Final Report of the Owyhee River Redd Count

Ahhh, summer time. The river is frozen over in many places where the water runs still and deep at this writing.


Ray Perkins to the left

I talked to Ray tonight at the Indianhead Fly Fishers Christmas party. He completed the count yesterday. Told me that I should have come along with my camera because he fell into the river. He has been on my case all year after I fell into the river last year. That river is cold. Ray took the temperature near the "Rock Garden" and found the water to be flowing at 31 degrees. Yup. That would be cold. The fish are not now active, so fishermen, wait for a warming trend. Temperature is predicted to be below zero in SW Idaho and Eastern Oregon tonight.

The redd count this year for the seven designated sample areas is 1504 redds. Last year the count was 995, the year before 961. The increase from last year is 51%. That is statistically significant, duh. Ray does not know the cause for such an increase, but there are a lot of fish eggs awaiting to hatch next April. One conclusion that might be drawn is that the brown population is large and very healthy at this time. Barring a major gully washer flood there should be a zillion little browns in the water next spring---lots of food for the big browns. There is not likely to be a flood on the Owyhee this spring because predictions call for below normal precipitation and above normal temperatures. Judging by the temperature at the time I am typing this, we are going to have some pretty warm winter weather this winter to balance out what we are having right now.

PLEASE BE AN ETHICAL FISHERMAN AND DO NOT WALK IN THE RIFFLES WHERE THE REDDS ARE LOCATED. IF FOR SOME REASON YOU MUST WALK IN THE RIFFLES, DO NOT WALK ON THE GRAVEL HUMPS--THAT IS WHERE THE EGGS LIE.

Until next time,
May all your trails be gently downhilll,
PapaCoyote