Salmon Returns

[kayakhank]

This is not a rant but more of a question/hypothesis.

I recall fishing in 80s and 90s with my dad and I recall fishing into October.   I was at PC in sept 14 and it was dead. 

It got me thinking about harvesting eggs and stocking.  Harvesting and stocking require mobilization of lots of volunteers.  This is typically done at the peak or a time of year when volunteers are still willing.  I am wondering if collection of eggs happens earlier which then results in stocking of an earlier run and over time this run becomes genetically predisposed to spawning earlier.

In nature, and natural reproduction there is more variety.  Fish don't always return to the same stream and fish return at different times of year.  This is nature's way of having insurance in case something happens in a stream and an entire year is lost.  It is exactly why some fish spawn in year 4 and year 2 instead of year 3.

In natural.production streams I assume later runs would do better with water being colder in southern ontario, but run dried up rather quickly.

Not sure what to do about that but it seemed like there has to be a reason why the salmon run just evaporated after 1st week of September.



Good luck to anyone trolling right now.

[SpoonPullers.com]

[TyeeTanic]

10 years ago, on Bronte we would see runs in mid to end October.
Now, it's pretty much over by beginning of October.

I have to see what is happening over the next couple of weeks, I haven't been out ... not sure if others have checked out Bronte and can comment.