Do the Quinalts mark their hatchery fish? I landed a few fish on the Salmon in December and none of them were clipped. I released them but it seemed a bit early to catch only wild fish. Three of the fish were in the four to six pound range and one was a buck of about fourteen.

I have fished the Quinalt River itself and none of the fish we caught were clipped. The guide (Robin Rhodes) said that they did not mark any of their fish and some of them looked like hatchery fish by the way their fins were mashed up a little. FYI

Crayfin

I fished the Salmon in December and none of our fish were marked.I was also fishing with Robin Rhoades and he told me the same thing as he told crayfin,that the indians don't mark any of their fish and you can tell the hatchery fish by their beat up dorsal fins.

Check your regs book once in a while. It says wild steelhead may be retained in the salmon.

Thats the attitude that has declined our wild runs.

hey iron,why would you want to keep a wild fish?may be you should go to a place like california and see how great there native fish runs are!IF IT'S WILD LET IT GO!!!

FISH ON!!!

The indians don't clip there fish so they can say there is no difference in the fish. Nets don't know the difference in fins.

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Marty
www.steelheader.net
marty@steelheader.net

About 20 % Salmon river steelhead from the hatchery are fin clipped.

In responce to Ironfisherman, I havn't kept a wild fish in eleven years. However, I am more than willing to barbeque a hatchery fish. November and December are the months I usually try to put a few fish in the freezer. I would rather release a hatchery fish I wasn't sure about than kill a nate.

I'm not saying keep a native fish I'm saying your aloud to. Some of you guys just like to wine.

yes they do

Why would you even give it as an option?
I'm just trying to promote C&R for our native runs.
I got your WHINE right here buddy!!!

Noodlerodder stay out of something you know nothing about.

Guys, Please... Can't you keep the rude comments to yourselves?! It only causes problems!! I'm just kinda tired of seeing so much of it! It's becoming a bad habit... I think we're all kinda straying from the purpose of the board... If you think I'm wrong though, then fire away at me, you're probably gonna do it anyway!

Tom

"Cumbaya my lord, Cu-ba-yaaaah!"

Fellas, both tribal professional guides, Robbin and Leddy, have indicated that the majority of their hatchery fish are not clipped. Thus, those with marginal feelings on the C&R issue should go ahead and check the condition of the dorsal rays and if deformed, harvest these unmarked hatchery fish. The Queets and the Salmon Rivers create an interesting moral dilemma for many of us that support native C&R. Unfortunately, under the circumstances, trying to preach our C&R ethics during Nov, Dec and Jan on this system make us sound like bible-thumping equivalents. March and April is a whole 'nother ballgame though.