Salmon at Mills Falls

GTO · 11-09-2008, 09:16 PM

MAybe its just me....I was at Mills Falls today around 5:00 and was outside watching the waterfall, When flying out of the water came first one salmon, and then another. I mean flying....some jumping a couple of feet forward through the air trying to work towards the falls (doubt they'll make it up). Just stand on the little bridge right behind Guessippis and watch the water.....entertaining for me anyway.

Mee-n-Mac · 11-10-2008, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTO

MAybe its just me....I was at Mills Falls today around 5:00 and was outside watching the waterfall, When flying out of the water came first one salmon, and then another. I mean flying....some jumping a couple of feet forward through the air trying to work towards the falls (doubt they'll make it up). Just stand on the little bridge right behind Guessippis and watch the water.....entertaining for me anyway.

What's next ? Rock bass around ship wrecks in Winni ....

SteveA · 11-11-2008, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTO

MAybe its just me....I was at Mills Falls today around 5:00 and was outside watching the waterfall, When flying out of the water came first one salmon, and then another. I mean flying....some jumping a couple of feet forward through the air trying to work towards the falls (doubt they'll make it up). Just stand on the little bridge right behind Guessippis and watch the water.....entertaining for me anyway.

I've seen them too, not this year but last, with dozens of kids trying to fish for them.

Must be an old "spawning" instinct, because like wild salmon they wouldn't bite.

http://www.thinksalmon.com/professor...pawning_phase/

DRH · 11-11-2008, 05:29 PM

We see them every year about this time. Some try to travel upstream, and we saw them a couple days ago in the Minge Brook (Minge Cove in West Alton) and also in the brook at West Alton Marina. Each year, about a week or two from now, others come into the shallow areas around our docks to lay eggs. They stay for about three weeks, and then they disappear. It's a wonder any of the eggs survive, as the mergansers love to feast on them!

AMC · 11-11-2008, 06:58 PM

Are you sure they are not the bottom feeding fish (as kids we would call them sucker fish) they are fairly large and could be mistaken for salmon. As kids we use to catch them out of the same spot beneath the mills fall bridge

secondcurve · 11-11-2008, 07:04 PM

DRH:

I don't think any of the eggs survive. I'm pretty sure that conditions in the Lake don't lend themselves to Salmon reproduction. All of the Salmon are stocked.

SAMIAM · 11-12-2008, 06:34 AM

It's even more fun to watch people in the spring (when the suckers run) showing their kids all the beautiful salmon under the bridge.

Grant · 11-13-2008, 09:49 AM

At this time of year, you can look over the bridge on Main Street in Wolfeboro and see a good number of them swimming up toward the Back Bay. I forgot to stop and look last Saturday, because I was surprised to see the town Christmas tree up so early...

Onshore · 11-14-2008, 09:28 AM

I worked summers in the Fisheries Program at NH Fish & Game when I was in college. What I can offer with some confidence is that Landlocked Salmon area a "sub-species" of Atlantic Salmon. They are capable of natural reproduction, but might not be capable of reproducing with high enough survival rates to keep up with fishing pressure. For this reason Fish and Game steps in and traps several salmon each year, "strips" them, and raises the fertilized eggs in the hatchery over the winter for release the following year. Atlantic Salmon are very different from any Pacific species in that they don't die after spawning. Most will return in the spring and hold in their parent streams through the summer. They will eat during this time. Additional fish may return to the parent streams in the fall. The actual spawn occurs in the fall after which the fish move back down stream to the sea from which they may return and spawn again.

Seeing as it's been about 15 years since my time in fisheries and I dealt exclusively with ocean run fish, I'm going to see if I get convince someone from F & G to chip in some info on land-locked behavior...

Glendale Girl · 11-14-2008, 09:34 AM

Saw these beautiful fish at the dock ramp in Glendale. I couldn.t believe they were so close to the land. Looked like they were trying to swim up the ramp. I also stopped at the little bridge by marinia bay condos and they were swimming up the stream.

