I'm Positive that the Kokanee I saw 30+ Years Ago Were BIGGER!

[OceanSunfish]

Thanks again for the additional suggestions on where to view spawning Kokanee. Taylor Creek has always been a favorite of mine since childhood, and with the information center and walkways along the creek, it's very accessible for the less sure footed, i.e.; Seniors, very young children, etc.

But, my kids are of age where hiking a bit makes for a great way to spend the day together, so having additional locations, like Sagehen are fantastic.

I hope to be able to build a program that becomes an annual event at my children's grade school where we can take a certain grade every year to see the spawning fish, etc. I'm already taking a small group on an ad. hoc. trip to the Nimbus Hatchery. This formulated when a parent inquired about the distance to the Coleman Hatchery after seeing it featured on PBS. I suggested Nimbus instead as the parent was not aware that salmon spawn locally in our American River!

We don't have and probably will never have enough $$$$ to snuff out all those interested in wiping out our natural fish resources, but we can raise awareness by way of education and not only teach the young, but the old too! Right now, there is a tremendous amount of ignorance with regards to the 'water grab' and corresponding loss of our fisheries. I'm doing what I can personally to try to bring the truth to light!

Thanks again.

[dickwhite]

Red and Green fish in the creek and yellow aspens every where. The fish and the aspens are at their peak. Our guests at the B&B have been getting real kick out of all the fish. We've also gotten more fishing bear sightings at Taylor this year than ever before. One sow with 2 cubs has been seen regularly teaching the little ones how it's done. It's nice to hear about bears eating if not native at least natural food.

If you haven't taken the kids to see this you should.

I'd actually guess that this years koks seemed a little bigger than the last few years.

Email me or the B&B directly for more info.

Dick White
Tahoma Meadows B&B

[Mike Churchill]

My wife and I stopped at Taylor Creek on Saturday and took a lovely stroll down the path to the creek. We had been there 20 years ago in the summer and it was very interesting to see all those salmon doing their buisiness in that little creek. (Getting rather stinky, too, with a few hundred dead salmon in the water and on the banks.)

The biggest fish were about 16" or 17" or so, but most appeared to be 12" to 14" to me.

Several mergansers were chasing the smaller (11") kokes through the pools and occasionally grabbing one by the tail. Didn't see any swallowed, though.

I talked to a ranger who said to call ahead before coming up next weekend because there may or may not still be significant numbers of fish in the creek by then.

Besides the fish, however, it is a beautifully done interpretive area with a great path through meadow and marsh.

Mike

[ken]

DFG Kokanee Biologist is a great guy. Don't know what you are talking about.