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[fishbandit66]

Yeah, I would be interested to hear your explanation as well...

I think ethics is a personal thing. Just like religion, sexuality, choosing a hockey team etc. there is no right or wrong answer it's just a personal choice.

But, for what it's worth, you have answered part of the question. I seen way too many dead fish on the bar with their bellies cut open and the roe gone. Ditto people bonking females for the roe but releasing males. Can't be good for the ecology. Most serious duck hunters will only kill males to help the reproduction cycle. The crab fishery has a no female retention rule so there must be some scientific reason not to selectively kill only females.

[ynot]

make caviar with it.

[RalphH]

That's true - one is required to have the fish the fresh roe came from. Don't worry about the mess though sea gulls and other scavengers love it. Better on the bank than in the river

thanks to those who clarified the 2kg rule. I stand corrected.

[RalphH]

it's been claimed that fishing with roe provides a vector for disease transfer from one area to another. No biologists disagree with this claim but it's not clear how serious or insignificant a factor it is.

[Dr. Backlash]

make caviar with it.

X2!

[silver ghost]

I think ethics is a personal thing. Just like religion, sexuality, choosing a hockey team etc. there is no right or wrong answer it's just a personal choice.

But, for what it's worth, you have answered part of the question. I seen way too many dead fish on the bar with their bellies cut open and the roe gone. Ditto people bonking females for the roe but releasing males. Can't be good for the ecology. Most serious duck hunters will only kill males to help the reproduction cycle. The crab fishery has a no female retention rule so there must be some scientific reason not to selectively kill only females.

Fair enough... Not to stir the pot or anything, but the chilliwack hatchery (and most hatcheries) receives well above and beyond their broodstock target each and every year, and the surplus is collected and given away/sold anyways, so one might argue that many of the female hatchery fish people may/may not be picking through are not going to make it to spawn anyways. Also, I believe the hatchery uses wild only for their brood (maybe someone could clarify).

Nevertheless, I would have to agree with you that far too often guys bonk only for the roe and leave the fish behind which is unethical. But I still love fishing roe when I have access to it and can obtain it ethically

[Ambassador]

make caviar with it.

Oh yeah. You can use a badminton racket to get rid of all the weird stuff.

[Dave]

Also, I believe the hatchery uses wild only for their brood (maybe someone could clarify).

No, the Chilliwack Hatchery uses whatever coho swim into the brailer, breaking these into three timing groups spread over a few months..  Steelhead broodstock however, are all adipose finned.

[bbronswyk2000]

I think ethics is a personal thing. Just like religion, sexuality, choosing a hockey team etc. there is no right or wrong answer it's just a personal choice.

But, for what it's worth, you have answered part of the question. I seen way too many dead fish on the bar with their bellies cut open and the roe gone. Ditto people bonking females for the roe but releasing males. Can't be good for the ecology. Most serious duck hunters will only kill males to help the reproduction cycle. The crab fishery has a no female retention rule so there must be some scientific reason not to selectively kill only females.

I like your way of thinking!! I don't use roe either but I hate having messy hands!!

[CohoJake]

I am grateful for people like the original poster who leave their roe behind.  A couple weeks ago I was cursing myself for leaving my roe at home.  As soon as it got light enough to fish, my dad pointed out to me a skein that had been left behind the day before.  Three casts later and I had a hatchery hen on the bank.

Has anyone noticed that roe catches more females?  Of the 8 coho I brought home over the past 3 weekends, all were female.

[Derek Mcl]

I read recently that the females go all aggro over roe because they don't want some other biatch's eggs getting near her nest.  They mouth the eggs to move them away from their territory.

[HOOK]

yes I have always noticed I get mostly females on roe also. mostly males on hardware it seems though. When I do get a male on roe its usually a very large one though

the reasoning behind them moving the eggs away makes total sense.

[RalphH]

the reasoning behind them moving the eggs away makes total sense.

it's actually a very shaky conclusion. The percentages of eggs that survive to hatch and grow to adults is so low the movement idea presents a high % of energy expended for very low return. Almost all loose eggs are or will shortly die though it could be argued dead eggs in the redd present a serious disease threat to live eggs.

A better explanation would go back to the 'imprint' explanation of why non-feeding fish like salmon returning to spawn, bite. Eggs are probably the single best high energy food source available. Makes sense adult fish would imprint and respond to these as a food source they took as parr etc.