What's up with these fish?

[steelhead1]

My bud and drifted the n santiam today,got into some interesting fish.What was so curious was the fin clips.One of the fish was max clipped and addy clipped,about 20",and one was max clipped but not addy clipped about 15".We caught a bunch of nice wild trout with no clips, and a fat daddy cherry colored buck (all C&R), but I am not sure what was up with the others.I didn't think there was a winter hatchery run of steelhead,perhaps these were summer fish that havnt gone to sea?Anyone?

 

[Mad dog]

My bud and drifted the n santiam today,got into some interesting fish.What was so curious was the fin clips.One of the fish was max clipped and addy clipped,about 20",and one was max clipped but not addy clipped about 15".We caught a bunch of nice wild trout with no clips, and a fat daddy cherry colored buck (all C&R), but I am not sure what was up with the others.I didn't think there was a winter hatchery run of steelhead,perhaps these were summer fish that havnt gone to sea?Anyone?

Can't say for the North Santiam but I have never seen this many 1 Salt winter steelhead before.....pretty crazy!!! Caught one yesteday, 19 1/2" buck. :think:

Maybe early run 1 salt summers? :think: Damn, La Nina!!! :lol:

 

[Drew9870]

All are really nice looking fish, that buck is plain out gorgeous.

 

[halibuthitman]

man thats a pretty fish!

 

[capblack]

I know the Santiam gets planter Trout, that fish looks like it hasn't gone to the ocean yet, and the nose looks a little bashed from the hatchery walls.

Both are really nice looking fish, that buck is plain out gorgeous.

i dont think the lower santiam has been planted with trout for years, only above detroit. correct me if im wrong, but it was my understanding thats the reason its catch and release

 

[RunWithSasquatch]

Pretty fish, the clipped fish must be a 1 salt summer, or a hold over in the river.

 

[brandon4455]

im gunna have to say summer.. either that or its a stray fish theres no other way to explain why a fin clipped fish would be there this time of year. and that buck sure is pretty and red!

 

[SantiamDrifter]

The first one is a resident rainbow. They dont plant fish anymore, but its open to retention of clipped trout. The North has some big bows, some grow to be over 10 years old. And the second is a 1 salt steelhead.

 

[bigsteel]

the first fish looks clipped to me,i dont think its a resident rainbow.the lower santiam is NOT stocked with trout...could be a stray....either way nice fish

 

[steelhead1]

Thanks for the replies everone.Yeah we were thinkin it might be stray or an early summer (the bigger one),but it was wierd to catch a trout sized fish with the maxillary clip but no adipose clip, in the same run.Oh yes,that buck was a nasty fighter,the first glimpse we got was just a flash of bright red,for a second we thought it might be a sockeye:lol:

 

[troutdude]

Socks on the Santiam? COOL! <jk>

Nice fish all around man.

 

[SantiamDrifter]

They stopped planting clipped fish years ago, but with the C/R laws, the pressure on trout dropped big time. Rainbow's can live up to over 10 years, making it fully possible its an old hatchery clipped fish that has survived. The north has BIGGGGGG bows. Not only to they eat well, but they live along time. I see a couple clipped rainbows every year. Another thing that makes me think its a bow, is that rainbows adopt to their surroundings. The colors in them will match the colors of the river. Steelhead will come in with a dark back, almost black. Stright to a chrome belly. Rainbows will have a more lighter greenish color.

 

[beaverfan]

Not all hatchery smolts head to the salt, some of them stick around.