Probably sockeye Hup

http://www.fpc.org/bon_jda/sockeye.html

HR:
Good question as that is exactly what I was trying to document with the photos. The lower photo is two like the top two shown in the second photo. The smaller smolt have the prominent pars (vertical stripes/bars/blobs) and are documented in several books/journals for smolt ID. The most common definition says the pars on sockey are above the lateral line and that seems to be the case except when the are not. MP's link shows a wide variety of photos with par marks in various locations and totally absent. We have found other books/journals that say sockeye smolt do not have spots so a lot of variety in the id info I have found. May be area variations but so far it looks like larger smolt are hard to id with the absence of par marks. It looks like subtle overall shape differences and fin construction are the tie breakers. We are trying to differentiate between the most likely other smolt(coho) and it appears the most definitive characteristic is the par marks being lower or completely below the lateral line. MP's link backs that up.

Good info UB. Are the two in the second photo like or are they the exact fish?

I have noticed that a very small number of sockeye will have a few spots along the back, but they are few and far between. Without a journal and a log of numbers, I would have to make a guess that maybe < 2% have the spots.

HR:
The two in the 2nd photo are like the ones in the third photo but not the same smolt. I assume you mean the 2% spot estimate relates to adult fish as most of the smolt I am seeing here are spotted along the back. I'm guessing but the par mark visibility may be related to age. The guys were happy last night as it was the first night they netted without snow or rain.

when in doubt look at the gill rakers, little harder on smolt than adults.

MP:
The next time my curiosity gets the best of me I'll know better than to ask or I'll be off counting branchiostegals. At least I got away with misspelling the parr marks.
Bob

There's usually some good dolly fishing to be had when the sockeye smolt are on the move! When I used to count smolt, they would really run at night and it was fun tying into big fish that you couldn't see in the dark.

Going after dollies in the morning if the wind lays down some. Loaded up on 1/8th oz. castmasters for my ultralight. Should be real good by now. I never tried them at night, sounds like fun.

I've never done the dollies but have gotten some decent Char when the smolt are running

They are called Kings! LOL!

Nice Char Bob! I have caught a few dollies with the big pink spots like that during the fall. Really pretty. Wish they got that big here. Headed out to wet a line now. Had to check in first and see what's up.

Where is the Fred Myer store getting their ground beef from? Awful cheap compared to what I am paying for the same product here in NY.

Nice fish Bob...

Well, the dolly fishing was a bust. Rivers were raging from all the rain and the beaches were blown out by the easterlies. Adjusted and went to one of my favorite trout lakes. Caught 25 or so and kept enough for a couple of meals. Made chicken salad out of chicken crap as the saying goes...

Biggest one of the day..


Not the biggest one of the day..

Single egg hooks....Pautzke's Balls O' Fire?

Pretty good Brother Dave! First one (and the biggest) was on a 1/8 oz. green and silver kastmaster. I had two other hits on the spoon then switched to the Balls O' Fire- fished a couple of feet below a small casting bubble with a single split shot. You da' man!

Buskin?

nice trout i fished for about half an hour tonight while on a walk with my mom and sister and got a 12" dolly, 8" cutty, and a 16" cutty. there were fish flipping all over the place. it was pretty neat never seen so many trout on that river. i had only planned on make a few casts into my favorite hole so i only brought the rod and my favorite fly. was really wishing i would have brought a dry fly. looked like a great night for it.

Nope, we can't fish for rainbows in the Buskin these days, only stocked lakes. There is a small 2 to 3 acre lake on the CG Base out on the penninsula. It doesn't get stocked very often but it doesn't get much pressure either. The otters take many more than the fishermen do. I haven't fished it in a few years, but it seems to be doing pretty good. Fried trout for breakfast in the AM!

I haven't caught a cutty in years. I think the last one was in St. Mary's near Glacier N.P. in 1991. Beautiful fish! This lake has heavily wooded shoreline and only a few places to cast from. A lot of surface activity on calm days, but nearly impossible to flyfish except from a tube. Nothing like taking them on a dry though!