Appeal Tribune
❚ WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2019 ❚ 1B
Sports
How did coho salmon end up
in the North Santiam River?
Zach Urness
Salem Statesman Journal
USA TODAY NETWORK
T
he legend of how
Oregon’s most deli-
cious fish arrived in
the North Santiam
River includes some
pretty wild stories. h Some say the
fish took flight, surviving a tumble
through the turbines of Detroit
and Big Cliff dams to establish a
population
in
the
river
be-
low. h Others say a truckload of
baby fish were released into Stout
Creek. Still, others say an enter-
prising angler broke into a fish
hatchery, stole juvenile fish and
released them into the Santiam to
improving fishing. h Like all leg-
ends, it’s hard to know the differ-
ence between truth and fiction,
and the reality is probably much
simpler, say wildlife officials.
But however coho salmon ended up
in the Santiam, many anglers are happy
to see them this time of year.
“They have the best meat I’ve ever
had,” said longtime angler and shuttle
driver Bob Lusk, the source of a few co-
ho legends. “We ate one for Thanksgiv-
ing a few years ago and, boy, it tasted
better than any turkey we’ve ever tast-
ed.”
Fishing guide Mike Ferris pilots his boat down the North Santiam River between Stayton and Shelburn in June.
ZACH URNESS/ STATESMAN JOURNAL
So, where did coho really come
from?
How to catch ’em
Coho aren’t native to the Santiam,
and they don’t return in big numbers ev-
ery year. But wildlife officials said this
has been a robust season, with more
than 8,500 fish swimming above Wil-
lamette Falls — the most since 2014.
Coho are 12 to 16 pounds, a classic
chrome color, and anglers are allowed to
harvest two per day. Lusk said he catch-
es them from September all the way
through Thanksgiving on the Santiam.
Coho enjoy the deep and slow waters,
off the main current. Lusk even uses his
boat to get into the sloughs on the far
edges of the stream, typically down-
stream of Stayton and Mehama bridge.
“Their numbers fluctuate, but in gen-
eral the fishing is better now than it was
20 years ago,” Lusk said.
Coho are certainly in the minority
there. All the other salmon and steel-
A coho salmon in a fisherman’s net. STATESMAN JOURNAL FILE
head have seen major declines on the
Santiam.
To catch coho, Lusk said he uses a #3
Blue Fox lure with a splash of pink, along
with a blue pilot wiggle wart.
The Santiam isn’t the only place coho
swim nearby.
Depending on the run, coho can
reach the Tualatin, Molalla, Yamhill and
Luckiamute rivers, as well as Rickreall
Creek, said Oregon Fish and Wildlife
Department biologist Elise Kelley.
“The Yamhill River usually has the
strongest runs,” she said.
Coho are interesting not just because
of their taste, but because it’s not clear
exactly how they arrived in the North
Santiam or Upper Willamette water-
shed.
Historically, only winter steelhead
and spring chinook could migrate above
Willamette Falls on high flows.
The official story on coho is that be-
ginning in the 1950s, wildlife officials
stocked all manner of fish above Wil-
lamette Falls, hoping to improve fishing,
including coho.
“They never did much — we never es-
tablished a population,” said Bruce
McIntosh, deputy fish chief of inland
fisheries for the Oregon Department of
Fish and Wildlife. “It petered out in the
1980s and by the 1990s they’d mostly
disappeared.”
But then a funny thing happened.
Ocean conditions improved and, seem-
ingly out of nowhere, coho began re-
turning in big numbers. After being a
See SALMON, Page 2B
Kennedy, St. Paul win volleyball titles
Pete Martini Salem Statesman Journal
USA TODAY NETWORK
State cross country results
Volleyball
Silverton: 17. Trevor Ortega (16:21.1); 23. Jadon Mansur (16:30.5);
44. Jonathan Hansen (17:02.5); 52. Carter Gauvin (17:12.2); 64. An-
drew Fronza (17:34.4); 74. Colin Allen (17:57.6); 77. Sam Ellingson
(18:08.7).
Individual state champion: Evan Holland, Ashland (14:30.4)
Team state champion: Ashland (41).
Local team placing: 7. Silverton (188).
