I was going fishing today and i walked up onto some guys marking redds with ribbon. we talked for a bit and they told me that they scared all the fish away, but they would eventually come back. Later on i was fishing there and some guys came down in another boat and told me i want to be sure and not to get caught fishing where the ribbons are. This kind of confused me...is it legal to fish where the ribbons are?

And you were fishing were now?
I know on some rivers, when the chum are spawning they put up ribbins in the spawning area and you can't fish in that.

Josh,

It depends. If the river you were on is open to fishing, then you may fish there. The ribbons mark spawning redds, and even tho a river is open to fishing, it is not legal to fish for actively spawning salmon. Salmon on or near redds are considered to be actively spawning. Therefore, you may not fish for them.

If you fish the deeper runs and pools, you'll be OK. If you catch a salmon that freely drips eggs or milt, you cannot legally keep it, regardless of where in the river you caught it. Same with snagged fish.

I suppose it is less certain when a river is open to fishing and an angler is fishing for trout or char that are holding below active salmon redds feeding on drifting salmon eggs. It's legal to fish for the trout and char usually, but it's subject to interpretation that the use of a yarn or bead egg "fly" is targeting the legal to fish for trout or char and not the illegal spawning salmon.

When in doubt, I either don't fish, or if it's clear that some fishing is allowed, I pinch my barbs down and release whatever I catch. So far, so good.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

Salmo

This must be our day for disagreement!!
You have stated; "The ribbons mark spawning redds, and even tho a river is open to fishing, it is not legal to fish for actively spawning salmon. Salmon on or near redds are considered to be actively spawning. Therefore, you may not fish for them."

Where in the 2002-2003 WDFW fish regulations does it state that it is illegal to fish on spawning fish or redds? It is my understanding that if a river is open to fishing, it's open to catch fish, be it next to redds or out in the main channel. I just went through the 2002-2003 fish regulations and I could not find such rule or laws.

Where did you get your information? Are you sure that you are right?

Cowlitzfisherman

Is the taste of the bait worth the sting of the hook????

They usually mark the redds so you won't wade thru them and Kill the fish. I ran accross the same thing a year ago while fishing the N/Fork Stilly.

They had marked the redds and came back later along the river counting carcasses. <img border="0" alt="[wall]" title="" src="graemlins/wall.gif" />

I just have a couple of questions......

Who would want to fish for spawning salmon anyway due to the fact that they are already so colored?

Why would someone want to fish in an area that spawning fish are in and take a chance on killing fish or ruining some of the redds? These fish are already played out and dirt kicked up by wading individuals can cover redds. Why take the chance and ruin something?

I am not really trying to stir something up just wondering. I can see the legitemacy of fishing for other species that feed on drifting eggs but why take the chance of damaging a resource? I say fish elsewhere.

I am surprised that Salmo didn't ask this same question.

Many times these redds are marked because someone is doing an "IFIM" study. Maybe that is the case here!

Cowlitzfisherman

Is the taste of the bait worth the sting of the hook????

I'm not sure what's legal or not but if it were me I'd defenitly stay away from fishing those areas. As a true sportsman it's best to leave spawning fish alone and let them spawn. Also Busy makes a good point. Who wants to fish for some dark spawned out fish anyways. Just try to think of future runs and leave these guys/girls alone.

A good question Josh. As far as I know, it's not illegal to fish on their beds. But as a matter of ethics, when they're on their beds, they ought be be left alone.

Over time, you'll learn the areas where they spawn every single season and you'll even be able to time them within a few days of when spawning activity in that area will start occurring.

It's often hard right now to see the king beds due to discolored water that we often have and the fact that many of the rocks will be scoured free of most of their algae growth and they won't stand out.

This spring look fo rthe grey patches that you'll see amongst the brownish colord rocks in riffles and some of the tails and you'll see the beds. Don't walk on them or drag your anchor through them ... very bad for future little fish

Thanks for the help guys. By the way Busy, after I finally caught one and saw that it was a chinook, I stopped fishing there anyways.

