Swingin Last night

[STEELIES/26c3]

"Lampreys are native and good for the river and ecosystem."

Enlighten please....
....lee s.

I'm feeling lazy so I'll direct you to an article...

http://crosscut.com/2012/03/the-lamprey-close-extinction-could-bring-down-nw-s/

and to add a tad...

The pacific lamprey, as an anadromous fish, is an indicator species meaning that it flags the health of the ecosystem on the whole and especially of other anadromous fish which share the same watersheds (sturgeon, striped bass, shad, salmon and steelhead).

Also, because of their larval stage (in the river) whereby they are filter feeders (rather than parasites as in their adult form...) they are indicators of water quality as filter-feeding animals are far more subject to river; pollution, toxicity, ph imbalances, etc... and when such conditions threaten their survival, you can be assured that many other vertbrate and invertebrate, aquatic and terrestrial critters inhabiting the river are also affected.

It can even be argued that the parasitic adults, which latch on to and suck the blood out of individual fish, are actually helping the species of said fish by predatory-induced natural selection. Since the weak, sick, mutated, or otherwise less capable members of fish populations are most often targeted and killed/eaten by predation; it ensures that the stronger, healthier, genetically superior and otherwise more capable fish survive to propagate and produce better offspring...

I could go on but I think that's enough~

[Sheepdog8404]

Thanks for sharing that link steelies. Lots of really neat information there! Although the lamprey may be healthy for the ecosystem, the presence of it really does give me the heebie-geebies. Looking down and seeing that rhi g sucking onto rocks next to my bear skinned legs did NOT suit me well and definitley kicked in my "predatory instincts" to remove that weaker species from the ecosystem. Haha

However, I decided to just move away and let that child of evil do its thing...

[Troutsource]

Whatever you do, don't Google "lamprey eel" images. You might see some politicians, such as the one below of a former Speaker Of The House.


I have a "fly" in mind for these devils. It's called the dynamite-with-6-treble-hooks fly.

We saw schools of these in the Delaware River in PA while float-tubing down the river once in our bathing suits. Either that or my brother said that just to scare the $#!^ out of me.

[Idadon]

Used to be lots of them in the Moukuleme, below the Woodbridge Dam, when I was a kid back in the late 50's & early 60's. I wet waded and swam around them all summer long and never had one come after me. Only once did I see a fish with one attached and that was a salmon going up the ladder at the dam. I actually tried cutting one up for catfish bait but it didn't seem to work so good.

Ugly looking things though!

[lee s.]

Thanx steelies,
We used to have them abundantly in the Russian too. We have long ago polluted them and many other fishes out of the system. Too bad. Sounds like they would be a great "reducer" for our rubber fish from the hatcheries. We still do not seem to be able to impact them with our sticks and strings.
Just finished reading......grand article. Kinda "splains" the effectiveness of a common old woolybugger, doesn't it. Many used to use the little ones harvested from the mud for smallie bait years ago. Wonder if the absence of "easy" meals is helping to eradicate the R.R. smallies along with our pollution.
....lee s.

[JasonB]

Thanks for the link Steelies!
Learned a few new things today, always love that
very interesting article indeed.
JB

[Andrew Guibord]

The American lamprey are protected.

There use to be two guys who had the last harvest permit.

It was not renewed when it expired.

[SeanO]

The American lamprey are protected.

There use to be two guys who had the last harvest permit.

It was not renewed when it expired.

Interesting, Andy. You are probably referring to commercial harvest? (that is what I was thinking of earlier as well). After a quick look at the freshwater sportfishing regulations, it appears that the limit is five lamprey. https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Regulations

5.40. LAMPREY.
(a) Open season: All year, except for closures listed under district or special regulations.
(b) Limit: 5.
(c) Methods of take: Lamprey may be taken only by hand, hook, spear, bow and arrow fishing tackle, or dip net.
(d) The season closures in Chapter 3 (District Trout and Salmon Special Regulations) do not apply to lamprey fishing with methods other than hook and line (see sections 7.00 and 7.50(a)(2)).

I have never thought about targeting Lamprey, but some Tribes we work with say it is delicious! Also, it seems to make good sturgeon bait!

Take care, and I could be wrong about the regs!

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I think they use them for bait for Stripers too?

[PatrickM]

Sheepdog,
I'm really not that interested in Lamprey eels, but I'm very interested in that ACR 3 weight that you got there. Looks like a beauty. Any info you can share with us on the rod? Which series it's from, which line you chose, rod action, etc.
Best of luck with the new stick!