Northwest Fishing Reports

Am I the first one to see this? What the heck! "Responsible choice" I find it hard to believe that these are all hatchery fish. Somebody somewhere is lying to me! Boycott????

Just so you know,...everytime you go to a restaurant and order Chilean Seabass - you probably aren't getting what you paid for.
Sea Scallops - sometimes lingcod and or halibut cheeks..
Summer Steelhead -usually Atlantic salmon.
Fish mongers are just as bad...don't believe everything you read.
onmygame

The rainbow trout raised in the net pens on the Columbia are marketed as Steelhead. That fillet looks like it came from an overfed, farm raised fish. Legally only the tribes can sell steelhead (wild or hatchery), so I make sure to tell the folks behind the counter as long as I see steelhead being sold by them they aren't getting my business.

G-Man wrote:The rainbow trout raised in the net pens on the Columbia are marketed as Steelhead. That fillet looks like it came from an overfed, farm raised fish. Legally only the tribes can sell steelhead (wild or hatchery), so I make sure to tell the folks behind the counter as long as I see steelhead being sold by them they aren't getting my business.

Yep. Was surprised to learn the fish rearing operations on Rufus Woods sell their product as "salmon" and "steelhead".

I didn't see anything in the picture indicating it was wild steelhead.

I asked. The meat cutter told me it was wild. Which could also mean hatchery but caught in the ocean or river. I think it should be illegal to sell farm raised fish as wild.

I'm going to have to say not wild despite what the sign says. Meat is way too red. You only get color like that in a trout of any type with trout chow.

4steelhead wrote:I asked. The meat cutter told me it was wild. Which could also mean hatchery but caught in the ocean or river. I think it should be illegal to sell farm raised fish as wild.

Unless the laws have changed, you will never be able to buy any WILD or CAUGHT Game Fish within this state.

FARM RAISED has another set of rules entirely, and farm raised products are legal fare in commerce.

All trout are considered Game Fish by this state, and all salmon - Food Fish.

The only group of people legally allowed to harvest Steelhead or any other Game Fish from any river, lake or salt in this state are Treaty Indians, and they must sell their catch to out of state buyers.

onmygame