Salmon Claus Came on X-mas!

[Tim_Mattson]

Our fish tank is now brimming with 318 Coho Salmon Eggs from Issaquah`s Salmon Hatchery which arrived on X-mas eve of course.
We`ve only ever had 98 her at once so it should be even more flashy at feeding time.
Just one month ago ,22 adults came back within 100 yds of where we release our smolts as 5-6 month old smolts.My buddy has done it for 20 years but we`ve only had three batches so far.
They looked about 15-16 lbs avg but are unmarked and not harvestable by us sportsfishers.
Next year our first batch should return so we`ll see if our "B" tank does any better than my friend`s larger one.
5 popped there tails out today so we are ahead of the last two years pace by maybe a week.Pics from 2007.
Another 500 eggs that were deemed fair game for transplanting will come next week from Sious Creek near I-90.
Tim M

[Lootas1]

Good for you Tim! So who gets to harvest those fish?

[Tim_Mattson]

Jerry ,
These come back in late Oct/early Nov......right when the so-called "Chum" fishery takes place on Puget Sound.
They Commercial Purse seine along Alki Beach and these fish also see flyfisherman along Lincoln Park in West Seattle,right before they hit the small creek we deposit them in.
Un-marked ,we can`t harvest with rod and reel.
Nets don`t have that rule and these are "By-catch" for them to sell as they please (without even counting!).
We`ve had lows of 5 fish total and highs of 189.
We`ll get twice the eggs this year so we`ll do a few plants early so water changing isn`t needed daily.Gets tough when they poop and pee in the same water they live in.
Right now ,they`llsoon hatch and put off Ammonia!
When they all start popping,it makes serious poison and the water foams up like mad.
Imagine if someone used a gallon of bleach near a stream as the fish hatched..... that couldn`t be good.
Our intent to to help take pressure off the last few wild runs and help spread the wealth of nutrients and small critters that eat off the crumbs,the living and even the spawners at the end.
Spawning Salmon can bring protein from as deep as 600` in the Ocean all the way to a small stream.In Alaska, however,they are finding nasty toxins brought back to once-pristine watersheds with no other source except maybe Rain.

TimM

[Lootas1]

Thanks for the explanation Tim. Keep up the good work. Nice to have the salmon even though you can't eat the ones you catch!
Jerry

[Tim_Mattson]

Meanwhile ,back at the Salmon Farm....

Hey Jerry,
Had almost all the Salmon eggs pop open the past few days.Serious Ammonia was covering the surface.
Here`s the latest pics.
TimM

[Lootas1]

Look delicious. Give them another four years or so?