Santiam 2/16 & 17

T-Jet · 02-18-2002, 07:35 AM

1 hen on Saturday with an extra fin and a nice bright one on Sunday! Both fish between I-5 and Jefferson. The hatchery fish on Sunday had a red plastic tag imbedded in it in front of its dorsal fin. Its similiar to the ones you rip off your clothes with the attached price. Does anyone know how and why this fish had this? Was it priced for sale before it hit the stores? Is it the Million dollar fish in a derby I didnt enter? Any Information would be of great help!

IGGIE · 02-18-2002, 07:45 AM

T-JET those tags are used to mark fish that have returnad to the hatcheries.The fish you caught must be a summer fish from last year.These fish can really brighten up quickly.

T-Jet · 02-18-2002, 09:55 AM

Iggie, this fish has already returned to the Hatchery?

Salmonator · 02-18-2002, 10:22 AM

I thought the santiam tags were blue?

T-Jet · 02-18-2002, 12:28 PM

Where were you Swampy? I looked for ya!

Salmonator · 02-18-2002, 03:54 PM

T-jet, once they reach the hatchery they get a thin plastic tag stuck in their back near the dorsal so they won't get counted twice and are re-run usually down to waterloo park. Someone here was suggesting that the fish was on it's way back down the river. If it was an absolute chromer I kind of doubt it. All the tags i've ever seen at foster had been blue. Fishen fool might know if they used any red tags up there as he is a regular bank maggot at the church hole...

[ 02-18-2002, 04:58 PM: Message edited by: Salmonator ]

T-Jet · 02-18-2002, 04:10 PM

Thanks Salmonator!

M W Sheller · 02-18-2002, 04:14 PM

Was there any roe? If so, what was the condition of the roe? I or my regular bud have caught fem. summer steelhead this time of year that were not able to spawn, and were absorbing their eggs. These fish look like bright fish on their way up-river, but a little thin. Upon gutting them, the eggs are in various states of being absorbed by the fish as nutrients.

swampy · 02-18-2002, 05:00 PM

Hey T-Jet ...it's unlikely you'll see me out there ...You see, lately I've been hanging out where the fish AREN'T while you've been hanging where the fish ARE . Put in a little time above Salem on sunday ...about an hour or so ...may put in a couple hours on saturday before or after my daughters basketball game . Hope to catch up you soon though , dude , so keep posting and someday I'll run into you where the fish ARE.

T-Jet · 02-18-2002, 11:24 PM

Salmonator........help! Explain this tag thing to me! Please!

swampy · 02-18-2002, 11:33 PM

Way to go T-jet !!!

T-Jet · 02-19-2002, 07:25 AM

Swampy.........little early for Springers! I'll look for ya. Sheller, thanks for the info. She was extremly bright and the eggs were yellowish in color and extremly small. I know they recycle the fish in the Santiam system, I thought the release of the fish took place higher in the system. Do they release at I-5. Where can I do more research on this?

chuck 'n' duck · 02-19-2002, 08:30 AM

T-Jet:

I think you caught yourself a downrunner from last summer's run. Tagged once, and then tried to spawn in the river. I'm willing to bet the meat was a bit on the pale side. I have not seen chrome downrunners, but I have heard of them. I have caught summers from the south with a few different colored tags in them.

CnD