Idaho whitefish

W

Wilderness Medic

Smolt
A couple years ago I met a group of fly fisherman on a river and joined them. They told me that mountain whitefish were invasive and to throw all of the ones I caught on the bank. After Googling them it sounds like they are a native species and I cant find anything about them being bad.


Were these people wrong? Should I release them back? I don't like killing things I'm not going to eat but they made it sound like they needed to be eradicated.
 
Pretty sure they’re native. From this link “Before talking about catching whitefish, let’s clear up a few misconceptions. Whitefish are not a so-called “trash fish,” they’re a native Idaho gamefish found in many rivers and streams, as well as some lakes. Some anglers might mistake them for suckers because of their slightly down-turned mouths, but whitefish are in the Salmonid family along with salmon, trout, char and grayling.”
 
... they are native, and a good sign; they signify a good, clean water system. Plus, they can be a lot of fun to catch, and will bite when everyone else is silent - please return unharmed.
 
Wilderness Medic said:
A couple years ago I met a group of fly fisherman on a river and joined them. They told me that mountain whitefish were invasive and to throw all of the ones I caught on the bank. After Googling them it sounds like they are a native species and I cant find anything about them being bad.


Were these people wrong? Should I release them back? I don't like killing things I'm not going to eat but they made it sound like they needed to be eradicated.
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Yeah they were wrong, super wrong.
There's no such thing as trash fish, only trashy fishermen.

There are sometimes species of fish in places they shouldn't be. This is not one of those times.
 
Wilderness Medic said:
A couple years ago I met a group of fly fisherman on a river and joined them. They told me that mountain whitefish were invasive and to throw all of the ones I caught on the bank. After Googling them it sounds like they are a native species and I cant find anything about them being bad.


Were these people wrong? Should I release them back? I don't like killing things I'm not going to eat but they made it sound like they needed to be eradicated.
Click to expand...
Dead wrong! They can be retained and eaten in many places. The limits are pretty liberal due to their abundance in those places, but they shouldn't be tossed ashore.

Is it possible they were mistaking them for another species?
 
Ah yes the whitefish..aka…. Billy Blanco…..the trumpet-nosed trout…….they don’t get much respect but they are native to many drainages in the West/NW
 
Indeed they are not “Trash” fish but an important indicator species of healthy cold-water fisheries. When Dan Bailey established his fly shop in Livingston, MT in the late 1930s, the Baileys supplemented their income with a commercial whitefish fishery on the Yellowstone River as the Mountain Whitefish was a tasty bit of protein available at a nominal price. Today, the Mountain Whitefish is still a popular fish for the table for those in the know. Smoked whitefish is simply something to be enjoyed.

www.themeateater.com

How to Catch and Prepare Mountain Whitefish

Mountain whitefish are important native fish to may river drainages in the western US. Don't overlook them on your next trip. They're fun to fish and taste great.
www.themeateater.com www.themeateater.com
 
But it's still o.k. to hate them if you are fishing for trout. There is just no vindication for physical abuse.😎😃

For an amusing soliloquy on their edibility, I would refer one to the "Hawkeye gets a concussion" episode of the tv series M*A*S*H.😁
 
The local Native Americans tell of lean Salmon fishing years where they were totally dependent on Whitefish! Me thinks we are headed right back to those same days. Whitefish are a hardy strain of native fish in our local rivers but I have seen them belly up on especially hot summers. This makes me think their days are also unfortunately numbered!
 
I seem to recall someone saying there are whitefish in the Sultan river, said he fished then in winter…
 
White fish rock, on a dry fly, or olive bugger, a scud, or any other fly.
I caught a 20 plus inch whitey in the Oregon Deschutes river once and it gave quit a ride.
 
Some streams that are closed for salmon & trout open briefly in winter for whitefish under WDFW "Whitefish gear rules"

"Terminal fishing gear: Limited to one single-point hook with a maximum size of 3/16 in point to shank (hook size 14)"
 
Canuck from Kansas said:
they are native, and a good sign; they signify a good, clean water system.
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This, exactly.

People somehow got it into their head that whitefish compete/harm trout populations. But there is no science to back that up as far as I have ever seen.

Wilderness Medic said:
and to throw all of the ones I caught on the bank.
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Interestingly enough, throwing them up on the bank is a particularly wasteful plan, even if one hated them for some reason. As they are apparently quite good eating, I've been told.
 
Now, I do use the "backward release", as I call it, on pike minnow but please note that these are fish with literally a 'Wanted Dead' bounty on their heads. Another thing one might consider is this type of action returns a form of sustainence back into the biosphere that other organisms may benefit from.
So a personal choice at any rate.😎


P.S. And if they took my fly? They deserve it.😠😆
 
Brian Miller said:
Some streams that are closed for salmon & trout open briefly in winter for whitefish under WDFW "Whitefish gear rules"

"Terminal fishing gear: Limited to one single-point hook with a maximum size of 3/16 in point to shank (hook size 14)"
Click to expand...
The WA regs allow you to covertly fish for steelhead when it's closed, unfortunately.

OR Whitefish regs allow you to fish for them if it is open for Salmon or Steelhead. If it's closed to Salmon/Steelhead, then it's closed.
 
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