Deformed hatchery Steelhead

First Bite · 12-21-2000, 04:19 PM

I went fishing on the Wilson this morning and got into a few fish. One of the Steelhead that I landed was a Summer hatchery fish that had a severely deformed spine. The fish was a nice bright hen that appeared normal until I looked closer and saw the "S" shaped spine. Has anyone else caught a Steelhead with such deformities? I've seen the pictures of deformed fish from the Willamette but this is a first for a coastal river fish.
Mark

Grant Scheele · 12-21-2000, 08:28 PM

I have caught a couple of deformed Steelhead over the years. It's just amazing what they can endure and still survive. Caught one without a lower jaw. It must of just sucked it's food up.

Vic Carrao · 12-21-2000, 09:12 PM

Over the years I have found deformities in Salmon,Steelhead and Sturgeon, the past 12 months we have been tagging sturgeon. In that time we ( frscs) tagged at total of 4,500 fish, I would guess that 1% had some kind of deformity small or large. It's amazing how resilient fish really are, they sometimes make compensations for the deformity in one way or another.We once caught a sturgeon with two fins growing from it's belly, it was missing another fin so it grew two more to replace it.
Merry Christmas
Vic

12-21-2000, 11:40 PM

Jen has a knack for catching big chinook with their entire nose structure missing. Well, at least a couple that way. Or did you just punch their lights out JJ? ... I hope and think that these numbers you're talking about Mark are within normal birth deformity percentages; unlike the higher percent of deformed fish due to Willamette R. toxic waste.

[This message has been edited by RT (edited 12-22-2000).]