fin clipped fish

[MIAMISTEELHEADER]

This year i have seen a larger amount of fin clipped fish in the Catt,steelhead and browns.I  would love to know who is  doing this.the double fin cliped fish are a long fish for there weight and skamania looking like the early eightys strain that where once stocked,then there is a single clipped strain like a fat football heavy for is size.where would one  start to look or research. p.m me or write here.
thanks

[AlwaysWading]

I was told by our guide that NY is toying with some variations on steelies, trying to come up with enough strains to keep steel head fishing in early and extended late.

[MIAMISTEELHEADER]

Just got a email with a site that has a fin clip identificaton chart,left pictoral clips are Ontario stocked fish,which surprises me,what are they doing in the Catt?The double clip left side(ventral&pictoral) are not shown so thats still a mystery. There is mention of the double pictoral clip as a result of predation in the hatchery,which I,ve seen on both browns and steelies.hoping that someone else has info that would be useful and send it along.

[galeriangecko]

Missing fins on stocked Salmonids does not necessarily indicate a fin clip. It is very possible that year class has not been clipped and that the missing/damaged fins are likely due to overcrowding in raceways. It is not uncommon to see dorsal, pectoral, and/or pelvic fins missing/damaged on stocked Salmonids due to this. Typically, an adipose clip is a clear indication a specimen has been clipped. It is often the most likely fin to be clipped, since it is believed to be non-functional.

[steelheaderny]

Does an unclipped fish indicate a naturally reproduced fish?

[bigturk_80]

No, many fish are stocked and not clipped. Fin clipping is a big time hands-on process which is not used all the time.

There are indicators though. Most times, you'll see excessive fin wear on stocked fish. Mainly squished dorsal fins, due to crowding in raceways. But then again, stocked fish may have perfectly formed fins.

If you have a fish that has worn, or clipped fins, you can be fairly sure it's hatchery reared. If it has perfect fins, it MAY be wild, but maybe not.

I used to stock fish in Ontario. Fin clips were normally used when stocking sites only received fish on certain years, rather than annually, or if studies were in place to watch wild reproduction. Private contractors would bid on the fin clipping process, normally taking a couple weeks. It's hands on, and requires significant handling of the fish. As a cost saver, most fish were not clipped.

[steelheaderny]

Caught a beautiful dime-bright second year hen about seven pounds with both andipose fins clipped/gone. How to identify Skamania?