Steve drops anchor on a group of spawning steelhead the other morning and as their getting rods unstrung, Steve comments that there’s a couple pigs on that gravel. A few minutes later their into a solid hook-up but instead of the typical quickness, this very big steelhead just drops off the gravel head-shaking. Steve hops out with the net, walks down stream and scoops up a female king salmon.
While it isn’t unheard of to see a spring king, this is the first spawning group we’ve ever heard of. There has always been talk that our Great Lakes salmon may eventually evolve into spawning in both the spring and fall. Could this be the start? And don’t forget about the unusual run of spring cohos two years ago (second coho post).
A spring king is certainly something new and we won’t know for a while whether this is the start of a new trend or simply a fluke, we will certainly be keeping a closer eye out for salmon this spring.
