FNP -
The accepted age designation for that chinook scale would be 3.2. That is fish that is 3 years old and migrated from freshwater during its 2nd spring. If it had migrated the year it hatched it would have been a 3.1. I know for those of us used dealing with steelhead it doesn't made sense but there it is.

One thing that I found helps in learning to read scales was to have "known age" samples to look at. I recommend that you pull some scales from the typical Chamber's hatchery 2-salt (means you need to get out and "bonk" a couple in the intrest of science - it would good to practice pulling scales from a dead fish). You will know that there is 1 freshwater check and 1+ salt. The marks we are counting are those places where the growth rings are laid particularly on top of each other (slow growth assocaited with winter). The typical hatchery 2-salt would be a 1.1+ - that is one year in fresh water, one full year in the salt and returning prior to the formation of the 2nd winter check.

Good luck and enjoy!

S malma