Oops...

I agree that you need to responsible for your harvest, but Browns and Atlantics could be easily confused for one another. I also feel like the State has a certain responsibility to make sure even the idiots know what's up. If you go to the Salmon River, there is more than adequate signage about regulations to minimize things like this from happening.

So obviously there might have been a plane flying by with a banner informing everyone about proper brown/atlantic, or there might have been nothing, can't really say. But dude reminds me of Bobo!

bobosteel.jpg
 
Having caught hundreds of salmon, and thousands of browns, I'd be cautious saying that the fish in bjb's photo was either with any certainty. I'd have to hold it and really give it a good look. But by the time Atlantics leave the river and enter the ocean they'll have no red spots, so identification based on spots is probably a easy way to tell. It's not fool proof though. Some brown lose the red spots or never have them. The only way to tell is the teeth, which I'm sure isn't something most anglers look at, especially when they catch a fish of that size.
As for the pic of the angler in the VT article, again you really can't by the photo, it's pretty poor quality, but it looks like a salmon to me.
 
Chaz,

The fish was radio tagged, so it is 100% confirmed salmon.

I agree that it's difficult to tell them apart, but unless certain, one shouldn't be harvesting.
 
Guys take the time to look at the tails and anal fins also look at the spots too thats the dead giveaway between a brown and a Salmon.the salmon have lil diffent shaped spots once you rally pay attention its not hard to dicern also the tail and anal fin are a lil different.
 
I think some of you are being a little harsh. I've caught some stocked brown trout that looked less like real brown trout than that salmon does. Looks like Ryan M. is just a kid, too, who made an honest, but sad, mistake. I'm not sure he deserves to be hammered for the way he looks: I look a lot worse than that in my fishing clothes, at least according to my wife.
 
The spots are a dead giveaway, but again you have to know what you're looking at, as I remember VT has a pretty good sized book on the regs so there should be no honest mistake, plus if you're fishing a river that has an endangered species in it you better know what that species looks like.
 
I agree Chaz,
Landlocks and atlantics are totally different from browns.
 
Lonewolve wrote:
Guys take the time to look at the tails and anal fins also look at the spots too thats the dead giveaway between a brown and a Salmon.the salmon have lil diffent shaped spots once you rally pay attention its not hard to dicern also the tail and anal fin are a lil different.
Click to expand...

Rally?

dicern?

Rally?

"also the tail and anal fin are a lil different."

"lil" means "little" I assume, thus you acknowledge that it's not quite so easy.

NY states that "hey to determine if it is Atlantic see if you can tail it or not". Sorry, I can tail a brown and and Atlantic.

"By examining the inside of the mouth we can more exactly tell whether the fish is an Atlantic salmon or a brown trout. The Atlantic salmon has on the roof of its mouth a single row of vomerine teeth. The brown trout on the other hand has two rows arranged in a zig-zag fashion. In addition the tongue on the Atlantic salmon is tapered and narrow whereas the tongue of the brown trout is broad and square. In the diagram below "A" is pointing at the Vomerine head and "B" is pointing at the Vomerine shaft."

Holy Jesus. Seriously? Vomerine what? Fish have teeth? < These are standard thoughts of the average angler.
 
Article says
"Ryan brought the fish to Locust Creek Outfitters, where it was weighed and measured, tipping the scale at 9.5 lbs and 31 1/2 inches."

Did the outfitters screw it up too?And are too ashamed to admit it.

Says the biologists saw it in the paper and ID'd it a s a salmon. Its almost funny. But I think the three years is excessive. Nail him with the fine and he'll learn some ID but three years is not needed.
 
Do you think maybe Vermont has a responsibility to make streams that they're trying to restore an Atlantic Salmon population to C&R only? It seems there is a pretty general consensus of "You should know what you're harvesting, it's your responsibility as an angler to know what you're harvesting (if you're going to harvest), but it is somewhat easy to make a mistake."

I'm going to ask some ignorant questions, and am willing to take a beat down for it but....

How many of these rivers in Vermont have unobstructed flow into the Atlantic? I guess I never really thought about this until I am now looking at a river map of Vermont, but I'm a little surprised how many creeks flow into the Connecticut River. Although the watershed seems to split pretty evenly between Lake Champlain and the Connecticut River.

Do you think the State should change the regulations on streams that are undergoing this Salmon restoration to just change them to C&R for Browns and Atlantics, and keep their other regulations for other species? It definitely wouldn't hurt...
 
I find it rather disappointing that so many of you would judge this guy by his photo.
 

Attachments

  • 20806_13.jpg
    20806_13.jpg
    53.8 KB · Views: 2
Well, Dave, he's a lot spiffier than I am in my fishing garb. My wife would probably rate him a 7 or so, while giving me a -1.
 
Rich, I saw you had commented on it after i posted that, and apparently we agree again. Not that you area a dirtbag, just that we find it disappointing that so many would judge the guy by his appearance.

Not all of us can be Orvis posterboys and some of us don't want to be.

My comments were serious, my photo was a joke.
 
As you can see, I dress much better when I fly fish. LOL!
 

Attachments

  • dave1.jpg
    dave1.jpg
    55.7 KB · Views: 2
Is THAT really you, Dave? You and Pete post so many pictures of old dudes, I don't know anymore (although the picture of "Pete" chopping his way through the frozen river is a classic!)
 
The_Sasquatch wrote:
Is THAT really you, Dave? You and Pete post so many pictures of old dudes, I don't know anymore (although the picture of "Pete" chopping his way through the frozen river is a classic!)
Click to expand...

Why are you asking? I'm married.
 
The second pic looks a lot more like me, except your vest is a lot nicer than mine. I think you'd be down in my wife's league of fishermen who dress like I do in that one. And, as you have noted to me elsewhere: the fish don't care! The second pic gave me a smile for the afternoon!
Nice bass, too.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Montana Angler Fly Fishing
Montana Angler Fly Fishing
Harman's North Fork Cottages


Real Time Data From
the USGS Site

Share this page

Back
Top