CLASS 5A BOYS
OSAA CLASS 2A
Kennedy: The Trojans beat Central
Linn 3-0 on Saturday to capture the
OSAA Class 2A state championship.
In the title match, Sophia Carley had
18 kills for Kennedy in the victory, and
Ellie Cantu had 25 assists.
The Trojans finished the season 33-1.
CLASS 1A
St. Paul: The Buckaroos beat Powder
Valley 3-0 on Saturday to win the OSAA
Class 1A state championship.
In the title match, Isabelle Wyss had
18 kills for St. Paul, and Karlee Souther-
land added 18 assists.
Perrydale: Perrydale lost 3-0 to Da-
mascus Christian on Saturday to place
sixth in the state tournament.
Perrydale beat Crosshill Christian 3-2
in the consolation.
CLASS 4A
North Marion: North Marion lost 3-0
to Banks in the consolation round on
Saturday at the OSAA Class 4A state
tournament.
Cross country
CLASS 5A
On the boys side, Silverton placed
seventh. Trevor Ortega led the team fin-
ishing 17th in 16.21.1.
CLASS 4A BOYS
Stayton: 23. Ben Kirby (16:36.5).
Individual state champion: John Peckham (15:48.7).
Team state champion: Philomath/Kings Valley (65).
CLASS 4A GIRLS
Stayton: 10. Hope Bridge (19:14.2); 28. Hailey Notman (20:14.2);
34. Bridget Spencer (20:38.7); 45. Jessica Mitchell (21:05.4); 50.
Skyla Anderson (21:24.7); 60. Emma Frazeur (22:11.6); 73. Sarah
Wolf (23:00.7).
Individual state champion: Ella Thorsett, Sisters (17:43.7)
Team state champion: Marist (50).
Local team placing: 5. Stayton (141).
CLASS 3A BOYS
Amity: 26. Drew McMullen (17:43.5).
Blanchet: 43. Andrew Hill (18:34.1).
Individual state champion: Henry Coughlin, Enterprise/Jo-
seph/Wallowa (15:58.9)
Team state champion: Enterprise/Joseph/Wallowa (35).
Local team placing: 6. Santiam Christian (177).
CLASS 3A/2A/1A GIRLS
Kennedy’s Ibeth Gomez sets the ball in a match on Oct. 21. On Saturday, Kennedy
beat Central Linn 3-0 to win the Class 2A state championship. ANNA REED/STATESMAN
JOURNAL
CLASS 4A GIRLS AND BOYS
Stayton’s girls team placed fifth in
the OSAA Class 4A state meet, with
Hope Bridge leading the Eagles with a
10th-place finish at 19:14.2.
On the boys side, Stayton’s Ben Kirby
was 23rd with a time of 16:36.5.
CLASS 3A BOYS, 3A/2A/1A GIRLS,
2A/1A BOYS
In the 3A/2A/1A girls meet, Kennedy
placed seventh, with Cassie Traeger
leading the Trojans with a 25th-place
finish at 21:10.0.
In the 2A/1A boys meet, Chemawa
placed 10th, with Clement Afterbuffalo
finishing 16th at 17:12.6 to lead the team.
Kennedy: 25. Cassie Traeger (21:10.0); 30. Kylee Rodriguez
(21:25.5); 40. Aleksandra Eyles (22:01.1); 53. Whitney Lopez
(23:19.6); 62. Mikayla Schaecher (24:14.2); 70. Gisell Juarez
(25:16.5); 72. Haley Kline (25:21.0).
Scio: 17. Athena Lau (20:33.1).
Individual state champion: Lila Fenner, Catlin Gabel
(18:49.2).
Team state champion: Burns (43).
Local team placing: 7. Kennedy (170).
CLASS 2A/1A BOYS
Chemawa: 16. Clement Afterbuffalo (17:12.6); 43. Tyrrel Francis-
co (18:05.2); 55. Isaac Corn (18:50.7); 60. Davey Hogan (19:12.2);
65. Nazaire Brisbois (19:48.6); 66. Ryan Weir (20:04.6); 74. Aurelio
Morrillo (22:41.4).
St. Paul: 12. Broden Lear (16:49.8).
Individual state champion: Seth Bergeron, St. Stephens
Academy (15:50.5).
Team state champion: St. Stephens Academy (42).
Local team placing: 10. Chemawa (208).