Fin Clipping = great fun, and "feel good" event!

Jennie@ifish · 04-13-2002, 02:18 PM

Had an absolute great time at the fin clipping event. We had so many people we got done before lunch!
I was worried at first, that I couldn't see well enough to do it right. But I could! I did! I clipped and clipped!
Here's how it goes.
You crowd around the water, going down the shoot.
You have a small container in front of you, where they dump about 30 fry.
One at a time, you clip their little fins off, and when you do ten, you raise your hand and yell, "TEN". The counter records your group of tens.
When you are out of fish, you yell, "FISH!"
So, the whole group is a bunch of babbling, busy workers yelling, "TEN" and "FISH"!
I have some great pictures I'll share with you later.
The weather wasn't bad, and the food was plentiful!
How did Flotilla go? Can't wait to hear!
Jen

blubeast · 04-13-2002, 02:52 PM

YES... it was fun... well run, nice facility, good food, great time. Especially the promise they made that you get first dibs on catching the fich you personally clipped. Of course this promise came from a fisherman...you don't think he was fibbing do ya?

Jennie@ifish · 04-13-2002, 03:36 PM

See the little adipose? "No", says Jennie, "Is this it?" as she cuts off it's little tail.

Lots of people! 200 at a time!

[ 04-13-2002, 04:47 PM: Message edited by: Jennie@ifish ]

Jennie@ifish · 04-13-2002, 03:43 PM

The dreaded header job. YUCK! COLD!

BRRRRRRR! Help! I'm lonely and cold!

[ 04-13-2002, 04:45 PM: Message edited by: Jennie@ifish ]

Pete · 04-13-2002, 03:58 PM

Definitely fun work ... the competition for most clips broke down pretty quickly, though. ten-one, ten-two, ten-three, ten-four ... ten-ten-two-twenty ... oops, that's for collect calls ... ten-seven, no, ten-six ... how many did you clip? ten-five ... ten-many many! I think the final tally was over 100,000 fins clipped. Amazing how much those silver nuggets look just like miniature chinook salmon! I can't wait to see them again in a few years! :smile:

[ 04-13-2002, 05:16 PM: Message edited by: Pete ]

brshooter · 04-13-2002, 04:01 PM

I was glad to be able to help with this event and give something back for all the enjoyment I get from fishing. Good to see Jennie & Bill, Slow Roll and Stacey, Pete, and Waterdog. I am sure there were others from Ifish that I did not know.
104,000 fins clipped in 4 hours. Pretty impressive for a bunch of volunteers. It was good to see that so many people cared enough to be there.

Jennie@ifish · 04-13-2002, 04:16 PM

BR, that is what impressed me the most.
How many people cared enough to be there.
As I clipped those little fins, I kept thinking exactly as Pete did. Man! They are beautiful miniature Springers!
Anyone else come across some chums?
I did!
They are there, because they are so tiny when they migrate downstream in tidewater that they enter through the water system.
Did you clip them, if you found them?
I tried not to. I don't think many recognized them.
Think about it, they are the very small ones with no spots on their backs at all.
Remember those?
:smile:
Fish identification 101.... ha ha

Anyway, it was very gratifying to me, to see all those dedicated fishing people.
Never have I seen so many different baseball caps in my life!

Jen

Pete · 04-13-2002, 05:01 PM

Others Bill didn't mention (but I know he said "Hi" to) Fishrus, Oakiedrifter, Artwo, First Cast, Tiderunner, Capt. Hook .... who else?

[ 04-13-2002, 10:53 PM: Message edited by: Pete ]

Thumper · 04-13-2002, 05:28 PM

Well, you didn't miss too much. At flotilla 4 we had about 140 fishermen and caught 383 salmon, the largest being 54 pounds and the average about 20. Not bad, eh?

Thumper · 04-13-2002, 05:30 PM

Do you really believe that????

