Conference wahoo::fishing-v2

    Where did you hear this?!?!?
    
    This could be a real disaster.
    
    Nobody knows enough about these fish to be able to tell whether they
    might screw up the gene pool of the Salmon Restoration Project.
    Regardless of the gene pool issue, if these are freshwater salmon, they
    will be feeding in freshwater, which means that any young salmon coming
    downstream on their way to the ocean will be food for these feeding
    freshwater salmon.
    
    OUCH!
    
    John H-C

It's true.  F&G stocked 1500 salmon in the 8-16# class that are no longer
being used as breeder stock in the Merrimack.  Don't recall all the details,
but a $10 permit is required to fish for them (or is it to "keep" them), 
daily limt is something like 1 fish with annual take of something like
5-7 fish.

Sorry for the vague details, but since I'm not that into fishing for salmon,
I didn't pay a lot of attention to the daily/annual limits.

Joe

    Whew!
    
    So they're the saltwater variety. Good. Maybe a few of them will make
    it back out to the ocean. I've often wondered how these fish are caught
    other than by snagging unless they've been trained out of their genetic
    trait of not feeding in freshwater.
    
    John H-C

    re: .last
    
    	I think its still a bit of a mystery why they hit - nothing to
    	do with training though - wild fish will also hit in fresh
    	water.
    
    			Robert.

    
    Oh my, this *is* bad news.  Better put up lots of jersey barriers 
    at all of the boat ramps on that stretch of the river, so the nasty
    F&G people can't dump fish in the river and dilute the gene pool of 
    all those carp!
    
    Gus
    

I don't think they dumped 1500 6-8lb salmon into the hooksett section of 
the river.

I'll try and remember to look up the article in NH F&G Highlights, but if I
recall this is going to be a staged release of breeder stock over the next
few years.  And they'll be stocking in waters above Hooksett as well.

Don't know if there is a difference between brood stock for landlocked release
and stock for sea run salmon.  My assumption was these were the breeders
for landlocked, I may be mistaken.

I'll try and look up the article and reply.  

-donmac

    FWIW:
    		Landlocked Salmon = Atlantic Salmon that has no access to
    the ocean.  Before those who know more than the F+G about these issues
    go off the deep end, think about it a little...
    
    	They're putting the brood stock from the salmon hatcheries into the
    river where they might actually get a chance to breed naturally.
    
    	Doesn't sound very frightening to me.
    
    	Trained Salmon???  Sounds like you need a little reading up on the
    subject of fresh water habitats as related to salmon spawning.
    
    					B.C.
    

    I'm almost certain it is broodstock from the searun salmon.  I believe
    the landlocked salmon are netted, milked, and returned fairly
    quickly.
    
    Mark,
    

    In MA, they end up in places like Quinsigamond. When I called F&W and
    asked for an explanation from the state salmon expert, he said
    something incomprehensible to me about not wanting to spoil the sea run
    gene pool. I didn't get it then, and I don't now. Makes much more sense
    to me to put them back in the river from which they came to let them
    take their chances.
    
    John H-C

    I was mistaken in my earlier reply when I said I thought that it would
    be 1500 over time.  I found the article, and it will be 1500 annually
    "between 1993 and the turn of the century".
    
    They'll be released from the Eastman Falls Dam on the Pemigewasset in
    Franklin (headwaters to the Merrimack) to the Mass border.
    
    All fish will be tagged and anglers are required to report each fish
    caught.  Joe was right, there's a 1 fish daily limit, and a season
    limit of 5 fish. $10 permit required.  Season is 4/1-9/30.
    
    These are the 'searun' broodstock used in the Merrimack River
    Cooperative Atlantic Salmon Restoration Program which has set 
    a goal of releasing 3 million fry into the river's main stream and
    tributaries.
    
    -donmac
    
    ps: the nh fish and game publication that i often refer to is nolonger 
    f&g highlights, it's now called NH Wildlife Journal

    I'm more than pleased that they are the sea run salmon and that they are
    getting a chance to make it back to the ocean instead of dying of
    starvation in a lake. (Yes, I've come across more than my fair share of
    "large" dead salmon on the bottom of Lake Winnipesaukee.)
    
    I'm glad the F&G folks have made this turn in their practice.
    
    I harbor no animosity for you folks trying to catch them. (That's a
    disclaimer for you who don't grasp my perspective.) Good luck.
    
    Thanks for signing on and entering that, Don Mac.
    
    John H-C
                         

	Does anyone know what happens to the salmon that are captured in the
Merrimack at the Lawrence Dam?  

