Hey all,

Just back from a weekend of fishing on the Wind. Beautiful area and fun fishing. I'm glad I was with and experienced Wind River captain (Bob D.). What a nuthouse. Came home with a nice bright buck in the 12-16# range.

Had a couple filets from the grill last night and it was the best salmon, or any other fish, I've ever eaten. From what I've been told, these upriver brights can't be matched. Any ideas why? Delicious.

Bruce

Freshness and fat content?

It was less fatty than other salmon I've caught and eaten but I've had other fish pretty much right from the water. This was still something special.

Think they burn off a lot of fat getting up the Columbia as opposed to coastal river or sound salmon?

Whatever the reason, this beats any Salmon I've ever caught or bought.

I share you're response B. Gray a buddy shared some with me this weekend from a Friday trip just AWESOME maybe it's genetics don't know but is sure was great..way to go take care

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Tight Lines
FISH ON ------<*)>><
Men are like fish we get into trouble when we open our mouths to much!!

They are great!! Much better than the best of the Willamette R. fish. But if you ever get to taste a fresh caught sea-liced Trask R. coastal springer or fresh AK Copper R. King, you will likely figure that there is no actual "best". - Steve

[This message has been edited by Reel Truth (edited 05-01-2000).]

This is just my opinion, but here is a list of my favorite fish, in order of preference.
1. Sockeye.
2. Spring chinook.
3. Other chinook (summer or fall).
4. Steelhead.
5. Coho.
I've eaten chums and pinks but they really don't hold a candle to the others on my list. Piscator.

Generally the fatter the fish the more "flavor" of the meat (similar to beef). On average long run (100+ miles) spring chinook have the most body fat content per weight of the salmon. Most of the springers being caught at the Wind and Drano are upriver fish (Snake or Mid-Columbia)and are loaded with fat (13-16%)for the return trip plus the 4+ months until spawning time. To me, fresh sea-liced summer-runs and escaped Rufus Woods triploids are a close second in fat and flavor.

Bruce,

I'll try and throw a scientific spin on it-but this is just my opinion.

Most pacific salmon generally eat the same type of food when in the ocean. Notice I don't say EXACTLY the same. The ocean, obviously, is a huge dinner table and over time, I believe salmonids have become genetically adapted to feeding in certain areas of the ocean....whether it be puget sound, off our coast, off british columbia, or up in the gulf of alaska.

There are a lot of links in the ocean food chain and the food your delicious columbia river springer ate is probably slightly different from the food other chinook eat. Here's an example of how subtle it can be:

Your columbia R. springer ate some shrimp up in the gulf of alaska and a rogue river springer ate shrimp off the coast of oregon and california. They both ate shrimp but the food(say, phytoplankton) the shrimp ate at each location could be completely different thus creating a different flavor in the shrimp which, in turn, creates a different flavor in our 2 sample springers.

Your fish has the good fortune of being adapted to a part ocean that has tasty food! It's metabolism genetics probably figures into how the fish breaks down it's food and absorbs it into it's flesh-another factor in taste.

Didn't mean to ramble, I just found the topic interesting and thought it would be fun to try and elaborate.

Well, I belive that salmonids that require more fat reserves because they spend a longer time in fresh water before spawning are the best tasting. Spring chinook, summer steelhead, and sockeye have by far more fat content and will be so oily that you can not wash it off after filleting one.
I have eaten plenty of oregon spring chinook, copper river sockeye and chinook (other ak salmon too), and columbia river summer steelhead. I think Colunbia river summers from below Bonniville are by far my favorite.

Don't think I've ever tried spring chinook or sockeye. I love summer steelhead. Fall chinook is good too. I hear that spring chinook are analogous to summer steelhead, high fat content and inmature eggs or nuts.

I think I like halibut even more! Dark red fatty tuna is even better yet.

Fish & food. Two of my favorite topics so this is interesting reading! I have to agree with Snit about the fat content of upriver Col. genetics & springers. They're built to last; or eat! Eric, I find your ocean feeding theories interesting. Much of it is logical; but marine biologist's studies of anadromous fish migration patterns would tend to counter some of what you've said. From what I've read, steelhead ocean migration is much more far reaching than for salmon. However, salmon (including Kings) don't always migrate to the same place per given genetic strain consistently. Evolution has given them instincts to follow the best ocean conditions for finding adequate food supplies. And the "supplies" and conditions really move around alot. If the fish went to the same "cupboard" every year they would come up empty too often. That is what I read quite awhile ago so I may be remembering incorrectly; but it does sound reasonable. As far as where and what the salmon feed on in different areas being a factor in what they taste like I agree with you totally. The best example I know to demonstrate this is the King runs of NW B.C. They have a significant % of Kings, even ones ascending the same river as redish meated Kings, that are white meated fresh from the ocean. We have been told by B.C. bio.'s that these white meated variety are not really different genetically, but rather migrate to areas with little or no shrimp in their diet. It is the crustations that give most salmon their redish/pinkish/orangish flesh color. I think it gives them some extra flavor in addition to baitfish in their diet because the white meated ones don't taste quite as well.- Some guys down our way think that the Willamette springers taste a little like a terd because of the bad sewage polution in the river. I don't think so, but I haven't eaten any terds like those guys so who am I to say? I do cook them well though!- Mesquite BBQ of fresh lighter fleshed albacor tuna, not fully cooked in the center, is my favorite whiter meated fish. Or not. Could be fresh swordfish. Geez, gotta go eat something and cut the ramble. - Steve

Just like to add my opinion and say that Lake Chelan Chinook are right at the top of my list for tasty fish. Don't know how many of you have had the chance to eat this fish, but trust me, it's as good as Copper River King.