1/4 pounders

[Rherrjr]

Anybody here target the little resident fish on the A??? I have had plenty a good time in the past going out with my 4 wt and an #16 olive elkhair caddis below Watt Ave during the evening. I has been a while, and I was curious to know if anybody has had any luck, or is even trying for that matter;)

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

They seem to run more in the spring and fall.

[shawn kempkes]

They are steelhead smolts that didnt go out into the big blue. If you touch them they will die. So be careful how you handle them. They will bite anything.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

The "Half-pounder" Steelhead we are targeting are about 14 inches and larger.

If you fish out in the water that is a little deeper (over 3 feet deep?) you won't normally get too many of the little 6 to 12 inchers.


**Years ago when there were no regs to protect the small premigrant Steelhead on rivers like the Klamath, families would go up on their summer vacation and catch hundreds of these fish and eat them.........ouch.

**I always promote catch-n-release of all Half-pounders (14" to 20" plus) becausethey come in the fall and are around all winter and spring so others can catch-n-release them too.

__________________________________________________ _______________________

Retired CA DF&G biologist Dennis Lee is wrting a book on the "Half-pounder" Steelhead on the West Coast. You will be shocked at the data relating to these fish and which ones are premigrants and which a one year returning adults.

Most of us fly fishers only know what we think and what other have talked about but Dennis's info is science, not hearsay.

.

[Rherrjr]

----------

[Rick J]

On the Klamath we dub them "McFish"!!!

[jbird]

Or just not target them. ..

This is probably the prudent choice. The difference with c&r'ing smolts is these are extremely young, delicate fish. Part of the reason less than 1% of steelhead/salmon live to maturity.

Targeting steelhead smolts has been a hot bed of debate on western rivers. There are some "guides" that advertise dry fly trout fishing on the Rogue river. 99% of what theyre catching are smolts. Very controvercial.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

** Hatchery trout or steelhead are those showing a healed adipose fin clip (adipose fin is absent). Unless otherwise provided, all other trout and steelhead must be immediately released. Wild trout or steelhead are those not showing healed adipose fin clip (adipose fin is present).

On the Klamath River you are only allowed one hatchery trout or hatchery steelhead a day so that probably keeps those summer families from taking 10 a day per person per day as they use to some years ago.

Yes, it was advertised as dry fly fishing for trout.....and that's how the they kept the rentals full all summer.

[Larry S]

Hey Shawn:
Are you seeing any of the Japanese tsunami debris washing up at the Forks? Heard
something about it on NPR the other day.
Best,
Larry S

[shawn kempkes]

Hey Shawn:
Are you seeing any of the Japanese tsunami debris washing up at the Forks? Heard
something about it on NPR the other day.
Best,
Larry S

Some stuff has washed up on the beaches. I haven't heard of much. We have been having real big surf conditions at La push so I dont go near the beaches in winter.

[lee s.]

Let's see now.....if I handle an immature fish, releasing it from a barbless hook , it will surely die. However I can grab this same smolt when it is only four inches long and cut off it's adipose without any ill effects.....? LOGIC tells ME that the mortality rate would be similar, at least.
....lee s.

[shawn kempkes]

Let's see now.....if I handle an immature fish, releasing it from a barbless hook , it will surely die. However I can grab this same smolt when it is only four inches long and cut off it's adipose without any ill effects.....? LOGIC tells ME that the mortality rate would be similar, at least.
....lee s.


Lee

the state uses a mechanical device to fin clip the fish. I have been able to watch the machine in action because I live next to a hatchery. It would take forever to finclip as may fish as they pump out.

[jbird]

Theyre also not lifted from the water, dangling by theyre head on a hook, shaking like an electrocuted monkey

[Jed Peters]

Please tell me that we're not starting some sort of whine fest/bitching session about handling 10" fish now.

I mean, come on guys. If this is your big issue, you really need to go out and fish (or do something to pass your time) more.

[OceanSunfish]

Please tell me that we're not starting some sort of whine fest/bitching session about handling 10" fish now.

I mean, come on guys. If this is your big issue, you really need to go out and fish (or do something to pass your time) more.

If there were a bunch of kids down at the river learning to fish on these 10" fish with fly rod and reel, I would have no problem with it at all. We're talking about the American River with neighborhoods full of kids on both sides of the river for miles..... In this context, I think it's a under utilized opportunity to get kids on the water flyfishing.....

