Quote:
Originally posted by Smalma:
Mike -
FYI - there fair numbers of wild winter steelhead that also spawn in the lower Skagit tribs -Alder, Hansen, Day etc.

Something to consider - If indeed as you think a CnR is reducing the success fo the spawners why in the heck are you fishing at that time of the year? Even if the females in a CnR area are 95% as successful at spwaning as unfished females that is a substantial lost in the population viability - the same effect on the population as a 10% havest rate.
Howdy Smalma,

I understood from Salmo's post that the majority of the spawn was done above the Dalles Bridge. If the fish are spawning below the bridge that's great, too!

I'm not sure that the CnR is reducing the fish population up here...it is just my first year fishing wild steelhead. My thoughts were that maybe the suggestion of switching the open fishery area to below the Dalles Bridge for a time would allow an even better spawn rate. I have no personal expertise to go on here, but was wanting to open discussion on the subject as a chance to learn more.

I would guess 80% (or better) of folks that fish that fishery (Skagit CnR) don't really understand all the issues involved, but like most fishermen IF the regs say it is OK then it must be based on good fishery science.

I am very cautious about the catch and release of any fish I am not planning for the table, and to my knowledge have done no permanent harm to any that I have released. That would include close to 100 Dollies this year.

If we had a healthy CnR fishery, and 95% were successful at spawning then the issues of smolt depredation and survival would be equally as important, no?

Mike