An ODFW fish biologist found this male sockeye salmon, identified with a green tag, spawning in the Metolius River near Camp Sherman. A radio tag antenna extends from the fish’s mouth.
-Photo by ODFW-
On September 28, 2012, a fish biologist with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife confirmed the first observed spawning sockeye in the Metolius River in over 45 years.
Mike Gauvin spotted the fish while conducting annual kokanee spawning surveys in the Metolius River near the town of Camp Sherman.
“I saw a flash of red color and was able to see the green tags that confirmed it was a sockeye,” he said. “I stayed very still so I would not disturb the fish and watched it swim over its redd; I snapped a few photos and was able to see the radio tag antenna trailing out of it mouth.”
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