Ok guys and gals, I am still learning northwest angling lingo. I have heard early summer steelhead being refered to as springers as well as spring chinook. I am assuming most of the posts on the board now concerning "springers" are about chinook and not steelhead. I am getting a headache as we speak. Can someone alleviate my confusion?
Also are all springer steelhead nates, or is there a hatchery run of these fish ( I am a SW Washing'er for reference).
Thanks--------------<@)(((><

The Steelhead I've heard called "springers" are the Skamania strain of hatchery summer Steelhead. These are an uncommonly hardy breed of fish that adapt so well that they have been used to plant rivers all over Washington, Oregon, and even in Great Lakes streams. They tend to come in early starting in March and peaking in April & May, ahead of other June/July summer runs. I flyfish for them on the Washougal & Kalalma on occassion and they fight as well as good nates!- Spring Kings/Chinooks are more commonly known as Springers than the early Skam. steelies. - Steve

[This message has been edited by Reel Truth (edited 03-21-2000).]

I mainly fish the Skamania/Klickitat county trubutaries and have only heard Springers as refering to spring run Chinook. As far as Steelhead, "A" run "B" run, "Winter run", I guess it just depends on who you talk to. Don't beleive I've heard "Springers" refering to Steelhead.

[This message has been edited by LEADHEAD (edited 03-21-2000).]

I fish every were and all the time and I've only heard the term "Springers" tagged to the spring chinook run.

Addict,

Angling lingo can be confusing. Harvest trout, bluebacks, anyone?

Springers applies to both spring chinook salmon (all chinook are known as spring salmon in British Columbia, for further confusion) and to early returning summer steelhead of either hatchery or native origin. The Washougal, E.F. Lewis, and Kalama were once well known for a native run of springer - steelhead that were later augmented through emphasis placed on culturing the earliest returning summer steelhead to the Skamania hatchery on the Washougal River. A lack of harvest restrictions on those native fish pretty well eliminated them from present day populations. There continue to be some hatchery springers.

I have very occasionally heard the April steelhead run on the Skagit called springers, but they are more properly a late winter run fish because they will all spawn this same spring - May and June, with a very few into early July. A true springer steelhead may enter a river in March through May but not spawn until the following February or March, up to a full calander year away. Consequently, they have stored incredible energy reserves, making them a lucky find with hook and line. When I used to regularly fish for them, I landed maybe one out of four springers hooked. Hot fish! Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

This may clear up some confusion.
Fishing lingo
springer = spring run chinnok
spring = Canadian for chinook (Canadians have some wierd names EH?)
For the mot part when someone uses "springer" They are talking about spring run chinook that will be entering the rivers soon.
Some river systems have steelhead that return in march through may that are sometimes called spring steelhead. They are actually a late returning winter steelhead, they spawn real soon after entering there river of birth. Then there are early returning summer steelhead, They spend 10 to 11 months in the river before spawning.
Ive caught summer steelhead, winter steelhead and spring chinook all in the same day on the South Santiam in Oregon. It was in mid May.

Don't have a ton to add to this but I know that out of the skamania strain of summer steelhead, there are some that enter the rivers in April and May and they are refered to as "springers". They also happen to be about the strongest steelhead in the state as they can be in the river for almost a year before they spawn. I have only hooked a couple and can vouch for the fact that they fight very well. The N. Fork Stilly gets a few of these fish as well as the above mentioned sw Wa rivers. As for all chinook in Canada being called spriners, that is not true. I have relatives up there so I frequently visit, and I know a lot of canadians refer to chinook as "tyee". For the most part though, when someone says "springer" they are refering to a spring-chinook. Hope this didn't confuse you to much!!! Tight lines.

Tim

Salmo g.

To answer your initial question, harvest trout is a laymen term for sea-run cutthroat, which tipically run in the late summer early fall (talk about a fishery almost wiped out). Blue backs is a term you see posted on the Army Corps of Engineers dam counts on the Columbia and refers to sockeye. Notice how few blue backs are counted (every now and again one makes it all the way back to Redfish Lake Idaho).

Bottomfeeder,
The term blueback is also applied to sea-run cutthroat in some parts of its range, which is the point I think Salmo G. was making. Harvest trout was, of course, the nomenclature that I grew up with in Cowlitz County. In most of the Puget Sound drainages these wonderful trout are present in healthy numbers and since all of the marine areas went over to catch and release I've had some fantastic fishing for them in the salt. The worst threat to their continued existence is development on the tiny little creeks that they require for spawning and rearing.

The Sea-Run Cutthroat are a great argument for C@R fisherys. I am an advid saltwater cutthroat fisherman, and I guide for them off the northern puget sound beaches. We caught more 20 inch + fish last year than ever before. They are doing alot of work on Chimacum Creek, planting trees, restoring habitat. Tu has been working with the highway department, traping fish and proving the small tribs are fish bearing, forcing them to put passable culverts in, and hopfully keeping them from spraying them with pesticides and weed killer.
A springer note
I recently heard from a hatchery bioligst that the Sol Duc springers are not a native stock and they may not stock them in the future, working on summer chinnok enhancement using native brood stock instead.

Here is something to ponder. The person who is running the Sol Duc hatchery is the one and same who built such an wonderful run of fall KINGS on the Hump!!! (Stevens Creek) Rumor has it he has the go ahead to build up the FALL RUN of KINGS like he did on the Hump. Now wouldn't that be wonderful!!! The Fall run of Kings on the Hump was LEGENDARY to say the least!!!! Just somthing to ponder.

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Tight Lines!!