A salmon shark was found on the banks of Idaho's Salmon River last month according to Idaho Fish and Game officials. (Photo courtesy Idaho Department of FIsh & Game)
September 06, 2023
By Lynn Burkhead, OSG Senior Digital Editor, with additions from Josh Bergan
It's September, and that means that fall is inbound to a trout stream, inland lake, or saltwater lake near you. It may take a little while for the temperatures to realize the changing of the seasons, but cooler weather and incredible autumnal color can't be far behind.
With that, here's this week's Fly Fisherman News Briefs for September 6, 2023.
Salmon Shark...in Idaho? Finding a dead creature on the side of a stream in Idaho isn't unusual since the Gem State is home to some of the best trout fishing in the world. But finding something with jagged teeth, a sharp dorsal fin, and gills is a bit unusual.
Nevertheless, a shark was found on the banks of Idaho's Salmon River last month, a salmon shark that was about three feet in length and weighed approximately 10 pounds according to Idaho Fish and Game officials, who confirmed the shark's reality in a Facebook post.
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"First smallmouth bass, then walleye, and now SALMON SHARKS!" read the social media post. "When are our salmon and steelhead going to catch a break?"
Found near Riggins on the Salmon River, the IDFG notes that it investigated and in fact, discovered a real live–er, real dead–shark from a species that can grow upwards of 10 feet in length and nearly 1,000 pounds in weight.
With only bull sharks being known to be able to survive in freshwater–they've been occasionally seen in spots like the Mississippi River over the years–officials don't know how the shark got there. But they suspect they might have an idea or two.
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"Well………. seeing no sharks have been observed swimming up our fish ladders lately, and the only known shark that can live in freshwater is the bull shark, I think it is safe to assume that somebody dropped this on the shore for a good laugh," notes the agency's Joe DuPont as he wrote in a news release. "I certainly have laughed about it. This would have been a great April’s Fools Joke.
"So, if you were one of those people who saw this fish on the shore or maybe somebody shared the photos with you, rest assured, we have no sharks swimming around in Idaho."
Apache Trout Recovery Discussed When September rolls around on the calendar, it’s soon to be elk season in the desert southwest. But a recent story from Trout Unlimited notes that if a bowhunter is heading for the Grand Canyon's Mogollon Rim, or Zane Grey, country, bowhunters heading for the Grand Canyon State might want to be sure they've packed along their fly rods too.
It's easy to dream that way after reading a recent TU piece from writer Tom Reed , a story that discusses whether or not the Apache trout might be able to be delisted.
Apache trout are one of only two trout native to Arizona, and were hstorically found in the nearly 700 miles of headwaters of the White, Black, and Little Colorado rivers above 5,900 feet. (Photo courtesy of the USFWS) According to Trout Unlimited, Apache trout are one of only two trout native to the state of Arizona. Historically found only in the nearly 700 miles of headwaters of the White, Black, and Little Colorado rivers above 5,900 feet, the trout species was near extinction at one point and occupied only 30 miles of their historic range. But now, TU notes that Apache trout occupy approximately 25 percent of their native habitat.
TU notes that Apache trout were listed as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act in 1967, and were downgraded to “threatened” in 1975. But as 1975 recovery plan goals have been met, some 30 sustaining populations of Apache trout have been noted, giving hope for the beautiful southwestern trout's future.
On his recent trip to the region, Reed found both good food, lots of elk, more than a few hummingbirds, and thankfully, some beautiful Apache trout swimming in Arizona streams.
“July in this Arizona looks a lot like July in my Montana mountains,” he indicated. “Maybe even better. The mosquitoes are none. The hummingbirds are many as are the elk, which are both more plentiful than in my part of Montana but also much bigger; huge bulls trot across the road in the headlights of our car.”
He then added, with a few photos to support his idea, that “Apache trout are a sight to behold.”
Indeed they are, and thankfully for now, a sight that seems to be on the increase.
High Country Plans for Imperiled Colorado Trout Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials have ordered an emergency fish salvage at Hunt Lake through September 11 as they prepare for stocking the high-altitude lake with a rare species of cutthroat trout nearly wiped out by the Hayden Creek wildlife several years ago.
According to a CBS Colorado report , "Hunt Lake sits at timberline near the Continental Divide and Monarch Pass. It is about three miles west of the town of Monarch on U.S. Highway 50, accessible by the Boss Lake Trailhead."
While fishing limits at the lake have been withdrawn, legal fishing methods must still be used and fishing is only permitted in daylight hours.
