Fly fishing season for Atlantic Salmon in Maine?

JakeF · #1 01-20-2006, 08:52 AM

Rumors of proposed C&R fly fishing only season in Maine.
What are your thoughts on this? Good or bad idea?

http://morningsentinel.mainetoday.co.../2334946.shtml

Striperjim · #2 01-20-2006, 03:43 PM

I dont know Bait but this quote makes sense.
"A season would re-engage the people in the state who have the highest and utmost respect for this species, and the ones that always come to the table when it's time to support the fishery," Keliher said.
Keliher believes it would rekindle interest in Maine for restoring salmon -- an interest he believes is fading with the last of the salmon clubs along the Penobscot.

TonyDB · #3 01-26-2006, 04:22 PM

I'm not sure I understand the connection. The issue is the rivers in Maine that once supported salmon now have barriers (dams or pollution) impeding salmon spawning migrations. The Saco river at one time did have a Salmon fishery. But the dam they placed upriver didn't allow them to migrate any further. About 15 years ago they put in a fish ladder, but the Salmon never really came back in droves. They keep count of the fish that run the ladder and each year since they put the ladder in it's been <50 salmon.

Salmon depend on clean, cold, well oxygenated water for spawning. Even with fish ladders, dams change the dynamics of a river....raising temperture and reducing oxygenation. Once that last years stock die off without being able to run up river, the game is over.

TonyDB · #4 01-31-2006, 12:43 PM

First I need to clarify my position as stated in my previous post in this thread. It should state that IMO, the issue is the rivers in Maine that once supported salmon now have barriers (dams or pollution) impeeding salmon spawning migrations.

I don't want people to assume this is fact because as you can see from this article there are several different opinions and proposed solutions.

Sorry Jim, again the article is from the "liberal" Boston Globe. I really do read other newspapers. :)

http://www.boston.com/news/local/mai...losing_ground/

Roccus · #5 01-31-2006, 01:34 PM

I didnt see the article, in fact the globe ticks me off more often than not... anyway, they tried (and are still trying) to restore salmon in the Mac,as Tony said the dams alter the flow of the river, another problem that is rarely brought to light is the shade issue, the water gets way too warm with out trees to shade it...NH has a put and take broodstock fishery in the upper reaches of the 'Mac, Mass dumps in thousands of salmon smolts each year, just in time for hungry stripers and commerants to feast on, I once witnessed such a feeding frenzy, It was around 9:00 on a Friday morning, I had been shad fishing since daybreak, not much was going on, the sun was high, well down backs the stocking truck, they put a 12" hose into the water and released the contents of the tank..... in less than 5 minutes there were bass, seagulls anf commerants everywhere, the poor little salmon smolts were beaching themselves trying to escape, armed with only a fly rod I had the time of my life catching school stripers on alaska maryann streamers until one too big for my outfit cleaned me out... how many of those little guys came back a few years latter to try and traverse the dam?????

TonyDB · #6 01-31-2006, 02:13 PM

Quote:

how many of those little guys came back a few years latter to try and traverse the dam?????

Well according to the article I posted, not many, if any, at least in Maines rivers. IMO, the answer to that question and why, is where the solution lies.

Roc, are you suggesting that those massive releases of salmon fingerlings are part of the issue...brings in all types of predators. If so, I guess I don't buy it. Any number of animals use natural mass migrations....turtles, crabs....as a defense against predators. There's safety in numbers.

I believe it has something to do with however and whatever has been ingrained into a salmon that make them spawn in the same area they were spawned in. This sophisticated "GPS", whether learned as a roe traveling up stream in the mother, or they follow some chemical footprints learned during their return to the sea, I have no idea. But somehow I believe that proccess has been interupted and we're not yet smart enough to figure it out.