Spawning on the N.F. Nehalem

brshooter · 11-13-2002, 04:33 PM

I spent the past two days down at the N.F. Nehalem hatchery helping out with processing the returning coho. Dogfishboy and Pescador were there to help out on Tuesday as well.
On Tuesday morning, we spawned 60 pair of adult coho. After lunch we sorted some broodstock for next weeks spawn and then bonked a bunch of surplus fish to be dumped upriver for nutrient enhancement. I spent half a day today bonking surplus fish.
I had never helped with a project like this. I found it quite interesting. Lots of coho returning on the N.F. Nehalem this year. Joe, the hatchery manager, was very pleased with the return. He was optimistic that the steelhead return would be stong as well.
I was suprised at the number of unclipped hatchery fish. They release a number of the smolts unclipped, but with a coded wire tag in their snout.
Still a while to go before the steelhead show in any numbers. There was only one winter fish in the trap today. It should get better in a few weeks. I think I am going to help them again next week. Hopefully, there will be a few more steelhead showing.

KingFisher85 · 11-13-2002, 04:56 PM

Ya that is some fun stuff. I tagged spring Chinook, spring steelhead last spring and tagged silver smolts, counted smolt silvers, Chinooks, steelhead and trout, on Cedar Creek a tributary of the North Fork of the Lewis River every week all spring and into summer. It was fun.

Wood N' Fish · 11-13-2002, 05:31 PM

Hey-BRshooter-------How can you sign up to volunteer??? :whazzup: :grin:

TheRogue · 11-13-2002, 05:34 PM

Quote:

I was suprised at the number of unclipped hatchery fish. They release a number of the smolts unclipped, but with a coded wire tag in their snout.

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helv">Did you happen to get an official reason as to why they'd release a "number of unclipped hatchery fish" that legally we can't fish for anywhere, when the whole idea behind hatcheries is to plant fish we can catch and keep??

Just wondering....

TR

TheRogue · 11-13-2002, 05:39 PM

Oh, and by the way, good for you getting involved!!!

:grin: :grin: :grin:

brshooter · 11-13-2002, 05:50 PM

TR,
It gives them some comparison data on the run. They can compare return rates of harvestable fish vs. un-harvestable fish. This gives them some idea of the impact that fishing has on the return rate vs. ocean/river conditions. It is a small percentage of the run that is released without a fin clip. Just enough to give them the data they need.

Wood N’ Fish,
Jennie has done a great job of posting volunteer events when she is notified. I have asked Joe at the N.F. Nehalem Hatchery to notify me of upcoming events so that I can post them as well.

[ 11-13-2002, 06:52 PM: Message edited by: brshooter ]

dogfishboy · 11-13-2002, 06:46 PM

Hey Bill,

Worked at the Trask hatchery today. I was the only volunteer. We also had three inmates to help.

Bet we processed more fish than you guys today :tongue:

We filled two trucks with ten totes each. That's about two thousand fish. They were all headed to a cannery up north that processes them for a food bank. We processed about 400 CWT (Coded Wire Tag) fish too. Weighed, measured and cut and bagged snouts. All in all a good Day.

I really enjoyed working with the staff at both hatcheries. They are a GREAT bunch of hard working folks. They REALLY appreciated our help. I told Joe and Rick that i'm in for the next round.

Had a LOT of fun with you guys yesterday.

Pescador, shoot me an email about those wind generators. Lets talk. The wife would like some background info if you have any.

Wood N' Fish · 11-13-2002, 06:50 PM

Great Job Everyone! I just wish I could have sime fun, at Hatcheries! :grin:

OneLastCast · 11-13-2002, 06:58 PM

BRShooter:

I wish I could have been there but work deadlines made that impossible.

I appreciate and thank you for everything you have done regarding the North Fork and that has been a lot, you deserve a lot of thank yous. And, I am glad you and the wife are involved in the handicap access ramp. That makes me feel real good.

One day we will meet up.

OneLastCast

will_e_fish · 11-13-2002, 07:02 PM

brshooter, dogfishboy and pescador good job! Kudo to you. Great thing to do with your time and thanks for representing ifish! I wanted to be there as well but the work I am doing now it is feast or famine. So I have to work when it is there. I asked my boss if he needed me to knock off for a day or two. NOT

I had voluteered some at a Wash. hatchery this year and the fish were dark red and very cool too be there.

How were the fish? Dark or good shape find any interesting odd features with the fish? Other than the unclipped.

Mad Mikey · 11-13-2002, 08:01 PM

Might want to keep it under your hat how many Winter fish you find when you do that again..

Pescador · 11-13-2002, 08:30 PM

brshooter and dogfishboy it was good meeting you and working with you yesterday. Dogfishboy, I'll try to get some wind generator info for you.

will-e-fish, out of several hundred fish we processed yesterday, I saw only one bright one and a couple of others I might have kept. The N.F. Nehalem coho are so late and dark this year I think all are going for stream enhancement - non to the Food Bank. As brshooter said, though, it looks like this years return is going to be good.

PapaHog · 11-13-2002, 09:06 PM

Might want to keep it under your hat how many Winter fish you find when you do that again..
:whazzup: :whazzup:

Yea it would be really bad if you helped out a poor working ifisher who has limited time and resources by posting that there are fish available. :whazzup: This might save him a waisted trip in search of productive time at the sport he loves.

If I go and find fish I will post here unless you can convince me that that would be bad for the sport.

Ever Learning
Hog

Snapshot · 11-13-2002, 10:54 PM

Way to go birdman, good to see you are up and making it better for all of us. Keep up the good reports and let us know more about the early steelhead returns out there.

The Fishing Geek · 11-14-2002, 07:08 AM

Hey, isn't that a zipperlip hatchery?

FISH4MORE · 11-14-2002, 07:28 AM

I will be volunteering at Bonneville Fish Hatchery for spawning Chinooks this Friday Nov. 15th. Just like all the rest of the hateries they need help. It is fun when you know you are doing some good.

brshooter · 11-14-2002, 09:47 AM

dogfishboy,
You were busy. That's a lot of fish. I hope the fish were in better shape than ours if they sent them up to a cannery. Nothing but old boots at Nehalem.
There were two volunteers yesterday. We had a short day. We did only 4 totes of fish. Two were coded wire tags, and two non-tagged. I did netting in the pond and bonking again. I chopped the snouts on the non-tagged fish after we quit bonking surplus fish. I was done by noon.
Going to go help next week. I enjoy helping them out.

dogfishboy · 11-14-2002, 11:30 PM

BRShooter
Only old, oooold boots. These fish have been knocking at the door for a long time. Finally somebody answered. Did you hear anything about the Oregonian article? Remember the Photog guy was there on Tuesday.

Gold creek below the hatchery is boiling with boots. They can easily process that many a few more times. The Chinook are starting to show up. Boy are there some hawgs coming in. Rick said the 'nook usually show up after the Coho are gone. Can you imagine handling those hawgs all day? :shocked: :depressed: I told Rick I give it a try. Can you say BENGAY

I've been going through the ibuprofen

not 'cause I�m hurting...just got a headache...yeah, that's my story.

Fish4more, it IS a good feeling and they really need the help. Unfortunately they don't work on weekends. More people could get away to help if they did.

bllelk · 11-14-2002, 11:58 PM

BR-

Hows the trees and bushes we planted last Spring doing?
Seems you and the wife have really adopted the N. Fk. Hatchery.
If you ever need a reccomendation to become the Volunteer resident there, I think we'd all sign it. [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img]