How was the opener on the American R?

[Mark Kranhold]

Let the Coleman strain enjoy there lifecycle, the river is so out of wack when it comes steelhead genetics anyhow! You would think in today's advancements we would be able to grasp on to a little better scientific matter when it comes to fish and water? But you F--- with Mother Nature and your sure to pay the consequences! The corrupt government could give a poop about the fish , there just in it for the water wars.

[STEELIES/26c3]

Yup~

I think it's best to save wild rivers and fish where wild rivers and fish can be saved.

Catch and release only in those waters is great.

But on a heavily-compromised, urban river like the AR, the focus should be on providing increased and sustainable fishing opportunities for we anglers who pay $60+ annually TO CATCH FISH!!!

[Chukwithak]

My uncle and I fished the inside of the island at sunrise hard on the opener. Everyone else was on the channel. A lot of people nymphing, Jim and I were swinging. I had a black OCD, jim had a pink and purple bunny leeech. No grabs after 6 hours. Saw one gear guy catching something. We counted 20 men at sunrise.

[winxp_man]

My uncle and I fished the inside of the island at sunrise hard on the opener. Everyone else was on the channel. A lot of people nymphing, Jim and I were swinging. I had a black OCD, jim had a pink and purple bunny leeech. No grabs after 6 hours. Saw one gear guy catching something. We counted 20 men at sunrise.

I saw that. Actually took a pic of some of them hahaha. Above that channel in the tail out lots of salmon on reds for sure still rolling around. When I got there in the morning that parking lot was packed. If I do fish I also fish the big channel. Caught a few in there over the years.

[stefanoflo]

the steelhead that I saw at Mokeulume hatchery had at least 100 or more Steelhead with yellow tags in them.They had come up early and are being either DNA studied or released into the river . I think they are also concerned with cross breading. but there are a lot of them .It would be a real shame to waste those fish if they decide to do that

[hwchubb]

Fished several miles downriver from Sunrise, same results as everyone else is seeing. Didn't see anything caught either, on Sunday or Monday. More salmon than I've seen in years past, at least it seems to be. Saw almost no steelhead in the raceway in Nov / Dec, by far the worst I've seen in 20 years. Hope they are just late, and I'm sorry to hear about all the screwing around and wasted money at the hatchery. I suppose that is the one part of the steelhead run that we can count on...

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Bill;

I hope you and Marilyn had a merry Christmas and a happy New Year holiday.

You are correct, evidence suggests the American River historically supported a spring run of “summer” steelhead. Prior to construction of Folsom and Nimbus dams, fish counts made at the original Folsom Dam near Folsom Prison suggested the highest number of steelhead migrated upstream during the months of May and June, typical of spring run of “summer” steelhead. As you suggest, the fish most likely migrated to cooler water habitat higher in the watershed. In addition, the first Nimbus Fish Hatchery manager reported in his 1956 annual hatchery report some steelhead passed the City of Folsom every month of the year except August and September, and the peak of the run occurred in May or June. Runs of summer steelhead occur in California in the Middle Fork Eel River, and several tributaries of the Klamath River, however, their numbers are usually small compared to the late summer/early fall and winter runs.

Additionally, during the first two seasons of Nimbus Fish Hatchery operation in 1955 and 1956, hatchery personnel trapped and artificially spawned native adult steelhead from the American River. These fish were artificially spawned in March and April, several months later than Sacramento River steelhead (now called Central Valley Steelhead) that are spawned at the Feather River or Coleman National Fish hatcheries. Based on early hatchery reports prior to any egg or fish transfers to the hatchery, American River steelhead spawned at the hatchery also produced a higher average number of eggs per female fish than the smaller Sacramento River steelhead, suggesting the American River steelhead trapped at the hatchery were larger in size than Sacramento River steelhead.

Department of Fish and Game personnel did attempt to establish a summer steelhead run in the American River during the early 1970’s. Eggs from summer-run steelhead stocks were transferred from two northwestern hatcheries to Nimbus Fish Hatchery. The eggs were hatched and all or a portion of the fish fin marked and released. A few marked adult summer steelhead returned to the hatchery but difficulties holding the adult fish for several months prior to spawning and high mortality resulted in the discontinuance of the program.

Steelhead will spawn naturally in the American River but water quality, limited habitat, and predation limit successful juvenile fish production. The American River steelhead run is supported by hatchery production and genetic analysis indicates suggests the steelhead trapped at the hatchery, and any naturally produced juvenile fish, continue to be most similar to the original Eel River stock transferred to the hatchery in the late 1950’s.

Hope this is helpful.

Dennis Lee

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Bill;

Much of the history and information relating to American River steelhead and the hatchery can be found in my draft Hatchery and Genetic Management Plan for the Nimbus Fish Hatchery Winter-Run Steelhead. For those interested, the 2007 draft is schedule for updating but can be downloaded from the CDFW document library at -

http://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=15323


Dennis Lee

[FattMerro]

I spent the opener down around the Ancil Hoffman area for about 4-5 hours of swinging a fly for nada. Went back out on the 2nd for a couple hours also for zero fish. Saw one small steelie caught on a spoon by a guy on the other side of the river, but that was the only fish I saw for the two days I was out. Will keep trying!

[cdevine]

What a bummer. I was hoping to get out later this week but with the yo yo flows and dismal reports I might be looking elsewhere.
Thanks for the updates.