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You May be Killing Steelhead and Not Know It

5K views 48 replies 24 participants last post by  Smalma 
#1 ·
I found this really interesting. We all need to do whatever is necessary to minimize steelhead mortality - except for hatchery brats.

You May Be Killing Steelhead And Not Even Know It

50 comments / Posted on November 18, 2013 / by Louis Cahill

Photo by Louis Cahill
Steelheaders are generally pretty serious about catch-and-release, but it's likely that many are mortally wounding fish without ever knowing it.

There are few species of fish as vulnerable as wild steelhead. These fish are beset on all sides by threats both natural and man-made. With their numbers dwindling, it's safe to say, every steelhead counts. It's vital that those of us who fish for them practice the best catch-and-release practices.
However, common landing practices can kill fish without the angler ever knowing. A team of biologists studying steelhead in British Columbia discovered this problem, quite by accident. These scientists were tagging steelhead with GPS trackers. They determined that the least intrusive way to capture the fish was, well, the same way we do it. With a fly rod. They landed the fish, tagged them with the GPS device and released them. When they went to their computer to track the fish's progress they discovered something alarming.
Within two hours many of the fish they had tagged, and released in good health, were dead. They collected the fish and performed autopsies to determine what had gone wrong. In every case the cause of death was head trauma. It turns out that 'steelhead' is a misnomer. The fish's head is, in fact, its most vulnerable spot.
When landing the fish the researchers had played them into shallow water where they would be easy to tail. As the fish came into the shallows they were on longer, fully submerged. Without the resistance of the water surrounding them, their powerful thrashing was able to generate momentum that is not possible underwater. The flopping fish simply hit their heads on a rock.
The fish appeared fine when released, but their injured brains began to swell and soon they were dead. It makes perfect sense if you think about it. Fish have evolved in an environment where hitting their head on anything with enough force to cause damage is almost impossible. Their brains lack the natural protection enjoyed by terrestrial species.
Luckily, this unfortunate outcome is easily avoided. The angler has a couple of good options. Landing fish by hand in knee deep water is a little tougher but much safer for the fish. You can grab the leader to control the fish long enough to tail it. After a fish or two it will feel very natural. When possible, it's best to use a good catch-and-release net. This is safest for the fish and easiest for the angler. A net helps you seal the deal while the fish is still fresh and requires little reviving.
Always control your fish once he's landed. Keep his gills wet and support his head in case he makes a sudden attempt to escape. Keeping him, dorsal fin up, will keep his range of motion side-to-side, making it harder for him to injure himself. When possible keep him in deeper water. Never beach a fish when landing him and never lay him on the bank for a photo. It's just not worth it.
Wild steelhead are a precious resource. Those of us who come to the river looking for them must lead by example and do our best to to be good stewards of these remarkable fish. Their future is, literally in our hands.
Come fish with us in the Bahamas!
Louis Cahill
Gink & Gasoline
www.ginkandgasoline.com
hookups@ginkandgasoline.com
 
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#36 ·
Hydrological,

3-5% mortality from generally uneducated anglers would be a more accurate depiction of whats been shown scientifically. 20% is wildly high. So your for the sake of argument, argument, is designed wrong from the start. I understand it was designed so that you could win an argument, but like the article that started this thread, you lose credability when the science is mis-stated.

I am not advocating poor fish handling. I doubt you'll find anyone who handles fish lesss than I do (insert dig here). I am saying that in the grand scheme of things, C&R mortality has no effect on steelhead populations.

I don't think that giving accurate information to the general public tends to lead to poor behavior, nor do I think that legality generally dictates peoples behavior. Give people the truth and your better off. That's what I say.

Go Red Sox,
cds
 
#37 ·
I've always wondered about whether or not sick or injured fish are more likely to bite. it could be that many of the fish that die after cnr were also desperate,weak fish to begin with. That being said, there are other lurking variables in the equation. For instance, how far up river were the studies done, if they were low in the system is expect fresher,stronger fish. Where as higher in the system a higher mortality may be the case after traveling many miles,converting to freshwater and having a gauntlet of fishing pressure since step one.
No real point to make here, just pointing out the fact that there are variables that can't always be calculated. I tread the fine line of trying to gently catch a fish, even though that doesn't always work. And I appreciate sparkys law.
 
#38 ·
You might as well drop the Indians out of the conversation also. As far as steelhead go they have little impact on them. On the Skagit, for example, the few that net the river for steelhead take less than 500 fish and likely more around a few hundred. Out of a run of 8500 fish those few hundred fish are not going to push them to extinction. Also, believe it or not the tribes are likely our best allies when it comes to management decisions on current runs. They are currently doing far more studies on steelhead than our own WDFW is. So instead of pointing fingers at them you might try to figure out how to work with them. I guarantee you the tribes are not going away and whining about them is not going to stop them from fishing.
 
#41 ·
Giving people factual information is much more important than making up numbers to prove a point. The study this thread is based on is bogus. It is admittedly bogus.

The people that actually catch a lot of fish handle fish better than those that don't. You can't become proficient without the experience of actually doing it. We have a course that puts hundreds of new drivers on the roads every day but those people have absolutely no idea how to actually drive a car until they have tens of thousands of miles under their belt. Lets control what we can control but leave the bogus information out of that equation.

There's a big difference between 2% and 20%. And, just for clarification, what the hell is a meat fisherman? Someone who fishes gear rather than the fly?

I don't see a whole lot of casual, bash them on the head fisherman on the water during the wild runs. I see people who care about the resource out enjoying that resource. Look at what the pink runs bring out. Now, look at who is on the water during our spring steelhead runs. 2 completely separate user groups.
 
#42 ·
Hi Hydrological,

Well well, so why don't you tell us how you really feel? That was a pretty good lambast of Charles' post you did there. Neither he nor anyone else is advocating careless handling of the fish we catch and release. Fish handling gets a lot of exposure on this forum. However, over the top remarks or rants probably don't help any. It's important to note that, as has already been posted in this thread, that the "study" describes in the OP was bogus and the alleged high incidental mortality rate is no more real than this study that didn't occur.

I think it's far better that our forum members read accurate information. In fact I'm beginning to think that this forum ought to have a section for scientific reports on topics like CNR mortality since the subject comes up so often. The further thought occurs to me that a person should have to read the reports before being allowed to post in any thread about CNR mortality. But where would be the fun in that, eh?

Sg
 
#44 ·
In interest of providing full information the issue of increased handling mortality on fish whose scales have not yet "set" is a very real problem with Chinook; especially those early stocks (springs and summers) who tend to enter rivers as relatively immature fish. The handling mortality is much higher on those Chinook while they are "shedding" scales then once those scales have "set". It is of interest that those elevated mortalities seem to the greatest for those Chinook with shedding scales once they leave the salt. That sort of handling mortality seems to be the greatest for Chinook and less so for the other salmon species and especially the various "trouts" -steelhead, cutthroat, bulls,etc..

However there are other conditions which can result in elevated handling mortalities for steelhead; the most common of which are high stream temperatures.

Curt
 
#45 ·
"Hardness of scales" or "setting in" causing mortality... now that's a new one on me.

Guess, that's why I've seen the banks littered with all the dead "early river runners"...??

Must be all the bears are getting to them before I do...or.... it makes as much sense as them banging their heads on the rocks from jumping the falls. ;)
 
#47 ·
FinLuver,

Salmon and trout, while in sea water and rapidly growing, have very loose scales. Scale loss increases vulnerability to injury, but most especially increases their vulnerability to infection. After the fish have been in freshwater a week or so, their scales harden and become "set," as in much harder to pull out. Try it some time. I think heavy scale loss almost always results in infection when the fish are in fresh water, which can then spread, resulting in mortality.

BTW, salmon and steelhead do sustain injuries from jumping water falls. Well, not from the falls, but from the rocks and other things around the falls that they accidentally hit.

PT is correct; you have some homework to do.

Sg
 
#49 ·
A little more about the scales of our various salmonids species; each of their scales grow in what is essentially an envelope of skin. As Salmo g states while those fish are in the salt and growing rapidly that skin pocket is relatively thin and pliable perhaps to allow for the rapid increase in body size associated with the rapid growth. However as the fish mature and near spawning the skin of each scale pocket thickens and toughens. This results in the scale being tightly held to the body and provides addition protect from the various hazards(injury, infections, etc.) the fish might during its migration and spawning process.

While the fish is growing rapidly and the scale pocket skin is thin the angler typically refers to the scales as being "loose or easily shed (deciduous)" and once that skin thickens we refer to the scales being "set". Just another example of the many tiny adaptions our salmonids go through to insure their diversity which insures the long term survival of the species. It is of course that diversity that endears fish like steelhead to many of us.

Curt
 
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