the eggs and crab bait. As long as they're just bonking hatchery fish, I think that's as good a use for them as any.

Mark

[Michael Baker]

I just got back from a two week vacation. Headed up the Cal coast and the rivers were dark brown, no fishin'. As we travelled north to Oregon started to see some clearing, still no fish. There were some dark jacks in the Elk but I was snubbed. Didn't find any steel in the North Umpqua but by the time we got to the Rogue above Medford some nice ones were starting to show. Saw day old pics of 22 inch fish. Snubbed again tho! Beautiful country, bad timing. Have to try again next year.

Mike

[OregonSalmon]

Mike,
Did you hear of any reports of salmon in the southern Oregon coastal rivers?

[Michael Baker]

Most of the people I talked to said that the salmon run was pathetic. Apperently they had already come through and folks were waiting for Steelhead. Saw some in the Elk.

Mike

[gryhackl]

OS
Speaking of reports, I prefer the smoked salmon. Is anyone catching any of those?

[OregonSalmon]

Gryhackle,
I tried smoked salmon once but did not inhale. Also I found it tough to keep lit. Always loved that joke which first was told to me by the wonderful Dick Kiene, the humourist in the family.