Keeping dark hens topic hit the other BB. Would like some opinions from here too. This is my take on it:

[A guy asked "what's the difference between keeping dark or bright fish? You still have taken a spawning fish out of the river."] ...

The difference and ethics are simple - the bright fish feeds people a lot of quality food, and quite a few people per fish. Any quality food supply that comes into the general supply has a beneficial effect ... sort of a 'ripple' effect in that other food then does not get consumed by a fishermen's family and friends, as a result is available for other consumers. It can put a tiny dent in the demand and prices of other foods and prices and availability for needy people in this region. Furthermore, a bright fish still has the heart and vessel healthy omega-3 oils intact; dark fish do not! ... OK, not so simple, but credible. Also, since bright fish are usually kept, they are part of the appropriate harvest equations that the ODFW/WDFW use in allowing fishing seasons on them. Dark fish about to spawn aren't usually counted into these equations; certainly not the ones not tagged by unethical foolish loose egg hunters. Dark fish, especially hens, are just bad tasting mush meat barely pet food gradeable. So there is no benefit, smoked or not, to the incoming general food supply. And in that condition the eggs will be from very loose to unusable. NO REASON to keep these fish! Great use for spawning! What makes killing these even sicker is the fact that the primarily native runs of fall chinook in the Tillamook area rivers, as well as other regional area rivers, have made the great struggling journey back to spawn and continue the species only to be uselessly slaughtered by utterly naive or unethical fools. How would you like to be pulled off your 'spawning bed' just before achieving your goal - for life? LET DARK FISH SPAWN

[ 09-18-2001: Message edited by: RT 1 ]

The only time I keep a bronze fish or dark fish if you will is when they are a hatchery fish. For the educated fisherman you can tell by strain, color of fish and time of year which will make out to eat and which will make out to smoke.
I too think it is unethical to keep a pre-spawning wild fish. It would make a lot more sense to let the fish spawn, then die and become nutrients for those that are hatching.
It's sad when you see the guys keep those dark, I mean dark fish that are starting to develop the white crust on them. I had one guy keep one next to me and I told him there was no use for the fish and it would help the ecosystem to return the fish to spawn and he looked at me and said "It'll make a good smoker" what a jacka$$..
My .02 worth
Keith

If you smoke crappy spawner fish, you get smoked crappy spawner fish.

Even the eggs in a dark fish aren't very good. Maybe if you're curing Pautzke Balls.....

I would have to agree with you on this one.We hear the saying a lot,"It'll make a good smoker" My theory is,if you would'nt BBQ it, or bake it, or whatever, why in the hell do you think it would be good enough to smoke? Let it complete its cycle.If it can spawn let it,if not, its still good for the river and its ecosystem by supplying needed nutrients.

[ 09-18-2001: Message edited by: HntnFsh ]

I think alot of those nasty fish guys take home are done so by guys who don't catch many to begin with, probably got a wife at home nagging him about going fishing and never catching anything.

I couldn't agree more. It's sickening to see a guy keep a dark hen or buck, even worse when he holds it up for a picture, like they're proud of their catch regardless of how dark it is.

"It'll smoke up OK..."

"Bet it has some good eggs.."

There's really no excuse. I've seen too many fish bonked then the guy cuts them open and the eggs spill out - and you can tell it was just days away from spawning. If people are fishing for eggs, do it at a store, not on the rivers. A fish that makes it that far deserves more respect. My two cents...

Gotte agree with all of you! There's one big world of difference between smoked chromers and dark fish. The fat content makes the difference in quality. Too many guys apply river caught dog salmon quality controls to the other species. I wouldn't waste my time on this quality of fish. Leavin the hens to spawn even hatchery fish doesn't hurt regardless of some of the dogma we've been fed. Even beyond spawning is the effect of all those nutrients returned to the ecosystem.

Gooose

If you want fish to eat why even keep Hens at all bright or dark? Bucks are just better for eating. I keep very few fish throught the year and almost always only keep Bucks for the table. So far this year Ive brought home two Spring Kings both Bucks. Two summer steelhead Both Bucks. and three Summer Coho all Bucks. Even when I fished Seiku I lett them all go. You can only eat so much fish. I dont use eggs any more because other stuff works just as good and they are just too messy. Nothing beats the price and durability of prawn. Out here if ya throw on the eggs you just catch too many jacks.

I don't keep dark fish at all either. Did bring home some steelhead bucks earlier this month that are starting to show more color but they were still good eating. Need to get a couple of bright chinook or silver hens and cure some more eggs. Rich, I like to use an assortment of bait for steelhead. Have had a lot of success with prawns, sand shrimp, eggs (borax and sulfite cures), and crawdad tails. The last steelhead I caught bit a crawdad tail in whitewater. Couldn't get him to bite again after a few more casts. Then I switched to eggs and got him. It sure helps to switch bait especially after giving them a sore mouth.