"Everyone needs to be aware that the salvage operation does not extend into Boss Lake Reservoir," CPW senior aquatic biologist Paul Foutz stated in the report. "All existing catch and bag limits remain at Boss and CPW will continue to stock it with recreational cutthroat strains."
The emergency fish salvage order will allow anglers to catch all the fish they can, and carry them all out, between now and Patriot's Day. After that, state officials will clear out remaining fish in the high alpine lake with an organic poison.
That will hopefully help continue the recovery efforts for the Hayden Creek cutthroat trout, which was nearly wiped out in 2016. That's when a group of biologists and a private fishing biologist went to the creek and gathered up 200 of the creek's cutties, saving them from extinction after a lightning caused wildfire had devastated the region and left ash and debris washing into the creek and making it uninhabitable for the native fish.
Colorado Parks & Wildlife has ordered an emergency fish salvage at Hunt Lake through September 11 in an effort to save the Hayden Creek cutthroat trout, which was nearly wiped out in 2016. (Photo courtesy of Colorado Parks & Wildlife) Surviving trout have been distributed into other waters in the Arkansas River basin and now, hopes are that Hunt Lake will be able to help create a self-sustaining population of the Hayden Creek cutthroats into the future.
Missing Big Hole River Water-Quality Monitoring Device Found A missing water-quality monitoring device was found stashed in streamside willows near Dewey, Montana on Tuesday afternoon, according to a Montana Standard newspaper article. The device, valued at more than $10,000, was found by Wade Fellin, a lodge owner, fishing outfitter and co-organizer of Save Wild Trout.
The device was reported missing on August 25th. It was submerged in the Big Hole River near the Jerry Creek Fishing Access Site and anchored with cinder blocks and zip ties.
Fellin said he received an anonymous tip about the device's location. He found it in the middle of a willow tree with all six zip tie attachment points cut.
Scientist Kyle Flynn, Ph.D., was hired by Save Wild Trout to lead a team researching possible causes of, and solutions for, declining trout populations in the Big Hole River and other rivers in the Jefferson River Basin. He said the device was likely returned to the willows after it was stolen.
“There is no way that it broke loose and washed ashore,” Flynn said in the article. “From what Wade indicated, it was found in the middle of a willow tree with all six zip tie attachment points cut. The sondes are not buoyant and will sink if somehow dislodged from their block anchors — which is why we snorkeled the site (when searching for the device).”
Flynn said he has not yet inspected the device to determine what data remains available from its time in the river. He estimated the damages are likely to total about $3,000.
Fellin also reported that several vehicles and trailers of fishing guides had been tampered with recently. Lug nuts were loosened and hitch pins removed.
The Beaverhead County Sheriff's Office has been notified of both incidents. No one is speculating in any official way about the motivations behind the theft or the vehicle tampering, although tensions have run high in the area recently due to concerns about declining populations of brown and rainbow trout.
Check out the video here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CwjMAYApJnS/.
Salmon Fish Taxis in Oregon In a idea that was first thought of a few years ago , the idea of fish taxis helping endangered salmon in Oregon is now becoming a reality.
To that end, Explore Oregon podcast host Zach Urness gave a recent update on the ground-breaking billion-dollar idea in Oregon that looks to help protect endangered spring chinook salmon runs in the upper Willamette Basin.
An ambitious plan for sure, the idea comes from local authorities who have looked for ways to bring about fish transportation on a big scale to get spawning salmon beyond the dams that block their upstream progress. With big trucks being employed, the taxied salmon get around those dams and gain access to previously inaccessible areas to spawn.
If the project is successful, it could provide a significant benchmark in the ongoing conservation work to safeguard this endangered salmon species. To give a listen, visit the podcast link .
New Mexico to Enforce Stream Access Laws If there was any doubt, the New Mexico Backcountry Hunters & Anglers provided proof that the Land of Enchantment is going to enforce stream access laws.
A private-land barrier on New Mexico's Pecos River. (Photo courtesy of Katie Delorenzo) In an August 7 statement posted by the New Mexico BHA , New Mexico Chief Deputy Attorney General James Grayson made the state’s position on the matter clear. That statement noted that "The New Mexico Supreme Court's opinion is final. It is binding law and the Attorney General's office stands ready to enforce the New Mexico Supreme Court's opinion. We have investigators who are ready to respond to complaints about blocking public access to waters on private land whether through fences or other obstructions and we will be investigating any limitation on public access going forward."
That statement stems from a March 2023 decision by the New Mexico high court. Fly Fisherman reported in its story on the matter that
Despite that decision, the New Mexico BHA noted in its August 10 social media post that problems persist. The group noted that "If you know of illegal barriers to public access on public waters we urge you to contact the attorney general's office with documentation.”
