Strange happening on the Sandy

[Radke]

Thought I'd try my luck on the Sandy yesterday. Took a look at Cedar creek, my gaud, looks like the coho are back, too many people. So I headed up river, had it pretty much to myself. I know this is pretty much a native only fishery, so I clipped my barbs down and threw spinners for about 2 hours. Managed a respectable 6 hooked, but only two landed, guess the barbs kind of help me in the keeper category.

Now for the strange part. One of the two I did land was a beautiful 10-12 pound native hen. However, it had a RECENTLY snipped adipose fin. What in the world would posess someone to catch such a beautiful fish, cut off the adipose fin and then release it!!! [img]graemlins/berry.gif[/img]

Has anyone else experienced something like this?

I looked really close at the fish, this was not a natural wound, it had been cleanly cut.

[Riverkeeper]

Come on Radke, don't you know that if you clip the fin before the fish spawns, then all of its eggs will hatch clipped smolts? Sounds like one of the cedar creek knuckle draggers was doing a little "stock enhancement".

[Todd]

Yeah, we have a few places with dipsticks like that up here, too. I think their thinking (lack of thinking?) is that somehow that they will be the one to catch the fish again later, after the scar had healed, and now keep it as a fish with a "fully healed scar" at the point of the adipose clip.

Morons. They also like to do it to wild smolts in those same spots... [img]graemlins/dork.gif[/img]

[wigggler11]

if u were at the marmot area i have seen the same thing.......i dont know who is doing it.

[Blue Tip Spinner]

i've seen it in on the deschutes.

[ANDYCOHO]

There was an Ifisher last year that put a springer in the boat that had the same thing done to it, I cant remember who it was now...

This could have been bad if you havested the fish and noticed it later...it would be a hard one to explain.

Thanks for the heads up Radke.

[blacktail]

I have heard from reliable sources that this kind of thing is happening on other "Metro" streams as well.

I think Marty posted something like this going on at the Nestucca last year.

This really irritates me that some idiots will do this. If I catch someone doing it, they will be in trouble.

Mike

[RogueFishr]

This is happening the last few years on the Applegate too. There is so much private property that law enforcement is pretty scarce and these idiots are getting away with it


RF

[Spotted Owl]

The North Umpqua had a problem with that last year and the year before to. One of my friends caught one and noticed at home that it was not an old cut. About 10#'s worth of native he was sick over that. He took it to the state police down their to turn it in and was promptly given a ticket for harassing wildlife and something to do with a native something. He stated that he was bring it to them to report such problems and that if cut the fin himself it would be a much more fresh cut and that he would no be dumb enough to bring it to them. Their answer was that he was holding the evidence so he was the guilty party. To make thing worse down there one native fish a day is legal and up to 10 per year I think if you choose to abide by that rule which we do not. If you see that take a picture and send a copy to the authorities. If natives are legal on your stream do not take it in to show them.

In my way of thinkin this is no different than a snagger [img]graemlins/berry.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/berry.gif[/img]

[ 03-01-2004, 07:09 PM: Message edited by: sled19 ]

[FishFearMe]

I have had that exact thing happen to me a couple of weeks ago. I hooked and landed one I think it was a native because there was still a little bit of the adipose fin left and it was white where it had been cut. I wasn't sure what it was so to be on the safe side I let it go. This didn't happen on the same river as you though

[Siwash]

I've also read about something like this on the Umpqua. I guess some <expletives> just keep the line snippers handy to clip any wild smolts/juveniles they C&R, so they'll be adding to the "keeper" population if/when the little guys return as adults.

[rola76]

Heard of this a lot...and actually had the same experienced. This is simply POOR!! After all, what is the true likelihood you'll catch the SAME fish? Goes to show how smart they are mathematically!

[TundraIII]

I too have seen it on the Deschutes.

[FASTWATER]

Try the six filleted carcasses I counted in the sol duc on the Pennisula last week all fresh natives killed disgusting!!!!!