	According to my nephew who is a fish counter at the Lawrence dam, these
fish are shipped to the NH hatchery (possible in Nashua), injected with anti-
biotics and kept until the fall when they are milked.  The injections are 
necessary because of the high concentration of disease in a hatchery environment.

	Because of the antibiotics, he says that the FDA will not permit the
release of these fish back into the water from which they came, due to the risk
to humans if they are caught and consumed.  For the most part the males
are destroyed and/or dissected for study.  I believe he said that the healthiest
females are kept for breeding purposes with the remainder meeting the same fate
the males.

	Can anyone verify this information???  If this is true, what is the
source of the salmon that are being released into the Merrimack?  It can't be
wild salmon that have been captured in their return to spawn.  It must be
hatchery salmon that have past their reproductive prime????

	Seems like such a unfortunate fate for those few fish that have managed
to survive to return to spawn.  But I suppose it is necessary if the species is
to be reintroduced in the Merrimack and other northeastern rivers.

	AS FAR AS THIS YEAR'S RUN IS CONCERNED - He said that as of this past
Saturday, they've captured about 30 salmon at the Lawrence dam.  There have been
a few small stripers heading up past the dam, but the majority of the stripers
are staying below the dam and feeding on the herring as they make their run - 
several keeper sized bass are being caught there again this year. He also said
that the number of herring is way down from last year - 14000 versus 300000 for
last year.  The shad run is also smaller this year then last.  Lastly he said
that they've counter a few good sized rainbows making the run this year thus far.

Dave (AKA Bait Master)

    FWIW, Atlantic salmon do feed in fresh water, but not before spawning.
    After spawning, they stay in the river, under the ice until spring. As
    they head back to the Atlantic, they feed voraciously on incoming
    spring spawning fishes. Small salmon may be part of their diet, but I
    don't believe it's a significant part like smelt, or other baitfish.
    It's not considered "good form" to fish for these so-called "black"
    salmon, but they are much easier to catch because they are actively
    feeding. They tend to be dark colored and emaciated looking upstream
    but begin to regain their silver color and weight as they near the
    estuaries.
    
    Chris			

    
    Atlantic Salmon do not feed in Freshwater. Once entered into a river
    whether in Spring, Summer or Autumn they cease to feed, and will use up
    their energy and resourse they have gained at sea. They actually lose
    their teeth and stomach after a few months in the river, and therefore 
    cannot feed.
    
    It is through their feeding instinct at sea that will allow a Salmon
    to snap at a lure/fly or bait, sometimes out of curiousity or the fact
    that it feels threatened by the object.
    
    Once spawned and making it's way back to sea, it will regain it's
    silvery colour and will start it to regain its teeth and stomach
    and eating habits.
    
    
    
    John.
    
    
     

    Based on your last sentence, I think we said the same thing.
    
    Chris

    I have been out fishing for these monster fish. Since they have been
    released they have been very aclamated to their enviroment. In other
    words they are acting more like wild salmon every day.
    
      I have had long conversations with the federal hatchery folk. This
    program took about 4 years to pull off. For the longest time the work
    was to convince the federal governement to give persmission for the 
    release of these salmon. One for a process to rid the salmon of the
    anti-bacterial chemicals and non-interference of the salmon restoration
    program.
      The atlantic salmon upon entering fresh water discontinues eating.
    The single purpose is to spawn. These fish were heavily feed and
    started their fasting around the december/january timeframe, according 
    to the federal folks.
      I have seen many hooked and caught and they are replicas of the
    naturals from the ocean. They are truly magnificant.
    
      About this time they are becoming very difficult to catch and one
    has to put in a lot of time. Some have gone down river as far a lowell
    and have been lifted back over again.
      The law for fishing is single point only or fly. You need salmon tags
    to keep a fish with 1 per day and 5 per season with a 17" min.
    
      The program is being hailed as a success, but if you fish for them it
    is requested that you buy the tags. All the money for the tags goes
    directly back to the program for next year. The costs in this program
    is in the special equipement to haul these things around. It is thought
    that they would hire this task out to people in the trade and the tag
    money would pay for it.
    
       Up until two weeks ago there were over 500 tag sets sold. Starting
    this program they felt only 200 tag set would be sold. More probably
    would have been sold if the process and access to purchase them were 
    either better known or easier.
    
       Yes there were 1500 released in two phases. They were released from
    hookset to Franklin. The Letter "A" tags are the 1st stocking and "B"
    is the second. The colored tags represent the stocking points.
    
    
      Hope this helps. I am loving every minute of this fishery.