I got some intel at the shootout about Lewis...
Chilly morning, had a bump from one fish around 8:30, couldn't connect after many drifts through that pool. I moved to some faster water and connected with this active male around 17". A couple good jumps before coming to net. This one went home, stomach contents were a couple of yellow stone flies, an inch long caterpillar and a couple of water beetles.
Lewis Creek Steelhead
- fishfarmer
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- Joined: Thu Sep 01, 2011 7:09 pm
- Species: Piscies
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Re: Lewis Creek Steelhead
Estaz stone! Nice fly (and fall color.) Great fish!
Fishfarmer, given your background can I ask a question?: This fish has a big head suggesting maturity, but why aren't we seeing lake run trout that are longer and heavier? Too few to sample? Not enough forage? Or are these fish spending more time in the rivers than we understand?
Fishfarmer, given your background can I ask a question?: This fish has a big head suggesting maturity, but why aren't we seeing lake run trout that are longer and heavier? Too few to sample? Not enough forage? Or are these fish spending more time in the rivers than we understand?
- fishfarmer
- Posts: 121
- Joined: Thu Sep 01, 2011 7:09 pm
- Species: Piscies
- Location: Brandon, VT
Re: Lewis Creek Steelhead
I can only speculate on some of that.TUnamas wrote: ↑Tue Nov 07, 2023 12:10 pm Estaz stone! Nice fly (and fall color.) Great fish!
Fishfarmer, given your background can I ask a question?: This fish has a big head suggesting maturity, but why aren't we seeing lake run trout that are longer and heavier? Too few to sample? Not enough forage? Or are these fish spending more time in the rivers than we understand?
We take eggs/brood line from 3 year old captive fish. At that time roughly 50% of the fish have identified as males and are ripe. Some males do spawn at 2 years, but I don't have a percent of how many do. The females are interesting, the remaining 50% are female BUT about 10% to 15% are NON spawning at age 3. They are sorted out in December and are shiny like a lake fish. Sometimes we keep a few to see if they mature at 4 yrs, some do, some don't. This happens with the Chamber's Creek and the Memphremagog rainbows. We generally don't spawn the broodfish past 4 years, but know that fish will produce eggs up to 5 years, but that is from proven 3 year old fish.
So my thoughts are the runs consist of 3 year old fish, could be in the river in November to May, not feeding. If they drop back in the spring and run to spawn a second year, there's 5 to 6 months from May to winter to get their weight back on and produce eggs again. I question how much they can really grow in that time.
My theory about the big shiny steelhead that are occasionally caught in the lake, are the non spawning/later spawners, maybe they never run and just swim and eat. I'm not sure how old these fish will eventually get. I think I rarely hear of monster steelhead coming up the Salmon River in Pulaski, a few 15 to 20 lb. fish, but the bulk size I remember were 8lb to 12lb fish which were likely first year spawners.
Re: Lewis Creek Steelhead
Thank you for sharing your interesting thoughts and experience. It certainly makes sense that a "5-6 mos drop back season" in the lake won't provide enough growth to see bigger fish in the system if they are not feeding heavily while in the rivers. You mention Chambers Creek and Memphremagog strains, which I presume are both river strains. Are there lake strains that could be better suited to the Champlain fishery (and I hesitate to ask, as I'm a fellow fly guy too and I enjoy the river run fish) that we can add to the mix?? Long ago I lived in CA and they were experimenting with Donaldson strains and a few others, some of which were non-spawning triploids) to grow larger lake run fish. I lost the pulse of current fisheries science, but I still find it intriguing and I am grateful that you shared time with your thoughts! I've taken a few of those "big, shiny " lake steelhead in the lake and in the Winooski, but they are a welcome bycatch, with only a few every season. I too share your thoughts on Pulaski, few in the 15-20lb "TROPHY" class, but it would be great to get a run of 8-12 lb fish locally that would eat on the swing!
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Re: Lewis Creek Steelhead
Awesome catch! I enjoyed reading your thoughts on them, too.
I recently caught one staging in the lake near the mouth of a brook, and it got me pretty excited about them. I'm always wishing our tributary rivers were in better shape, but I'm really feeling it right now.
I recently caught one staging in the lake near the mouth of a brook, and it got me pretty excited about them. I'm always wishing our tributary rivers were in better shape, but I'm really feeling it right now.