Tagged Wild Fish

This past weekend, we caught a wild steelhead hen on the Oregon coast with a FLOY tag hanging from the top of the fish near the dorsal fin.  This picture is blurry, but here is a more close up version to give you an idea of the tag location:

It is important for you to write this number down along with the tag color and report it to the ODFW to help their research and understanding of wild fish spawning patterns.  If you have a tape measure it would also aid them if you got a length and girth measurement.  Report Online HERE. (This link is for Mid Columbia District, but will get to the right people)

Here is what Derek Wiley has told me about our fish:

Hi Kate,

I just wanted to make sure you got all of the information on the tagged fish you caught. 

Pre-spawn female steelhead previously captured at the adult trap on 3/20/12.  The fish was 630mm (about 25 inches), noted to have a hooking injury, and scales indicated this fish was a 2.2 (two years in freshwater and two years in the ocean) before returning to spawn for the first time in 2012.  If/when we capture this fish again at the adult trap I will send you a follow up email with the most current information.

Thanks again for reporting your tag recovery and good luck out on the water!

Derek

Derek Wiley

Assistant Project Leader

Life Cycle Monitoring Project

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

 Thanks so much Derek, I'm really thrilled to have a connection beyond catching and releasing this fish.  I'm looking forward to finding out if she gets trapped again or even caught this year.  And it's a good feeling to aid and gain a better understanding of a steelhead's life cycle and repeat spawning patterns.  I almost want to name her, #534 doesn't exactly do this hard fighting beautiful fish justice.  Any ideas folks?

3/6/13: The updated link for tagged fish is:
http://www.dfw.state.or.us/RR/northwest/fish_tag_returns.aspnorthwest/fish_tag_returns.asp