Wading in streams and rivers

Ontario Fishing Forums

Help Support Ontario Fishing Forums:

G

grubman

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2011
Messages
1,529
Location
Scarborough
Hi all

Congrats to all who got their first trout or salmon this year. OFF members encourage others to pursue the great sport of angling. But I want to remind and inform everyone fishing the river and streams that, the fish are building their nest called a Redd, and laying their eggs. Here is a not so good pic of one from Google.

http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.onlinefishinglog.com/images/blog/redds/Redd2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.onlinefishinglog.com/blog/23/Spawning-Trout-and-Redds&usg=__92VZLkLN57cEOBlpbterFCWTdF8=&h=490&w=739&sz=78&hl=en&start=2&sig2=EAdjBiHb444bdPmF8-npbw&zoom=1&tbnid=bZr0GtdoZW4qhM:&tbnh=93&tbnw=141&ei=S8leUNTcLs2vygHPjIDgCg&um=1&itbs=1

It is important to limit the amount of wading especially in gravel bottoms as this is where they will most likely be. The Redd in the above photo is just visable as the lighter patch. The surrounding rocks have alge growing on it.

Obviously once stepped on those fertilized eggs will then be destroyed killing thousands. It is preferable to stay on the bank and wade only when necessary and to watch for redds with each step. They are the future generation of fish me and you will be catching.

Thanks all and good fishing.
 
Also dont fish for salmon in a stretch where the water doesnt get deeper that 6 inches for a half kilometer. So many loogans on the water yesterday it was stupid. On my way out of the river I walked past three fish that had obviously been lined in 4 inches of water and then kicked back in to wash down stream and get hung up on rocks in 1" of water with no chance of survival. What is the fun of fighting a fish on 4 inches of water? Really????!!!!

I ended up picking up the fish and carrying them 300 yards up stream and revived them in the next pool...what a workout! People are just too darn lazy and just dont give a ****. There were two guys that set up a charcoal barbeque with rocks and lawnchairs at the top of this stretch and my guess is that they are probably responsible for all the fish I worked so hard to revive. Couldnt be bothered to get up out of their chairs I guess... :blink:
 
Good luck getting people not to stomp like godzilla through the creek... the one thing that actually gets me mad is when people go wading in the deeper holes to see if its holding fish... thus scaring the fish out... I just don't understand it. I try to stick to the sides if I can or the bank... ninja XD
 
there are some who just likes catching fish and then there are some who loves fishing...
 
if you can stay out of the water then stay out of the water you should only go in if you have to and even then you never really have to i rarely cross a river i pick a side and walk it fishing everywhere i can and then do the same on the other side only to land and release do i step in
 
Look for rocks that look visibly lighter, without and algae on them.
The populations have enough stress to deal with without us crushing their eggs by simply walking over the redds. Always look where you're going before you wade.
 




What is a redd?

A redd is a spawning nest that is built by salmon and steelhead in the gravel of streams or the shoreline of lakes. It is formed by the female using her tail to dig in a small area of gravel in the bottom of the stream or shore. Here she forms several depressions in the gravel forming egg pockets into which she deposits her eggs. The size of a redd depends on the size of the fish making the nest. In the following picture Chinook redds can be seen in the riverbed along the curve next to the forested riparian area. They are the light colored areas in the water. Although they are apparent in this aerial photograph they may be hard to see on the ground. Typically redds appear as lighter areas in the gravel since the gravel has been cleaned by the female’s movement of the gravel during spawning activity while the area around the redd appears darker due to the normal sediment and other biological material that remains on the undisturbed gravel.

​
The following diagram identifies graphically what a typical redd looks like in profile. The downstream flow forces water through the gravel and across the buried eggs. This brings oxygen to the eggs and alevins while moving waste products away from the eggs. If the gravel becomes silted in then this process cannot occur effectively.

​
It can also be seen that the eggs and alevin are found relatively close to the surface. This places them in a situation where they can be easily dislodged from the nest and float downstream where they are subject to predation or other mortality. The eggs or alevins are also vulnerable to crushing from either human or vehicular traffic. This can cause direct mortality.
 
Good lord, I have to come up some day and fish the North Shore, sounds exciting with "Loogans" and such lurking about the shallows, people kicking salmon and gutting them :blink:

lol i shouldn't laugh but holy crap, eh!

What's a Loogan look like? Is there photographic evidence? Hair samples? Stool....

I need to get out more :)
 
Do salmon ever go back to their redds or watch over them for prey?
 
Blair
Thanks very much for finding/having excellent information with visuals that get's our point across.

Klamp

To answer your question, no they don't, the eggs are left alone to develop. Once the eggs are laid the "parents" leave and the hen will depart and find another male.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top