Thread: Salmon

Originally Posted by A330driver

Quote: As someone who dedicated his life to salmonids

Blowhard!!

Perhaps you should check his credentials before passing judgement.

Originally Posted by Titanium

I've done 3 early mornings this week, haven't seen a fish yet, heard rumors of a couple caught last week.

November 2000 i caught my 29 pounder up the rangi about 8ks from the mouth.Day befor a guy from Rangiora caught a fish about the same size from the same pool.Buitifull fish with some power,i had to be carefull with only 18lb line on my 7ft rod.But i had plenty of room to play him out.

Lived at Rangiata Huts on North Side 1991-1993. The fish runs were starting to lessen by then.
Last Salmon I caught in 2000 just before moving to Nelson was 28lb just below the Main road bridge.
Caught one last year in Feb, below Rakaia Gorge bridge after a day and 1/2's effort, was 12lb.
Going to try again later this month or next.

Dads best fish was Jack, 40lb10oz caught above the Rakaia Gorge bridge in the 80's. At the time it was estimated to be just over 60lb when it entered the River from the sea. Whether that is true or not I don't know but it was in such poor condition it got dug in the garden.

I know some go years without catching one or even catch very few over their fishing careers, but for me I had very good teachers and seem to have good luck when chasing them.

Yrs ago i had a scrap book with photos from news papers articals on salmon from our Southisland rivers.One photo i had was of a 57lb salmon caught in the Rakaia just below the main road bridge.Not sure of the yr,about in the early 70s i think.Fish was silver as a doller in buitifull condition.I had photos of 44,46,and 48 pounders out of the Waitaki.All photos were cuts outs from our local new papers.The scrap book got biffed out when shifting,i sure not by me tho.

In the Glenavy pub in Mervs photo cabnet diplay.Theres an old photo on me with a 13lb trout,i caught on a 6wt sage fly rod in the Tekapo river way back in the late 70s.Buitifull fish caught on a pheasant tail nymph,a battle il
never forget.No salmon farms around in those days,only real wild fish.

Originally Posted by A330driver

Quote: As someone who dedicated his life to salmonids

Blowhard!!

Perhaps both those statements are true!!

Originally Posted by mikee

Originally were wild fish and thru 70s/80s ish supplemented by Acclimatisation Society (Now F&G) stripping eggs from wild fish and hatching them / returning smolt to rivers.

how were they origonally wild fish??? they had to come from somewhere to begin with.....
now if only the biggest fish were used as donors would it not counteract the argument of poor genetics??? I seem to recall something similar done with trout in Taupo some years back...

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

how were they origonally wild fish??? they had to come from somewhere to begin with.....
now if only the biggest fish were used as donors would it not counteract the argument of poor genetics??? I seem to recall something similar done with trout in Taupo some years back...

I would suspect from what I saw on hatchery "open days" when I was a kid, any hand male fish got mixed with any handy female fish! That was about the extent of any genetic "selection"

Originally Posted by mikee

Lived at Rangiata Huts on North Side 1991-1993. The fish runs were starting to lessen by then.
Last Salmon I caught in 2000 just before moving to Nelson was 28lb just below the Main road bridge.
Caught one last year in Feb, below Rakaia Gorge bridge after a day and 1/2's effort, was 12lb.
Going to try again later this month or next.

Dads best fish was Jack, 40lb10oz caught above the Rakaia Gorge bridge in the 80's. At the time it was estimated to be just over 60lb when it entered the River from the sea. Whether that is true or not I don't know but it was in such poor condition it got dug in the garden.

I know some go years without catching one or even catch very few over their fishing careers, but for me I had very good teachers and seem to have good luck when chasing them.

so Dads fish was huge.......the genetics were there...not all the big ones were caught,the genetics must still be there....use their milt and eggs in hatchery and see if in 10-15 years we are gaining......

Originally Posted by mikee

I would suspect from what I saw on hatchery "open days" when I was a kid, any hand male fish got mixed with any handy female fish! That was about the extent of any genetic "selection"

kind of like what happens when we shoot the best stags while still in velvet and leave the dregs to do the funky chicken with the hinds then...
yet we still see some absolute crackers turn up in any season with decent tucker after a year with less pressure.....

Heres a few from when I was a kid - probably 70's vintage. Top left is my 32 lb'er, all from Rakaia where we had a bach
6 Fish was a limit bag on any day, then it was reduced to 4 in about 73/74???. Biggest fish I ever saw caught was in the surf at the mouth weighing 42lb. Not a long fish but incredibly deep.
Reason I remember it so well is because the guy went home to Ashburton and put his photo on the front page of the paper. For the next couple of weeks every man and his dog was at the mouth so not even standing room like before
Seems unbelievable now but salmon in the 25 - 35 lb range were pretty common

Originally Posted by mikee

I would suspect from what I saw on hatchery "open days" when I was a kid, any hand male fish got mixed with any handy female fish! That was about the extent of any genetic "selection"

Salmon egg milk shakes.Seagulls loved them when the bucket got accidently knocked over.

Nice old photos Boss,thanks.

Favourite lure for salmon and fly?

I have a photo somewhere of the ol man with his 40lbs 1 caught 30min b4 the rakaia fishing comp from memory over all prize was a 4wlr would have won it 2