N. Fork Alsea Steelhead Meat

[Sublime]

A couple friends came back last week from the hatchery area with a few steelhead that looked great on the outside and hadn't turned too red in color. They still had a good chrome look to them.

HOWever, The meat inside wasn't a bright, or ANY color pink.

I noticed it was more of a khaki color, or kinda that dulling pinkish/grey color...
...Basically Nasty looking.. :blush:
not the typical nice healthy meat. Is this just the obvious? that they are spent?

but then i got to wondering :whazzup: ...all these people along those banks keeping all those fish, they're bound to have the same types of fish, too. [img]graemlins/eek13.gif[/img]

So is it still good to eat, or should they be sent back to extinguish their own lives?
[img]graemlins/1zhelp.gif[/img]

[ 02-24-2004, 09:13 PM: Message edited by: Sublime ]

[FrogPond]

I had to keep a hen this year I wouldn't have if she wasn't bleeding. She was far enough along that she was dropping eggs as I landed her. When I got her home, same thing...light colored & soft meat. I figured what the heck and brined her up for the smoker. Turned out great. I use FIB's dry brine recipe and let them soak for a couple of days, no skin. Smoke for 6-8 hours depending on temp. I think the fish takes on so much of the brine flavor that using lower quality fish doesn't hurt the taste that much. All of my other fish that got the smoke were lots brighter than her and turned out the same.

[Chilly one]

A very good chance those fish are spawned out "downers" that need released and perhaps a few will return as trophies in the next few seasons! This time of year a larger and larger % of catches are "downers" even if they look good. I try to look at the backs and if they are steel blue chrome they are ok to keep. If they have a bulging belly showing a full egg sacs or full sperm sacs they are good to go. If the belly is kinda shrunk up and NOT bulging w/red stripe sides and red cheeks (or pink) take a good look before the billy bat is used. Good luck!

"Happiness is a Bent Rod!"
Chilly one

[night stocker]

I've caught them when they were full of eggs(not loose)and they were not fit to eat.Chromers too.That pale meat (IMHO)is not very good smoked.An awfull lot of effort to smoke a fish and not be able to eat it.Then,in the same year,I took one that I didn't think I was going to be able to eat,and it was fine.So,as long as it is a hatchery fish,I will take it.I don't do the snakes though.

[RogueFisher]

Each fish you catch will be different.

In the Rogue River frequently the Steelhead look incredibly bright from the outside but on the inside the Khaki color.

Last fall I caught a Summer Steelhead on the Rogue which was mint bright. As it turned out she was spawned out with empty egg sacks.

Poor eating fish.

:grin:

[SPAZZ]

[Twitchs_Tackle]

A lot of the fish up that far, especially the hens, will have meat similar to what you're talking about. We have made it a practice that if there is a shade of pink in the opercle (cheek), then we rub her belly, if she is loose, she goes back. The bucks will hold up far better, even when they take a more bronze color...but the hens

I see so many people bonking fish that I would bet my life saving on have mush for meat. There were some last week that looked like spawning silvers, just blood red sides with black bellies. Its a hatchery fish, and a personal choice, but I don't keep them.

The fish on the right had meat as pale as the skin on my face...some can be very decieving. The one on the left had *decent* meat...

This big girl was past my "keeper" stage also so she went back...notice how limp the body looks. The better fish we have gotten stay firm when held for pics... like the pics of Amermans big nates...very straight body.


The NF is often good for numbers of fish(and people ), but the quality isn't always there...