The NMBHA’s recent social media post then added that “The Supreme Court decision was clear that it’s a constitutional right for the public to access public waters provided they do not trespass on private property to get there. Now, all parties involved–the public, private landowners and law enforcement officers deserve leadership from our decision makers to understand the extent of rights on either side and to ensure that consequences for both trespassing on private land or blocking access to public waters are equal.
“Currently, those that wish to recreate are faced with barriers and signs deterring them or threatening their physical safety. Meanwhile, private land obstructions are not only remaining in place but more are going up. It’s time to act and ensure these barriers are catalogued so the intent of the stream access ruling becomes a reality and doesn’t linger in ambiguity and preference for one side.”
ASGA App to Help With Striped Bass Mortality Data Collection Nothing is more iconic along the Atlantic Ocean beaches in New England than a crisp fall morning, the wind driven surf, and baitfish fleeing from the autumn run of striped bass migrating down the coastline. But those familiar fall scenes have been imperiled in recent years as the region’s striped bass population numbers have fallen significantly.
In a cooperative effort to combat that, the American Saltwater Guides Association , has recently announced a partnership with the GotOne app to help expand the data collection efforts of the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries and its ongoing study on release mortality of striped bass.
"We have always been staunch supporters of leveraging the best available science to drive fishery management decisions,” said Tony Friedrich, vice president and policy director for the ASGA, in a news release . “With that said, by its nature, fishery science has blind spots in terms of data collection, and we hear frequently from regulators that it can impact their ability to truly assess pressure, catch numbers and harvest up and down the coast.”
Thanks to its partnership with GotOne, Friedrich is hopeful that the ASGA can assist government management bodies with better research data, which will in term make accurate stock assessments more routine.
“We believe this initial integration of a private-market product into state-led studies can truly change the game in terms of the quality and quantity of data collected simultaneously across relevant species and geographic ranges,” he said. “We look forward to working closely with the team at GotOne and the DMF as its striped bass mortality study continues through 2024, and to forging similar partnerships with other state and regional agencies to help understand the impact effort and regulations are having on fish stocks.”
As the program gets going, the Mass DMF is excited about the boost to its data collection efforts.
"Catch and release mortality is recognized as a major contributor to the overall striped bass mortality in Massachusetts and along the Eastern Seaboard,” said Ben Gahagan of the Massachusetts DMF. “Embarking on this next phase of our study and incorporating the enhanced data anglers will be able to collect through this partnership will provide us a more in-depth understanding of fishing effort and mortality rates of released fish. We thank GotOne and the ASGA for working with us as we move into the next stage of data collection so we can create management efforts that best reflect the current status of the fishery.”
Volunteer anglers wishing to participate in the ongoing data collection effort should visit the Mass DMF link .
CDFW Completes Release of 23 Million Fall-Run Chinook Salmon A news release from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife indicates that the CDFW has released approximately 23 million fall-run Chinook salmon .
The released salmon were raised at the agency's four Central Valley anadromous fish hatcheries, including the Feather River Fish Hatchery, the Nimbus Fish Hatchery, the Mokelumne River Fish Hatchery and the Merced River Hatchery. Representing a 15-percent increase over the roughly 20 million fall-run Chinook salmon that were raised and released in 2022, the agency notes that "...this year’s production goals were increased as a coordinated effort among state and federal partnering agencies to help fall-run Chinook salmon overcome impacts from an extended drought that increased water temperatures and decreased water flow throughout the Central Valley during critical salmon spawning and rearing periods. Drought conditions coupled with Thiamine Deficiency Complex, a vitamin deficiency that impacts reproduction, have reduced in-river spawning success the past several years."
In addition to the salmon releases, the CDFW indicates that it carried out several new release strategies this year designed "...to take advantage of some of the best in-river flows and water conditions in years and to increase overall survival."
Those strategies include acoustic tagging; the use of "Parentage Based Tagging" (genetic signatures recorded and stored for future analysis); smaller juvenile fall-run Chinook salmon in an effort to diversify hatchery release strategies and timing; new release sight locations in San Francisco and San Pablo bays that will reduce bird predation and encourage seaward migration; and the use of coded-wire tags with information on origin and a clipped adipose fin to indicate their hatchery origin.
CDFW says that fall-run Chinook salmon support the bulk of California’s commercial and recreational salmon fishing seasons. The agency also notes that although ocean and in-river salmon fishing seasons have been closed for 2023, fishing seasons will be reevaluated next year in 2024.
Lynn Burkhead is a senior digital editor with Outdoor Sportsman Group.