Pete · 04-13-2002, 05:35 PM

Thump,
Did anyone catch a cold? Seems like the weather was better than predicted at least, but the high water would have really changed conditions for everyone that "pre-fished" for the event.

Thumper · 04-13-2002, 05:50 PM

Thanks Pete .... you are too generous. The weather was nice, but the fishing was ugly. Very high flows. Giz will give a report, but let's just say that you fin-clippers handled far more weight of salmon today than we did.

Jerry Dove · 04-13-2002, 05:52 PM

WOW--WOW==WOW, WHAT ELSE CAN WE SAY EXCEPT WOW AGAIN. Boy was this a great day or what. We just have to say thanks to everyone that helped clip fins today!!!! This was the best turn out in our 13 years. Never have we finished before lunch. I think every body had a great time, I know I did. We did great with the raffle, thanks to Roy Markee, and Shimano reels. We did over $600, Plus picked up 22 new members. That all helps to pay the overhead. A very special thanks to Jen and ifish,bay did that bring in the people. We had a nice ceremony at noon to celebrate our 15 years as a corporation. Thanked a lot of people and gave a special thanks to Loren Parks for all his financial help and encouragement over the years. Now we will wait for them to come back and we all catch one or two. Jerry Dove and the Board of Directors of Tillamook Anglers.

First Bite · 04-13-2002, 06:32 PM

Cindy and I had a good time. It was amazing to see so many people volunteering their time for this event. And a big thank you to Jerry Dove and the Tillamook Anglers for all the hard work you've done.

Mark & Cindy

brshooter · 04-13-2002, 06:46 PM

Sorry I forgot to mention some fellow ifishers (Fishrus, Oakiedrifter, First Cast, Tiderunner, Capt. Hook) in my earlier post. Brain fart. Thanks Pete for mentioning them. The ifish gang were a bunch of fin clipping machines.

[ 04-13-2002, 07:53 PM: Message edited by: brshooter ]

Oakie Drifter · 04-13-2002, 07:01 PM

A big thanks to Jerry Dove and Jennie, who, if it wasnt for their communication about this event on ifish, I would of never had known about such an opportunity to help out!
Had a great time, clipped more than I could keep count of, and shared great company and met some new and old friends.
Pete, you are such a fast little clipper too. Great to see you too, Brshooter!

Artwo · 04-13-2002, 09:49 PM

Myself, my wife and our seven year old daughter went down for the clipping event also this morning. We all got in on the action, we all did some clipping and I worked the wake-up tank for awhile as well. We all had a wonderful time, saw numerous ifish'ers and met some new people also. Jerry and Jen, thanks for the fun day.........we will definately be back next year.

JK

Oh ya, I also got the pop machine working.......yahooooooo.

Jerry Dove · 04-14-2002, 02:54 PM

ARTWO A great big thank you for getting the pop running. Some body said we got it to cold and it froze up. I guess guess next time I'll throw a little Black Velvet in it, that should keep it runing. May not get to many fins cliped. Thanks for all your help. It was really a gteat day! And ODFW wonders if volunters could take care of a few Wild Steelhead Brood Stock. Jerry

rockfish · 04-14-2002, 11:22 PM

I have to admit it you oreos are really stepping in and taking care of it. setting a good example for other states to follow. keep it up. Ben

Slow Roll · 04-15-2002, 09:02 AM

So, when do we get to do this again? :grin:

Had a blast with everyone and got to meet a few new faces. Good to see you again Bill, we will definetly go fishin' sometime soon.

I think this is a great thing that Tillamook Anglers is doing and will continue to support them and their cause.

Now all I have to do is figure how to catch some of those little guys by the time they get back in 4 years.

Paul B.

Jerry Dove · 04-15-2002, 01:48 PM

several folks have asked when fin clipping is next year. Always the secound week end in April. That would make it April 12th. 2003 same time same place,,same people same gteat fun. see you on the river in Tilla. fishing for springers, any day now. Jerry