Tules

[Slider]

I think it should be cleared up the difference between upriver brights and tule stock chinook. I called ODFW 8/16 and talked to a biologist about the two stocks. Both are native to the Columbia River and both return to spawn in the fall. The main difference is the stage of sexual maturity they enter the river at. The upriver bright stock enters the estuary in a very early stage of sexual maturity. They rarely show the characteristics of a more mature fish such as canine teeth, hook nose, and a bronzish color. The tule stock enter the estuary in a very advanced stage of sexual maturity. They have canine teeth, their noses start to hook, and they are rarely any color but bronze to black. Tule chinook, mainly spawn in the river section below bonneville dam. Most tribuataries have them as hatchery stock or as "wild" stock. Streams as low in the Columbia River as the chinook (in WA) and the Youngs Bay (in OR) tributaries all have them.

The upriver brights usually spawn in areas above bonneville dam. The most prevelant being the Hanford Reach section of the river where over 150,000 of them are expected to return. The bright stock also includes the ESA listed Snake River stock and the ESA listed upper Columbia River stock. Most of these fish are wild.

As far a flesh quality? The bright is by far the superior quality. The tule has already used some of the fatty reserves to produce the eggs/milt for spawning, so the meat color is pink to white and doesn't have the flavor. In some cases it makes better crab bait than dinner. Hope this clears up any confusion.


Slider

[This message has been edited by Slider (edited 08-17-2000).]

[NEUTRON]

Well done slider, bottom line let um go.
URB's yeee haaa. Tis the season.

[Grant Scheele]

Obviously I had some wrong imformation about the Tules but I still have a question about them. Why are they called Tule's? I mean if they are truly a native species why are they named after a California river. My research found no Tule river in BC but in California. I am still sure that they are not native to the Santiam system. Anyway, thanks for your research Slider.

[Slider]

From everything that I have heard, tule, is a Native American word for reddish brown. That is why the river in CA is named tule as well as the elk down there. I could be wrong, because my Aunt says tule means "the people" in some South American dialects. I guess it depends on how much influx there was from explorers to where the name derived.

Slider