Winter/Summer

[Phish_on]

Just to flaunt my ignorance yet again ...

Is there an obvious difference in appearance between a summer steelhead and a winter ?

Willamette Falls fish count shows 212 winter and 116 summer for Monday (now, this is giving me certain ideas ...)

How they know? Are they labelled? images/icons/tongue.gif

[Tanner]

Good question Phish, I was thinking about posting the same question myself. You beat me to the punch. One thing I did notice though on the chrome summer fish my son got 2 weeks ago: The dark colored skin above the lateral line was more of a brownish hue where the winter fish are more dark grey.
One note on that summer fish we caught - I cooked the filets two different ways and it tasted like crap. Kind of an algae taste like Crane Prairie trout in August.

[WaterDog]

Here is my experience. Typically the summer fish are long and skinnier. A winter fish will shorter and thicker. But I could be full of it and it wouldn’t be the first time. I once caught a 19# summer above the falls and it measured 36 inches. Looked like a torpedo. It tasted fine! images/icons/grin.gif

[Bait O' Eggs]

Tanner - you say your summer tasted like crap a couple weeks ago. That just doesnt add up, the 3 million gallon toilet flush in the Willamette was just last week.

[ 03-21-2001: Message edited by: Bait O' Eggs ]

[OR Coast Range]

I cooked up a summer run fish taken fresh from the Clackamas on Sat. and it didn't taste too good either. Kind of bland?

[parker]

What WaterDog said. He's %100 correct!

Parker

[Tanner]

Hey, no fair. I tried to make B.O.E's rating go down by giving him a 1 for being a smart a$$ but it didn't make a difference. images/icons/tongue.gif . BOE are you really that good or does Jenny need to get the system changed so it works off of averages. images/icons/grin.gif

Hey c'mon now, give a guy a break, I'm working really hard to get to my 200 post landmark. Does this mean I spend too much time on my computer?

[THE REEL HEY_YALL]

Ask me when you approach 500 images/icons/tongue.gif Tanner.

[willierower]

At Wilamette falls they count any steelhead that is missing an adipose fin as a summer. Any steelhead that has all its fins is considered a winter. There are no native summer steelhead in the Wilamette system.

[Bait O' Eggs]

Tanner - you keep trying to make my rating a 1 and I will pass on some sub-standard diamond plate for your cat frame. images/icons/tongue.gif

[Tanner]

BOE,
I just re-rated you at a 5 images/icons/grin.gif . Are you the diamond plate connection. If so I want to talk to ya about my big alumaweld. I just had a major brainstorm that involved my beast of a boat and some diamond plate.

[smilesforu]

Are you sure you identified your summer runs correctly. I have seen lots of spawned out winter runs people called summer runs. Spawn outs aren't good eating and they will be chrome plated on the return voyage. Summer fish are a flavorfull fish with fat laiden bellies and normally will be rock hard. Just because you clean your fish and it doesn't have mature eggs doesn't make it a summer run. Not saying they were.. just wondering images/icons/rolleyes.gif Got a picture?

[Tanner]

Marty,
We did not get a picture. My camera is being repaired. IMHO It was definitely a summer fish. It had a small egg skein in it that was about 2 1/2 inches long. The meat was fire engine red. it was chrome bright and fin clipped and it did not have that usual dark grey back It was more of a dark brown like a lot of the Clackamas River summers I have caught. The fish was by no means skinny, it was a big thick solid fish.

[Good to the Last Cast]

I cooked a summer run last night tasted great to me,of course I did cook it blackened with cajun spices images/icons/shocked.gif images/icons/shocked.gif images/icons/shocked.gif

[jawbreaker]

Hey Willie Rower, what if its a hatchery winter fish??? Or are all winters native on the upper willamette?? images/icons/confused.gif

[Big Willie]

The difference is that when you hook a winter fish, you are sipping hot coffee to stay warm. A summer run will yield a cold beer! images/icons/grin.gif

[NEUTRON]

Good one BW. Tanner whats algae taste like.
If you kill one those again, call me and I
will take it off you hands.

[WaterDog]

No stocking of winter steelhead has occured above the falls since 97 or so. I can't remember the exact year but it's been within the last 4 or 5. ODFW says that all winter steedhead above the falls are natives and that is why the willammette above the falls is closed until April 1. Of course there is going to be a few winters that are clipped here and there and never mind the fact that some, alot, or most of these "natives" have hatchery parents.