I recently caught a 16+lb East Fork Lewis river steely with a healed adipose clip as well as a dorsal clip. the last two or the bones of the dorsal fin was clipped and healed. What does this clip mean? wild broodstock? used for egg collection then released?
This fish was a little larger than most hatchery fish I have caught and was wondering if it was wild broodstock

I'm not clear about what you mean. Do you mean the last two rays of the dorsal fin? I would think that the most likely explanation would be a mild run-in with a seal, sea lion or some other sharp-toothed critter. I've never heard of dorsal fin clipping as a means of identification. I have caught steelhead with some really savage looking wounds; I've caught a couple with half of the caudal fin bitten away and one with a large chunk bitten out just behind the head that went almost down to the spine. It was fully healed but certainly looked bad enough to have been lethal.

The "dorsal clip" was probably a stubbed dorsal which happens to hatchery steelhead. Many hatchery steelhead have the dorsal fin completely stubbed off so it looks like it was clipped. Some are only missing the last 2 or 3 rays, and there is everything in between. Some steelhead have bent or short dorsal rays. Now the question, why hatchery steelhead(except Alantic salmon) have stubbed dorsals and not hatchery coho? I've heard steelhead "nip" at each other and also rub against the pond walls. Since the steelhead raised in net pens have stubbed dorsals I have to go with the nipping. Any other ideas?

[This message has been edited by potter (edited 08-20-2000).]

Hatchery manager at Klawock on Prince of Wales told me that of all the Pacific salmon he had raised Coho had the most regeneration of fin material and Steelhead had the least Can't argue with him based on what I have seen it is simple and accurate.

I agree with potter, when hatchery smolts cruise the edges of their concrete pen, their dorsal gets worn down, a sandpaper-like effect. My guess would be a poorly clipped hatchery fish. Whatever it is, congratulations, sounds like a fine fish.

thanks for the responses. Just to clarify the last two or three bones of the fin were missing I am assuming we are all refering to the dorsal as the top fin on it's back. I was just curious because I had heard of "other" fins being removed for wild broodstock fish, and this fish was "big"......but I guess the predator or hatchery pond theories are probably it. -thanks

Of the last few hatchery steelies my buddy and I have caught on the N. Fork Stilly, two had healed scars where their dorsal fin should've been. Their dorsals were entirely missing. I've worked in aquaculture and not observed rubbing or nipping to this degree, but it's not unfeasible if one were to cram too many smolts into too little water. Still, I'm more likely to believe the adipose fin-clipping apparatus is to blame...