steelie identication

oldfishmon8 · 02-17-2005, 11:53 AM

First, thanks for the many positive comments posted regarding my introductory fish story!
I feel extremely fortunate to have a teenage son who forces me to go fishing, and ties all our flies.

A couple of probably dumb questions for the group. I am new to steelheading---started this year, although I have been flyfishing quite a bit longer. I read posts about catching native broodstock steelies. How do you tell them from a regular native? From reading various posts, I think they have the adipose clipped and their maxillary something clipped. Is that right? If so, is it considered a hatchery fish for regulation purposes? ALso, I assume if the max. is gone but they have the adipose, it is definitely a releaser (just to be sure, last weekend I 'released' one about 35 ft. from the bank).

Another question--I saw a report that someone had caught a summer steelhead on the Sandy this week. How does one distinguish between a late winter fish and an apparently early summer?Thanks for any info.

AndyK · 02-17-2005, 12:30 PM

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A couple of probably dumb questions for the group.

The only dumb questions are the ones you don't ask!

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I read posts about catching native broodstock steelies. How do you tell them from a regular native? From reading various posts, I think they have the adipose clipped and their maxillary something clipped. Is that right? If so, is it considered a hatchery fish for regulation purposes?

Fishermen say lots of things, not always accurately! A broodstock steelhead is a hatchery steelhead that originated from the native steelhead in a specific river. If the adipose fin is clipped, it is a hatchery fish and can be kept. If the adipose fin is not clipped, it must be released (based on local regulations).

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Another question--I saw a report that someone had caught a summer steelhead on the Sandy this week. How does one distinguish between a late winter fish and an apparently early summer?

Any "summer" steelhead caught on the Sandy River in the last week is not an early summer fish, it is a downstream fish; a steelhead that has already spawned and is returning to the ocean. The Sandy River has high natural spawning by steelhead, both natives and hatchery. Catching a downstream fish is not that unusual. These steelhead are usually very slim from spawning and having a "reduced" diet while in the river.

clacksteel · 02-17-2005, 03:17 PM

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Any "summer" steelhead caught on the Sandy River in the last week is not an early summer fish, it is a downstream fish; a steelhead that has already spawned and is returning to the ocean. The Sandy River has high natural spawning by steelhead, both natives and hatchery. Catching a downstream fish is not that unusual. These steelhead are usually very slim from spawning and having a "reduced" diet while in the river.

Definately not a spawned out fish. It still had sea lice on it. You can check out the report in the daily fish wrapper (Oregonian).

AndyK · 02-17-2005, 05:09 PM

Was the newspaper story about a Summer run steelhead or an early Springer :whazzup:? I have heard about Springers already being caught on the Sandy.

I still say it wasn't an early summer run Steelhead!

AlseaAssassin · 02-17-2005, 08:49 PM

A good tip for determining whether the fish is a winter or a summer is to look at the length of the lower jaw. Its tough to tell the difference between sex on a chrome summer male and female because they both have the short roundsnout characteristic. A winter has an elongated lower jaw in the males even when they are bright. This is purely anecdotal but after seeing summer run fish this season at the 3-Rivers hatchery compared to winter fish arriving at the same time these seem to be the best characteristics that I can think of.

clacksteel · 02-18-2005, 06:36 AM

No, it was definately a steelhead. It said that both the first springer and the first summer steelhead was caught in the Sandy.

Siwash · 02-18-2005, 07:55 AM

Just speculating here, but what if it was a keeper hen? If that were the case, then you should be able to tell for sure when you clean it by whether the eggs were developed yet or not. Sure it's way early, but not impossible...

I got fooled once cutting open a chrome bright hatchery fish in May thinking for sure it was a summer-run, only it had fully ripe eggs. Never seen a fresh winter-run that late before, only leftover spawners. I'd gotten a legit summer-run earlier the same trip, and there was no mistaking the difference in the eggs. As it turned out later, the winter fish had the max clip for broodstock ID, but I didn't know what I was looking for back then.

clacksteel · 02-18-2005, 03:32 PM

I'm sure that they already investigated the eggs and all. If they did not have hard proof, I doubt they would call it a summer steelhead. Of course the Oregonian has written articles based on less facts.

Mad Mikey · 02-19-2005, 03:55 PM

Not unusual to get that "weird" early fish on any system. If you are out there enough it's bound to happen.
My earliest Sandy Summer was March 4th a few years ago. On the Clack I got one Jan 2nd many many years ago AND we boated one in mid Dec. above Barton about 4 years ago that was about 4-5 months early.
A few friends and I used to have an un-official contest to see who could get the first and the earliest Summer every season.
I've seen guys make the mistake on ID'ing broodstock fish as Summers, heck I did it myself a few times. Clips should tell you but the proof is always in the belly of the beast......