"Fin" Clipped Stlhd. on the Sandy

sandi · 01-15-2004, 06:08 PM

Anyone aware of this? I heard of a guy who pulled two fish out of the river with the adipose fins intact. When questioned, he said they were legal go ask the hatchery folks. Two guys at the hatchery said he was right. Apparently a few years back they didn't clip the adipose fin but instead clipped a section of the maxillary bone next to the jaw. This was at that time the identifying mark of a Sandy river broodstock fish, at least of a few years ago when those smolts were released. You can imagine how confusing this could be if this is true since the reg's say all non-finned clipped fish must be released. I've heard reports of several "natives" landed and released. Where they realy natives? If you are just looking for the adipose fin and see it intact, like I and most others only do, it stays in the river. HMMMM. Anybody??? Seems like this issue has been discussed before.

Fshklr · 01-15-2004, 06:15 PM

Was unable to link to the regs..anyone else have info for the sandy and "fin" clipped only retention?

[ 01-15-2004, 07:18 PM: Message edited by: Fshklr ]

Born to be Wild · 01-15-2004, 06:17 PM

Does seem confusing but if they clipped a section of the maxillary bone next to the jaw and you can identify that clip, I would have to think the hatchery guys are right.

An OSP is not going to give you a ticket for a fish that is obviously a hatchery fish just because of the descrepancy of the adipose.

Dano

pearl · 01-15-2004, 06:18 PM

Sitting here looking at the 04 regs and it say

"Adipose Clipped Steelhead"

yarndog2003 · 01-15-2004, 06:36 PM

I wouldn't take the chance!!! It really doesn't matter what the hatchery did a few years ago and says now. If the Regs. say "Adipose fin-clipped", I am only keeping adipose fin clipped fish.
Well unless I see and talk to an OSP and he tells me I can. And then I get his badge #

Twitchs_Tackle · 01-15-2004, 06:37 PM

Pearl's right, it could be dyed flo. pink and have a hatchery stamp duct taped to its head, but if it has a fin, (Though yes, it is a hatchery fish)IT MUST BE returned. In court, should it progress far enough, it could be argued that the maxillary was injured during feeding while young, and that due to the presence of the adipose it must be released. The law are screwy, but they are precise! :grin: the same problem with hachery fish released from years where there was a weak effort to clip all fish. It can easily be identified by the poor fins, but the fact that it isn't clipped means its a 'native'.

TT :grin:
Fisheries & Wildlife, OSU
Specialty, Law Enforcement

steelhead22 · 01-15-2004, 06:39 PM

I think I talked to the same guy, except he only had one fish at the time. My buddy landed a "native" that day that we released prior to talking to this guy. Seems to me like there would be some ODFW news release to let us know about this. I think I would have a hard time keeping a fish with the adipose intact, at least without clearing all of this up first.

Uglygreen · 01-15-2004, 06:49 PM

From page 3 of the regs for the Willamatte Zone. (Sandy River)

"Harvest of nonadipose fin-clipped salmon or steelhead is prohibited in the Willamette Zone.

There is no annual limit on adipose fin-clipped salmon or steelhead as long as the appropriate number of Hatchery Harvest Tags have been purchased to record the catch."

UG

Mad Mikey · 01-15-2004, 07:07 PM

If it ain't got an AD clip you are eating pizza that night.
ADRM clipped fish on the Sandy are Big Cr. stock and though a small return this year those will be the bulk of keepable fish until the broodstick fish get in a bit later and they will be AD clipped only.
I'm not suprised you got a fish that wasn't clipped properly but it ain't worth the ticket to keep it.

Mrdorkfish · 01-15-2004, 07:58 PM

Geezzz, I remember a couple of years ago i caught a few of those fish in the Sandy at Oxbow....the adipose meant it was a "hatchery" the other clips determined where it had come from. GET A ROPE! Did you take a look at that fish??? If the Maxilary was clipped...then of course it was a hatchery...but the regs still say it has to have a adipose clip....rules are rules.

MrDorkfish [img]graemlins/dork.gif[/img]

Louis

ORoutdoorsman · 01-15-2004, 09:57 PM

I would not take the chance! I have asked cops about laws and they have been wrong before. And when the cop sees it, he isnt going to care what the guys at the hatchery said, he is going to tell you it is spelled out in your regs and you are gettin in a load of trouble! Not having to release one or two fish on a chance is not worth it.

where's your bobber dude · 01-15-2004, 10:54 PM

The regs are clear "adipose clipped". If it they were broodstock fish they would have had clips. That's how they are on the Clackamas. The fish probably lost their maxillary as smolt going down stream attacking any lure in site. It's fairly common for fish to loose their maxillary to anglers. You see it a lot in lake rainbows that get caught many times. I guide in Alaska for steelhead and I have included a picture of a steelhead I got in Alaska, where they don't have a hatchery, which is missing a maxillary.

Next time you see something like that call the hotline.

I don't like stupid people getting away with killing our native fish. [img]graemlins/dork.gif[/img]

[ 01-16-2004, 12:02 AM: Message edited by: where's your bobber dude ]

BanannaMan · 01-16-2004, 06:03 AM

Is it such a suprise that one hand doesent know what the other is doing? Now we are going to have all these Sandy river "experts" deceiding if the maxillary is clipped or not. It's just another step towords the elimination of a wild fishery. Between the crowds, that are worse then ever, the snaggers; I've seen four so far this winter, and the people that beach and kick wild fish back into the river; seen two released this way so far, it's a miricle that any fish survive. I'm afraid that thing are going to get worse before they get better. That's why I am going to change my focus to saltwater fishing, much less stress.

Dragfreedrift · 01-16-2004, 01:30 PM

This could be a real problem for the Sandy this year. All the hatchery fish (broodstock fish) are supposed to be marked. Yikes!

HC

STGRule · 01-16-2004, 02:02 PM

Folks, the regs DON'T say you can keep hatchery and have to release natives. They say you can keep ad-clipped fish and have to release ad-intact fish. No mention at all about hatchery vs native. You need to drop those two terms from your thought process and then you won't have to try and second guess a regulation. Or worse yet, an OSP officer.

[ 01-16-2004, 03:04 PM: Message edited by: STGRule ]

Mad Mikey · 01-16-2004, 03:56 PM

Well said STG. K.I.S.S. in action.

SKP · 01-16-2004, 04:06 PM

A max clip is not an ad clip, period.

SKP

steel_beaver · 01-16-2004, 04:20 PM

that reminds me of a steelhead i cought on the columbia two summers ago.... it was missing 3 out of the 4 fins on the its stomach :shocked: :shocked:

but the adipose was there so i threw it back....

later that day i asked the checker if these were legal and she said "Adipose fin ONLY"

plus as far as i am concerned the fish already gave me all the pleasant emotions i can get out of it..... from then on its just gutting and cooking..............

:grin: