Gill maggots

[elwyman]

Where do they come from, and why is it just kelts that get infested with them?

[betanut]

Gill maggots are naturally occuring in fresh water and most salmon become hosts to the female maggot once they have returned home to spawn.
If my recollection is sound it's only the female that you actually see in amongst the gills on kelts (and indeed baggots) as the male remains a free swimmer.

Why do they get infested? - I guess as they're tired and shagged out from spawning But seriously, they're run down and very susecptible to disease and infestation. Most of the gill maggots will be gone once the fish has succesfully returned to the marine environment.

[elwyman]

Thanks Betanut, you learn something everyday!

[betanut]

graham said:

..... and due to many of them being in relatively better condition than salmon kelts.

Very much the case - I wonder if the better condition of the Sea Trout post spawning is down to the fact that they will feed in fresh water wheras their cousins will not..... ? Logical?

[elwyman]

betanut said:

graham said:

..... and due to many of them being in relatively better condition than salmon kelts.

Very much the case - I wonder if the better condition of the Sea Trout post spawning is down to the fact that they will feed in fresh water wheras their cousins will not..... ? Logical?

Possibly, but I get the impression that most sea trout kelts don't linger in the river as long as salmon kelts.

[sagecaster]

Graham
Correct me if I' m wrong but there are some v big brownies to be caught too at that time of year. Last April I saw one which had been caught on the Spey below the bridge at Fochabers which would have been around 5lbs. Authenticated by Colin from the Brae, he told me that these big fish tend to be only catchable during the hatch in the spring and then they disappear. I take it that they must feed on parr the rest of the year?

[stu47]

Is it not so that the fish get infested by the maggots long before they spawn?

[macsalmo]

graham said:

Very often the sea trout kelts will hang around a week or two longer than the salmon kelts. At least they do in the rivers of Aberdeenshire. The sea trout kelts do start feeding again in freshwater, it is quite common to take sea trout kelts on dry flies during March Brown or LDO hatches while you are targeting what you think are brown trout rising to the natural flies.

Yes Graham, I fished the Lune at Kirkby Lonsdale for a season several years ago and during April/May whilst fishing for brownies in the dark olive hatches caught several Sea Trout kelts to my surprise.

Gary

[stu47]

Thought that,caught a grilse in august full of them,fish was black as fire back,but i noticed its gills looked very pale when unhooking it

[ibm59]

A word of warning , guys. Just because a fish doesn't have gill maggots does NOT mean it is a fresh fish.
I was fishing the Leven today and hooked , played & landed what looked like a fresh springer in every way. No maggots , raggedy fins , black cap or any of the obvious signs of a kelt.
Only a very slight thinness for its size gave the game away.
Beware!!

[elwyman]

ibm59 said:

A word of warning , guys. Just because a fish doesn't have gill maggots does NOT mean it is a fresh fish.
I was fishing the Leven today and hooked , played & landed what looked like a fresh springer in every way. No maggots , raggedy fins , black cap or any of the obvious signs of a kelt.
Only a very slight thinness for its size gave the game away.
Beware!!

Why do you think it was a kelt, and not a skinny springer?

[ibm59]

Check out the photo's of Leven spingers on www.robbieredball.net , images 2006, and you'll see why the thinness made me wonder.Plus it would be a very early fish. They're normally very chunky fish weighing more than you would expect. I'm smiling Brian , third from left , top row of images. 14lbs May last year. B.
ps should have added that today's fish was only around 6/7lbs whereas a Leven springer seldom clocks in under 10lbs. When you get one that is. They're not exactly thick on the ground.

[granters]

ibm59 said:

Check out the photo's of Leven spingers on www.robbieredball.net , images 2006, and you'll see why the thinness made me wonder.Plus it would be a very early fish. They're normally very chunky fish weighing more than you would expect. I'm smiling Brian , third from left , top row of images. 14lbs May last year. B.
ps should have added that today's fish was only around 6/7lbs whereas a Leven springer seldom clocks in under 10lbs. When you get one that is. They're not exactly thick on the ground.

Hopefully have one of them myslef on Saturday!What did you have the fish on today?

[ibm59]

Cascade on 1" copper tube fished off a Michael Evans intermediate with a home made 10' fast sinking tip. Be careful wading .The water is dropping but is still pretty high. B.

[pertempledog]

Equally, and to add to the confusion, according to some (and it is referreed to in Mancolm Greenhalgh's book "the Complete Salmon Fisher") gill maggots do not have to mean it is not a fresh fish. There is evidence, particularly of fish that are returning to the river for a second or third time, of maggots in otherwise brand new fish.

PT

[ibm59]

Doesn't salt water kill them off then ? I've never seen them on a sealiced fish.
Does anyone know?