How did they get here?

[XPO]

I need the help of older-timers than me to sort out some history that we will need to know down the road. I've only been in Oregon since 1960, so I don't have the info first hand. The question is when were warm water spiney-ray fish introduced into Oregon?

Here's what I have found out so far. The first introduction of warm water fish was the introduction of brown bullhead into the Sacramento River in about 1874. But how and when and who introduced WWF into Oregon?

From the 1920's until the completion of I-5 and the St Louis Ponds, the ODF&W maintained a warm water hatchery program in Turner at what is now the Santiam Valley Ranch. The St Louis Ponds near Woodburn were borrow pits cut to ODF&W specs during the construction of I-5. They then became home for the WW hatchery program.

There was an active stocking program on the Snake River from the 1900's-1940's. A lot of the programs thoughout the West were for the purpose of populating the developing reservoir systems.

So, if you will, there's your homework. Let's find out the real history of this fishery. The more we know when we try to get some positive changes to our Oregon regulations, the better we will be able to present our case. Thanks.

[DonD]

Some of the best information available is in a book titled "The Coming of the Pond Fishes" by Ben Hur Lampman. This book is no longer in print, but can be purchased on the internet or sometimes Powells in Portland has a copy. It's a great read. Should run you somewhere between $10.00 and $25.00 depending on condition.

By the way, how long does it take to become a native around these parts? Seems to me that if your family had been here about 50 generations and you were born here, raised here, and lived all your life here, you might be considered a native. Probably just a silly thought that won't affect a SST fisherman's thinking at all.

[Dave Smith]

Yup, great book- I thought it said the first Oregon Intro (Lake Oswego) was a little earlier than that, like 1850's?

[DJD]

I remember reading somewhere that lm bass were stocked in the willamette river in either the 1860's or 1880's, arriving from the southeast on railroad cars in large barrels. I think that carp were also introduced in that same time period.

[XPO]

I am reading ...Pond Fishes right now and I will compile a short timeline for you all. Think on this, years ago the author saw a commercial caught LM out of the Columbia that he estimated at 25#-26#. He was told that the fish actually tipped the scales at 35#. True? Who knows, but that's the stuff dreams are made of.