Scale samples

[Jennie@ifish]

Someone posted, (forget who and I'm too tired to search) that I should take scale samples from the "wild" coho that we caught the other day on the Nehalem.
Wouldn't it be easier just to go to the hatchery and observe what is returning there?
The hatchery returns are drawn by a mixture of spring and Nehalem river water.
So, if there are 'wild' fish in the mix there, that would pretty much tell the story, yes?
Some of the hatchery fish actually pass this hatchery up, and move on upstream, despite their homing devices. Strays, of a sort.
So, I would imagine that some of the fish that are 'wild' are hatchery second generation fish, yes?
I wonder what the percentage of hatchery fish that stray upriver to spawn is?
How would they find that out? Carcass counts?
Jen

[ 10-22-2002, 07:10 PM: Message edited by: Jennie@ifish ]

[Joe]

I live on the Lower Nestucca. I have had several people express their concern over all the Coho in the river this year. It is like they think something is wrong since there are all these Wild Coho. :whazzup:

It appears to me that things are starting to turn around and get back to the way it should be. :grin:

Personally I wouldn't recommend pulling scales from live Wild Coho. Coastal hatchery Coho shoud be fin clipped!

Umpqua River coho 17 "wild", 2 clipped.