Todd
Steelhead Junkie
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3 salt Steelhead
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Last Login:May 19, 2012, 08:51:58 PM
Posts: 862
An adipose fin is a beautiful thing!
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« Reply #1: September 12, 2006, 01:55:40 PM » |
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w-fish,
Here's a quick rundown of the characteristics that make for wild summer runs...
There are really only two; the physical layout of the river, and the water flows. Water flows have a couple of sub-factors to consider. These two factors work together to make a good summer run stream.
Layout...the most important aspect to look for. Wild summer runs typically spawn in the upper reaches of drainages that for some reason or another are not typically accessed by wild winter run steelhead. This means places with falls or canyon stretches that are not accessible during low early spring/late winter flows, when winter fish are spawning, but are accessible during high runoff periods in May thru July, when summer runs can use the higher flows allow passage over and around the obstacles.
This geographic separation of winter and summer runs is key...winter runs typically way outnumber the wild summer runs, and wild summer runs are outcompeted by the winter runs where their spawning grounds overlap. Both winter and summer runs are spawning in the spring, but the key is that the summer runs accessed their spawning grounds in the early summer, while those same spawning grounds are relatively inaccessible to the winter runs that didn't enter the the river until later in the late winter/early spring.
This geographic separation can also be created by sheer distance...winter runs enter the rivers and spawn within a short time, and don't have time to travel too far before it's time to dig a redd and get to work...summer runs enter the rivers as much as eight or ten months before spawning, and have a lot more time to cover some serious distance. Most rivers aren't long enough to create this type of separation, but some are.
Closely tied with the layout of the river is the water flow...if there is not sufficient flow differences between the early summer flows and the late winter flows, then the winter runs can access the same water as the summer runs, and will outcompete them. Also, if there isn't sufficient water flow in the late summer and fall, then the summer runs will not have enough cool water to spawn and rear in.
Geographic features and water flows that work together to separate the different runs spatially, coupled with sufficient water flow to support spawning and rearing above the geographic feature, and you are looking at a stream that might be worth tossing some hardware in this time of year.
Fish on...
Todd
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