One of my earliest memories of being a young child (9) fishing was on the Rogue catching said 6-8" fish in the middle of summer on hoppers..... I released all the fish and some may have died..... I've been fishing for 40+ years ever since and I am advocate for conservation. I had to start somewhere.... The Rogue still has fish in it today, right?

IF the kids got very profecient, or if an adult were interested in practicing on the 10" fish, they could always cut the hook off at the bend and just get a grab for affirmation.

We need more kids fishing and we don't need to make it more complicated or difficult to do so.....

[jbird]

Please tell me that we're not starting some sort of whine fest/bitching session about handling 10" fish now.

I mean, come on guys. If this is your big issue, you really need to go out and fish (or do something to pass your time) more.

Its not a whine/bitch fest at all. many folks simply dont realize those fish are steelhead smolt. People who do know should bare the responsibility of educating. fishing for them is legal in most cases so you can decide whether or not its right in your mind.

The comment that every one you touch dies is a bit over the top and untrue. But they are in fact the future of our steelhead runs and they bite with abandon. They are very young and more delicate than trout of that size.

There was a day when I was fishing for them. when I learned the reality of what they were, I stopped doing it. It just wasnt for me and my beliefs.

[Darian]

I'm curious.... after reading some articles, recently, I got the distinct impression that not all hatchery smolts are fin clipped in CA hatcheries due to lack of staff ( :?: ) or budget.... Can anyone here confirm that practice :?:

[shawn kempkes]

I'm curious.... after reading some articles, recently, I got the distinct impression that not all hatchery smolts are fin clipped in CA hatcheries due to lack of staff ( :?: ) or budget.... Can anyone here confirm that practice :?:

nmfs requires the states that have fish that are threatened or endangered to fin clip all hatchery fish.

[shawn kempkes]

Please tell me that we're not starting some sort of whine fest/bitching session about handling 10" fish now.

I mean, come on guys. If this is your big issue, you really need to go out and fish (or do something to pass your time) more.

I have no problem with people fishing for smolts. i was just trying to pint out that when you touch them (especially hatchery fish) you wipe off there slime layer which is basically their immune system. you will increase there mortality rates.

btw I fish every day when the river is not out. I have a world class steelhead river literally in my backyard.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v689/fishhawk1/IMG_1540.jpg

[Digger]

I don't know what the actual process is, or how automated it may be these days, but I did walk into the Nimbus facility about 4 years ago to waste some time.
The guy there did say they cannot clip 100% of the fish being processed.
but I imagine those that are missed are extremely few.

[lee s.]

Well Shawn,
I have no experience at any "pro" hatcheries that are only minimally funded anymore, but I do know first hand....WET hand....that volunteers absolutely do handle and clip manually, all or as many as humanly possible, the fry at the Rowdy Creek hatchery on the Smith River. Those boys do a superb job, even with Ca government Fish and Game interferrence and restrictions.
IF one truley believes that our anadromous fisheries are soooooo depleted as to be detrimentally effected by what we disturb with a stick and a string, then THEY should ABSOLUTELY NOT fish them any longer. However, when that time DOES come, THAT will make no difference at all, as our rescource has and IS being lost due to enviriomental degradation....not stick and string molestation.
Let us force application of PROPER restoration and sustaining tools, and not these smoke and mirrors distraction tools and restrictions that are forced upon us. I DO believe in our anadromouse rescources and it pisses me off to no end to see soooo many of our efforts being wasted and soooo many of our good people duped by false restoration tools and propaganda.
Fix the WATER and fix the HABITAT or our rescource WILL be lost. ALL else is moot for the rescource....and THAT should be our goal.
.....lee s.

[Frank Alessio]

Electrocuted Monkey... That takes the cake for this week...

[Bruce Slightom]

I have worked for a number of years as a volunteer for the Humboldt Fish Action Council raising Chinook on Freshwater Creek, this is a trib to Humboldt Bay. All fish that are released into the creek are not only fin clipped but to distinguish these fish from others drainages the left maxillary is also clipped. The smolts are anesthetized for ease of handling then placed into a recover tank before being placed back into the holding ponds. This adds to the time that the fish are handled, hard to clip the maxillary on a fish that is about two inches in length. All work is by volunteers and about 100,000 fish are released each year.
There are very few mortalities if any during this process.