Upper Clackamas River, Oregon - video

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

http://midcurrent.com/2014/07/20/video-hatch-clackamas-complete-a-return-of-bull-trout/?utm_source=MidCurrent+Fly+Fishing+Email+Newslette r&utm_campaign=588a30e659-MidCurrent_July_23_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8efbf3b958-588a30e659-18939305

[Ned Morris]

NIce video. Sorry to be a bit of a buzzkill but the Willamette Drainage Strain of Bull Trout has several populations that are extinct and sadly the Clackamas Strain along with the Santiam were toast by the 1950's and they will never come back. It is encouraging to see that a once fluvial population from the Deschutes Drainage that has so quickly adapted to an Adfluvial environment can be introduced back into a upper watershed and produce successful spawning in only 2-3 years with fish quickly recognizing their ancestoral instincts. The question begs: Does the Upper Clackamas Drainage contain enough biomass (i.e. Redsides, Coastal Cutts, sculpin, etc..) to keep the population self sustaining? Bull Trout can live up to 15 even 20 years. I'd love to see a juvenile count in 3-4 years then you have an indicator. A very similar project sadly was tried on the Upper McCloud in 1990 and it failed miserably most likely due to too much competition from non-native Brown Trout (occupy identical niche in aquatic food chain) and those suckers aren't going anywhere anytime soon or some people would be out of business. I refuse to get political because that is just one of a dozen major problems that would prohibit Bull Trout re-introduction back home on the McCloud.

[winxp_man]

NIce video. Sorry to be a bit of a buzzkill but the Willamette Drainage Strain of Bull Trout has several populations that are extinct and sadly the Clackamas Strain along with the Santiam were toast by the 1950's and they will never come back. It is encouraging to see that a once fluvial population from the Deschutes Drainage that has so quickly adapted to an Adfluvial environment can be introduced back into a upper watershed and produce successful spawning in only 2-3 years with fish quickly recognizing their ancestoral instincts. The question begs: Does the Upper Clackamas Drainage contain enough biomass (i.e. Redsides, Coastal Cutts, sculpin, etc..) to keep the population self sustaining? Bull Trout can live up to 15 even 20 years. I'd love to see a juvenile count in 3-4 years then you have an indicator. A very similar project sadly was tried on the Upper McCloud in 1990 and it failed miserably most likely due to too much competition from non-native Brown Trout (occupy identical niche in aquatic food chain) and those suckers aren't going anywhere anytime soon or some people would be out of business. I refuse to get political because that is just one of a dozen major problems that would prohibit Bull Trout re-introduction back home on the McCloud.

Not only this Ned. The other issue is the dams. The dams (which I cant say we would manage with or without) are also part of the reason Bull trout are not around on the McCloud. The Bull trout thrived off of the salmon and steelhead. So not having the migration of these species up there has been a catalysis to the disappearance of Bull trout in the rivers above Shasta.

But yes it will be interesting to see if they will do good for the long run with only so much food to share with other fish.