11-09-2008, 09:16 PM	#1
GTO Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 1,086 Thanks: 338 Thanked 349 Times in 161 Posts	Salmon at Mills Falls MAybe its just me....I was at Mills Falls today around 5:00 and was outside watching the waterfall, When flying out of the water came first one salmon, and then another. I mean flying....some jumping a couple of feet forward through the air trying to work towards the falls (doubt they'll make it up). Just stand on the little bridge right behind Guessippis and watch the water.....entertaining for me anyway. __________________ GTO

11-11-2008, 05:29 PM	#4
DRH Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Meredith, NH Posts: 1,687 Thanks: 1,203 Thanked 677 Times in 179 Posts	Spawning Time We see them every year about this time. Some try to travel upstream, and we saw them a couple days ago in the Minge Brook (Minge Cove in West Alton) and also in the brook at West Alton Marina. Each year, about a week or two from now, others come into the shallow areas around our docks to lay eggs. They stay for about three weeks, and then they disappear. It's a wonder any of the eggs survive, as the mergansers love to feast on them! __________________ DRH

11-13-2008, 09:49 AM	#8
Grant Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Pennsyltuckey, Tuftonboro, Moultonborough Posts: 1,500 Thanks: 375 Thanked 230 Times in 124 Posts	At this time of year, you can look over the bridge on Main Street in Wolfeboro and see a good number of them swimming up toward the Back Bay. I forgot to stop and look last Saturday, because I was surprised to see the town Christmas tree up so early... __________________ "When I die, please don't let my wife sell my dive gear for what I told her I paid for it."

11-14-2008, 09:34 AM	#10
Glendale Girl Member Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 47 Thanks: 5 Thanked 9 Times in 6 Posts	At the Docks Saw these beautiful fish at the dock ramp in Glendale. I couldn.t believe they were so close to the land. Looked like they were trying to swim up the ramp. I also stopped at the little bridge by marinia bay condos and they were swimming up the stream.

11-11-2008, 06:58 PM	#5
AMC Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 8 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Are you sure they are not the bottom feeding fish (as kids we would call them sucker fish) they are fairly large and could be mistaken for salmon. As kids we use to catch them out of the same spot beneath the mills fall bridge

11-11-2008, 07:04 PM	#6
secondcurve Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 2,118 Thanks: 1,329 Thanked 559 Times in 288 Posts	DRH: I don't think any of the eggs survive. I'm pretty sure that conditions in the Lake don't lend themselves to Salmon reproduction. All of the Salmon are stocked.

11-12-2008, 06:34 AM	#7
SAMIAM Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Moultonborough Posts: 2,897 Thanks: 334 Thanked 1,676 Times in 586 Posts	It's even more fun to watch people in the spring (when the suckers run) showing their kids all the beautiful salmon under the bridge.

11-14-2008, 09:28 AM	#9
Onshore Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 502 Thanks: 12 Thanked 423 Times in 145 Posts	I worked summers in the Fisheries Program at NH Fish & Game when I was in college. What I can offer with some confidence is that Landlocked Salmon area a "sub-species" of Atlantic Salmon. They are capable of natural reproduction, but might not be capable of reproducing with high enough survival rates to keep up with fishing pressure. For this reason Fish and Game steps in and traps several salmon each year, "strips" them, and raises the fertilized eggs in the hatchery over the winter for release the following year. Atlantic Salmon are very different from any Pacific species in that they don't die after spawning. Most will return in the spring and hold in their parent streams through the summer. They will eat during this time. Additional fish may return to the parent streams in the fall. The actual spawn occurs in the fall after which the fish move back down stream to the sea from which they may return and spawn again. Seeing as it's been about 15 years since my time in fisheries and I dealt exclusively with ocean run fish, I'm going to see if I get convince someone from F & G to chip in some info on land-locked behavior...