We all talk about fishing around redds. The hows and whys to do and not to and all the fish that could get killed. Well it got me to thinking(ha ha). What about all the fish that do manage to make it out of the gravel and just die in all the pools on a river that dry up when we don't get any rain in the summer. Like what happened over on the OP this summer.

CFM,

Such a stickler! No, I'm not sure of the regulation because I have no interest in fishing for spawning salmon, so I'm not going to bother looking for it in the regs. However, I am sure that two fish and wildlife agents have told me that the salmon that are on redds are spawning salmon and that catching and retaining them is not legal. Now, that was a long time ago, and since the merger of the game and fishery departments, maybe the rule has changed, and my advice may be outdated. Go ahead and fish for them if you want. Anyone who does deserves whatever they get, I guess.

As others have mentioned, the relavent issue is why anyone would want to fish for actively spawning salmon in the first place. Even if it's legal, it seems to defy the sporting ethic and rules of fair chase, i.e. a salmon on its redd is more vulnerable than a salmon holding in a deep pool.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

joshsg - No harm meant. I for one appreciate your decision.

BTW - if you could avoid the reds and fish for trout or other non spawning species I see no harm done. I just would be a little over cautious myself....

I applaud Salmo g. for bringing up ethics as many neophyte do not understand what is right but just what is legal.

There is another site that is filled with fisheramn bragging about catching smolts and fishing for salmon on redds...it is very important to not only teach what is legal but what is right.

Sad to see a new generation of fishermen carrying more about numbers then the aesthitics of the sport!

Anyways...from what I understand, it is not illegal (but it is wrong). And IMHO, I have a wonderful time watching species such as coho, chinook and steelies spawn as it is a rare treat...it is a much better time observing Mother Nature at her finest then catching a boot.

Busy, No hard feeling on this end. i do the same thing to a lot. Thanks for the input.

Cowlitz, thanks for the backup, it's good to have a little help once in a while.

And Salmo.....I'm not positive on this, but it sounded to me like you are questioning my ethics. If you are, then maybe you didn't understand what i meant when i said that I stopped fishing there. Sure, I could have walked away with the chinook that i caught(which wasn't in too bad of shape by the way), but no. I sent it back, unharmed, because of the recent closure on them. That's got to show a little bit of ethic there.
As for going out just to catch spawning salmon, that was not my intention. I noticed some fishing swimming through the area, so naturally, i tossed out a line.
I am not trying to start anything here, I just feel like in need to defend myself when i get called unethical.

Not saying I fish over redds but what is the difference in catching a fish on the way to the redd and knocking it over the head and one that gets pulled off a redd and bonked? Only thing I can see is that the one on the redd is possibly one of those "evil" hatchery origin fish contaminating the stream. Or it could be a true native fish which in my opinion shouldn't be targeted for any purpose at all.

I would imagine most fish on redds aren't worth bonking anyways.

Josh,

My last post was a response to CFM. I am not questioning your ethics. I did not call anyone unethical. Please re-read my previous post. I said that I think fishing for spawning salmon defies the sporting ethic because it does not observe the rules of fair chase. Of course, ethics are relative, and not everyone subscribes to the same set, which is one reason why they can be so hotly debated. From what I've heard, fishing for salmon and steelhead on their redds is quite popular and acceptable on many Great Lakes tributaries. I developed in an angling culture with a different ethic, where it's considered unsporting.

And it ain't likely we'd find CFM fishing for salmon over redds. He usually has a freezer full of bright salmon anyway. It's not like he'd have a use for an old boot.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

Isn't fishing for chums at the Hatchery Zone the same thing as fishing for chums in the Green River at Flaming Geyser (on redds) or fishing for silvers in the Green at the car body hole (on redds)?

The fish are in the exact same condition.

In all three instances the fish are there to blow their wads and die and there are plenty fisherman ready to take them home. Sounds like the same thing to me. I don't think it is a question of ethics as much as a question of how pre-smoked you like your fish to be when you take it home.