Do the fins grow back?

[Short Hop]

I saw a steelhead landed the other day with what looked like a fin that had been partially cilpped, but still had a little on there. Ive also seen other fish that look like they have been clipped but grown back a little. Neither one of the fins were nearly as big as they would have been if they were nates, but what is the policy on these messed up fins?
:whazzup:

[steelheadslayer]

I think it is mainly a case of a misclip rather than a clip that has grown back. Think of it this way, if you cut off a finger, the scar tissue from healing will cover a little more area than you cut off. But, the finger doesn't regrow a new one. My mom used to clip for the hatcheries and she said those fish are so small and the water so cold it's hard to feel what you're doing or see that darn adipose fin.

[sparkleboy]

Fins on fish can grow back, although Adipose fins usually don't grow back enough to the point you can't tell between a hatchery fish and a wild fish.
Ventrical fin and pectoral fin clips have a tendancy to grow back, but you can usually tell there is a deformity with the fin (the fish should also have an adipose clip ).
When I've worked on with ODFW at a fish trap I've come across a few of these fin regrowths.
Definition of a hatchery fin clipped fish is "a healed scar" and not a "completely removed adipose" like it once was. I've only come across a handful of fish in my lifetime that were borderline hatchery/wild. I released them, but I bet the chances are low you'll have to release a bunch of fish because of fin regrowth.

[brdkdg]

A long sliver is probably a bad clip but in a few cases fish can regenerate a new or partial fin. A regenerated fin usually has a stubby look to it.

[Short Hop]

Thanks. The fish I saw where definately hatchery fish. This is one reason this board is so cool.