If you were asking me, Dan, than no, no dates for you! That'd be too easy to ID these fish. It's a test.

Some were caught in May, and some were caught in November. One was even caught in July.

Seeing how winter fish don't come in in May (Ok, they do) and July, that wouldn't be very fair, now would it?

The REAL question I would be asking (salmog, smalma?) is if caudal peduncle length is an indicator of a winter/summer run, what environmental factors dictate caudal peduncle length? Also, genetically speaking, isn't a summer and winter fish the same fish? Why would the peduncle length change?

Do winter fish have shorter caudal peduncles, and in general, stockier bodies, for that "short" and "quick" burst of speed needed to shoot up the river, spawn, and head back out, all in a freshet or two?

Or, do summer fish have longer caudal peduncles, and in general, longer, leaner bodies, for that long, enduring, stay in the river? If they arrive in May and hang around until November, endurance is a factor.

Even as a Fisheries Graduate, I have some hunches, but no real answers.

Any working bios out there care to help on this one? Interesting stuff.

Kinda like asking our salmon gurus over at the UW what a "Columbia River Summer King" is. No one has a real answer.