Salmon of the West Coast of Canada...

This is going to be rather interesting, because in the trouts , there are a tremendous amount of 'sub-species' , especially when it comes to the 'Cutthroat'...Oncorhynchus clarki, just to many for me to put up, however, I will put up the more common cuttie that is found in the southern sections of Alberta just to give you an idea on how beautiful this specie is. So let's get going on this yet another interesting topic..

..Let us begin with the Salmons of the Pacific Ocean, there are 5 major species, plus one of the most favorite 'trouts', mother nature can provide to the fishers of the world, but for now, we will continue with the Salmons..

The first is by far the largest Salmon of the Pacific, thus one of it's common names is suited for it.. 'The King Salmon' also known as it is getting to a special weight class..'The Chinook Salmon' , then once it reaches that 30lb plus class it has finally come to the name that is known in the west as..'The Tyee Salmon'..Oncorhynchus tshawytscha..

..A special group of fishers formed the 'Tyee Club of British Columbia' began in 1924, with a group of anglers who returned to the Campbell River each year in pursuit of the elusive Tyee - a coastal Indian word meaning, 'the Chief', a Chinook salmon , 30 pounds or larger. The First Nations people had fished for Tyee for unknown ages prior to the coming of the Europeans. They used several methods including spears and hand lines, from dugout canoes, as well as traps. They were adept at catching fish as well as being truly conservationist in practice. The first account of angling for Tyee appeared in 'The Field', published in London October1896. Sir Richard Musgrave and his partner, W.H.Gorden, took 19 Tyee in one week as well as several Coho and trout. His largest Tyee, taken September 20th 1896, weighed in at 70 pounds. For further information to this group of anglers please clink on the link provided.. http://www.tyeeclub.org/about.htm  ..The largest Tyee ever landed in sport fishing was 93pounds, and was caught in the Kenai River in Alaska in 1986. The largest Tyee ever caught was taken in a fish trap in Alaska weighing in at 125 pounds, in 1946.

..The Female King Salmon :

..The Male King Salmon :

..The next Salmon is the 'Sockeye Salmon' ..Oncorhynchus nerka..

..This specie is commercially one of the most popular of all because of it's dark, rich, flavorful meat and is 3rd in population next to the Pink and Chum salmon.

..The Female Sockeye Salmon :

..The Male Sockeye Salmon :

   

..next will be the 'Chum Salmon' ..Oncorhynchus keta :

..Commercial fisheries in Alaska and Russia take more chum than any other fish. Their meat is primarily smoked, and they tend to be less oil than other species.


..The Female Chum Salmon :

..The Male Chum Salmon :

..next is the 'Coho Salmon' ..Oncorhynchus kisutch :

..One of the most popular fish species among North American anglers, their size is in part responsible; Coho average 38 inches and 11 pounds in weight, although many larger ones have been landed. Some of the largest have been 31 pounds and 114 inches in length.

..The Male and Female Coho Salmon :

  ..next is the 'Pink Salmon' ..Oncorhynchus gorbusha :

..Pink salmon are also known as 'humpbacked salmon', due to the bulge that appears on the male's back during spawning time. Pinks are now the most sought after fish in the commercial industry, especially in places like Alaska. In today's market the Pinks are bought from the commercial fishers for a mere 17 cents a pound. Yet as a consumer , the prices are high that we pay.

..this is in it's ocean colour :

  
..a Male and Female pair in spawning colours :

..Well I've covered the five Pacific Salmon that run our rivers here in British Columbia, during their spawning time, in the days that come I'll continue posting with our western trout..until then.. 

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