Steelhead Anglers Enjoying Success

As river conditions improve, so does fishing success. Recent angler surveys conducted by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game show catch rates to be 11 hours per fish caught on the main Clearwater River near Orofino, and 13 hours per fish caught on the North Fork of the Clearwater River. "Fishing can be dynamite after a high water event," said IDFG Fisheries Biologist Larry Barrett at Lewiston. "This usually causes fish to move upstream and become more active." According to Barrett, fishing on the Salmon River near Riggins is very good and should stay that way through spring if the river stays clear. But fishing success is the best on the South Fork of Clearwater above Kooskia, with catch rates at 5 hours per fish caught. All anglers, especially those fishing the Little Salmon River and South Fork Clearwater River, are reminded that they can expect to catch some steelhead with eroded dorsal and pectoral fins, but have intact adipose fins. Many anglers will recognize these fish as a hatchery fish, but with an intact adipose fin, they must be released unharmed. These unmarked fish are part of a continued experiment to test if stocking large numbers of smolts in a drainage can boost natural populations of steelhead. An agreement signed by Idaho, Washington, Oregon, the federal government, and the Columbia Treaty Tribes provides that the treaty tribes gillnetting in the lower Columbia River reduce their fall harvest rate of steelhead. In exchange, steelhead hatcheries in Idaho began releasing approximately 2 percent of their smolts without an adipose fin clip. "Having to release an obvious hatchery fish may seem puzzling, but hopefully with the reduced gillnetting, there will be benefits to both the wild and hatchery steelhead that return to Idaho," Barrett said. Steelhead anglers are also reminded to bend down their hook barbs and release all steelhead with adipose fins. Anglers should also note that for the 2003 spring season, steelhead limits have been increased to three per day, nine in possession; and with the purchase of a second steelhead permit, anglers can keep 40 per season. All other rules and season regulations remain the same and can be reviewed in the 2002-2003 Idaho Fishing Seasons and Rules brochure.