There are many who would not know/care or care to know. But this was very interesting and important to me. Even though I've never fished for steelhead, hope to some day.
Steelhead which are born wild and are native trout, migrate into the vastness of our oceans, some are known to go as far as Kamchatka and return to spawn, staying in tight groups as they travel.
I read in this book that one difference between stocked steelhead and wild steelhead is that the wild fish travel in tight groups as they go on to far and vast areas of the our oceans. The stocked fish are very unorganized and cannot keep together almost looking like they have no reason to survive.
This is wild behaviour that is distinctive of this particular fish.
I thought about it and tried to picture it.
A small group of wild fish...maybe 5 or 8 fish in sync, traveling in search of food to grow so that they can return to their home waters to spawn. Their trip takes them into wild and uncharted waters, this picture in my head is awesome.
I also pictured them traveling past stocked fish, not knowing how to keep together in an unorganized manner. This tight knit group of wild steelhead pass the stockers and the difference in behavior between the two is so drastic. The wild fish move on efficiently towards the southern coast of Alaska knowing exactly how to do what they do to survive. It's their first trip into the ocean as they are the survivors of this years spawn, yet it feels like they have been doing this for many many years. They follow the temperature columns to find food leaving the stocked fish behind in their unorganized groups not wondering too far from the streams they were placed in. So awesome!
Is this type of thing not worth saving?
Very fascinating.
Artin
