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[coho65]

I was fishing the Veddar this past Tuesday having a great day,my favourite run to myself......I got  into some  hot fishing and caught a fish that had me  stumped on what it was.After a long debate with myself I released it...........big mistake,it  was an Atlantic Salmon.I have salmon fished for 30 years so I know fish identification,I am aware i made a big mistake so please dont bash me!!!! I was caught completely off guard and  that is why I released it.I have called and reported it to the hotline and DFO Pacific and have not had a response back.....they just have an answering machine.If anybody on here is connected with the DFO or wants pertinent information on this feel free to email me and i will provide you with full details.Again, i am aware i made a huge mistake......all I can say is know your FISH IDENTIFICATION and dont make the same mistake I did.

[BNF861]

hmm interesting. I assume by your post no, but did you happen to get a picture before releasing?

[tworivers]

Don't beat yourself up over it coho65.
You were unable, and/or hesitant in your determination of your catch and released the fish in a timely manner.
You've given the escapee a few more hours or days of freedom. His life will most likely be short lived in the wild.
Hope you offered him a big gob of roe, as the lil guy has been spoon fed his whole life and is probably a bit hungry.
Not much nutritional value in a pinch of wool. 
Thanks for the report.
tworivers

[Fish Assassin]

Could this be the beginning of Atlantic salmon in the Vedder ?

[ChumChaser]

Just found this, thought you might be interested http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/science/aquaculture/aswp/index-eng.htm.

[IronNoggin]

Don't be all that surprised should the answer not be what you expect...

A handful of years ago, a few buddies and I were fishing the small creeks in Clayoquot Sound. Caught eleven Atlantics (POSITIVE ID) in a creek, a few pools up from the chuck. Bagged and tagged the lot, froze them, and shipped them to DFO. They never even acknowledged receipt, let alone ANY other form of follow-up. Sad, but True.

Still ticked off about that one! 
Nog

[Every Day]

Although alarming, it would be nearly impossible for any Atlantic's to establish a population.

DFO stocked thousands and thousands of Atlantic's in rivers like the Cowichan trying to establish a run.
None of these ever took, it is rare to catch an Atlantic in any river or stream and I would guess all are escapees.

Lastly are you sure it was an Atlantic? Maybe not a steelhead? I'm not judging your fish ID skills, but they do look very similar.
Pic would be great if you have one. If not I'll take your word. What flow were you on if you don't mind it asked? Close to the ocean?

Cheers,
Dan

[alwaysfishn]

"I was fishing the Veddar this past Tuesday" see OP

 "nearly impossible" sounds like it is possible.....   Why are we allowing that??

[nickredway]

I remember reading in that Fishing the Fraser book that it mentions a spot where Brown Trout are available, were they ever stocked / escaped etc in the fraser valley? Not suggesting this was one but sea run browns are quite similar looking to atlantic salmon.

[nickredway]

Problem, what problem? If you come across them again I  hope they end up in the smoker!!!

Don't be all that surprised should the answer not be what you expect...

A handful of years ago, a few buddies and I were fishing the small creeks in Clayoquot Sound. Caught eleven Atlantics (POSITIVE ID) in a creek, a few pools up from the chuck. Bagged and tagged the lot, froze them, and shipped them to DFO. They never even acknowledged receipt, let alone ANY other form of follow-up. Sad, but True.

Still ticked off about that one! 
Nog

[Every Day]

"I was fishing the Veddar this past Tuesday" see OP

 "nearly impossible" sounds like it is possible.....   Why are we allowing that??

I see. I highly doubt a Brown would be in the Vedder, but I guess it is just as possible as an Atlantic.

Secondly how's this for nearly impossible....

1) They have to find a mate, good luck when the only ones coming up are complete strays with no homing what so ever.
2) They are very poor colonizers and are a very passive fish, which is why you can keep them in very high densities unlike pacific salmon. They would not be able to compete for spawning grounds if they even did pair up.
3)Atlantic salmon are very susceptible to the virus IHN. Nearly all pacific salmon are carriers of this, but do not get sick from it. Atlantic's however are very susceptible to this and will die if they get it. With millions of carries passing them on the way to the ocean it is near impossible not to catch it.
4) If they somehow manage to find a mate, then find spawning area, and avoid getting a virus completely lethal to them, then they will get out competed for food, because once again pacific salmon are very territorial and aggressive and Atlantic's are not.

As said before, take into the fact that the province stocked millions of Atlantic's back in the day in the form of eggs and smolts, and not a single run has been established in any of the rivers they were stocked into. Some include : French Creek, Qualicum Rivers, Chemainus River, Cowichan River. Some Lakes: Nanaimo Lakes, Sproat Lake, Shawnigan Lakes, Cowichan Lake and Great Central Lake. The only place they were last seen as wild naturalized was in the Kokish river in 1992.

[greyghost]

Although alarming, it would be nearly impossible for any Atlantic's to establish a population.

DFO stocked thousands and thousands of Atlantic's in rivers like the Cowichan trying to establish a run.
None of these ever took, it is rare to catch an Atlantic in any river or stream and I would guess all are escapees.

Lastly are you sure it was an Atlantic? Maybe not a steelhead? I'm not judging your fish ID skills, but they do look very similar.
Pic would be great if you have one. If not I'll take your word. What flow were you on if you don't mind it asked? Close to the ocean?

Cheers,
Dan

Hey Dan you might want to do a little research about the Salmon river on the Island. Been fry captured in that system for a while now! Not many but a few! You tell me how the got there!

[Every Day]

Hey Grey Ghost.

I did say nearly impossible.
Its just unbelievable that they made it through all 4 steps.
Has anyone ever seen an adult in the system? I guess for fry in multiple years there must be a small spawning population. Good to know, might have to check it out.
Fisheries database doesn't mention any sightings of them, this was my main source.

Found this paper online:
http://icesjms.oxfordjournals.org/content/54/6/1221.full.pdf

May interest some of you for reading.
It appears as that would be a perfect pace for them to establish a population, as runs of other salmon have been decimated.
No IHN and less competition eliminates 3 of the points lol.

[Zackattack]

can someone explain why in the past the DFO was trying to introduce the Atlantic salmon to BC waterways? Was it due to the decrease in pacific salmon? Interesting I never knew....

[troutbreath]

They tried introducing them way back. Just like the took trout by horseback into lakes in the National parks. Good intentions mixed with bad science.

With the information out now about concerns with Atlantic salmon, you only defend what makes you money. So most people defending them see there cash cow getting butchered. Even if it is a mad cash cow.