Dying Chinook

[Firedog]

Have been fishing the Sandy Pretty regularly lately and the last couple days there
have been quite a few Dead Chinook. These are unspawned fish and in good shape, other than being dead. Watched a fish swim circles in the hole we were fishing
like she was dying today. The last two days in the two holes that we fished we saw
about a dozen dead fish. Have never seen anything liek this before in a lot of years and time on the water. Anyone else been noticing this or is it localized to the
stretch of water below Gordon creek? One fish my partner got yesterday had a
bunch of parasite worms in its gills. OH yeah fishing has been pretty slow, we have
got a few fish each day but nothing spectacular, a mix of silvers and chinook.

[ 10-02-2001: Message edited by: firedog ]

[Smily]

Hi Firedog,
Is common to get those Parasite worms in this area? I wonder if it's due to lack of rain. [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img]
Did you notice if the other dead ones had the same parasite killing them?
Is there something funny coming out of Gordon Creek? Inquiring minds want to know.

[img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Smily [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[fishuntr2]

We have been seeing dead fish floating down the Columbia during our last few trips. Some of them appeared to be still bright. Don't know what to make of it.
Bob

[Master Baiter]

We have been having similar episodes on the Klamath system this year. When the water approaches 72 degrees, salmon start dying!

The Trinity spring run was hit hard this year. Crome fish were floating downstream belly up, others were practically beaching themselves. We were finding many lock jaw kings hanging out inanimately in slack water. I touched one with my oar and he just scooted over a few inches instead of the normal rapid fleeing behavior. Sadest thing I had ever seen.

On the Klamath estuary this year the fall run fish were cruising in from the ocean on the tide and then heading back out again once they hit the thermocline. I actually caught a 40+ at the ocean interface that was showing color. The pods were coming in and going back out for days and none were moving up.

[ 10-03-2001: Message edited by: Master Baiter ]

[Fishing freak]

Could be the same problem that the Rogue river experiences ( forget technical term)
in years of low flow and warmer water. Or it could be a normal attrition rate just a lot higher fish count this year so you are seeing larger number of unhealthy fish. Sad to see!

[Firedog]

Smily, I have seen parasites in the gills of fish before but it isnt common. The fish that we got that had them on monday was a springer so it had been in the river for a long time. Was still in better shape than a lot of the fall fish around though.
My opinion would be the low flow warm water one. I have never felt the Sandy as warm as it has been this fall. Also these fish are working extra hard to get through the shallow riffles this year.
Sounds like this is a problem in a lot of different areas this year. All we can do is hope for rain and cooler temps. I would like to see them for hunting reasons also. Thanks for the opinions. Firedog

Firedog,
I'm almost sure that the dead fish you are seeing this time of year are dead because of low oxygen levels in the stream right now due to lack of flow and a higher than normal water temprature. Also, with all the "sorting" and "recycling" they are doing at Marmot Dam some fish are dying UNSPANWED further downstream than they would normally if they were allowed to migrate to their normal spawning areas above the dam. Many fish are being shipped back down to Troutdale from Marmot to be "recycled" and frequently some of those will die UNSPAWNED in the lower river and even around Gordons creek too.

friendly fisherman

(Or it could be that Kolb is pissin' in the river too much from drinkin' all that beer. That would kill anything. JUST KIDDING)

[will_e_fish]

Oct. 1 was Big Creek's opener and went by the hatchery the day before to see and the sight was unbeleivable about a 1000's huge dead fish more than a fish toss could do. Trying to come up with reasons for it. The hatchery people were into conversation about it, I couldnot gaet acknowledgement or attention when I approached them. I found it to be a very disgusting sight and smell. So many big fish,as much as this maybe natural it did not seem that way. Did not look like egg harvestors. Maybe Tuley's ? Looked like Chinook sorry I did see worms but I think they were most likely maggots. Anybody see this? Got answers?Thanks.
will_e_fish

[Wog]

Firedog,
While taking a driftboat trip down the Sandy this spring I saw a bright springer dead in a hole below Oxbow Park. I thought that was a rare sight until the following week I spotted another dead fish in a hole upstream in the park.
Last week while fishing around the Stark Street bridge I saw a bright Chinook around 20 lbs. lying dead in a shallow riffle.
It does seem that the warm water, low river levels, and recycling may be taking a toll on the fish this year.

[BUGLEMAN]

As far as Big Creek write the fish commision and tell them to open it in Sept. next year. This is an excellent early fall fishery and all those fish went to waste physically and recreationally.