Salmon Knowledge

The Salmon or Salmon Salar is an amazing fish. An important source of food and nutrition for native people around the world they are also a serious challenge for anglers everywhere. Associated with legends and mystery, they have been a source of inspiration for many storytellers and writers. An essential source of food and nutrition for native people around the world. And a source of challenge for serious anglers around the world.

Types Of Salmon
There are seven species of salmon in the world, falling into two groups.

(1) Salmo - which includes:
* Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) - this is our fish.
* Rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri)
* Brown trout (Salmo trutta)

(2) Oncorhynchus - which includes the six species of Pacific salmon. These are:
* Chum salmon (keta)
* Pink salmon (gorbuscha)
* Sockeye salmon (nerka)
* Masu salmon masou)
* Coho salmon (kisutch)
* Chinook salmon (tshawytscha).

Both Pacific and Atlantic salmon are similar ecologically and in appearance. All seven species are to varying degrees anadromous. This means that they migrate out to sea from their natal freshwater lake or river, only to return at a later stage (the time can vary) to breed, and often to die.

Note: There are non-anadromous salmon also. For example, sockeye salmon have some populations found in lake systems.

The Atlantic Salmon
Of the seven species in the world, the Atlantic salmon is often referred to as the 'King of Fish'. It is the most primitive of all salmon.

Appearance
The body of the Atlantic salmon parr (juvenile salmon) is silver. A series of greyish-blue marks, almost like thumbprints can be seen along the side of the fish, a red spot between each. Brown or black spots usually dot the back also.

As they mature in the ocean their sides become bright silver, their belly silvery-white and their back olive-green to dark blue. Prior to spawning, having returned to the river, the colour fades to a bronze-pinkish colour.

Many Atlantic salmon survive after spawning (unlike Pacific salmon), reverting to a silvery colour. These fish are known as kelts and are usually rather thin. Some can regain their original size if they return to the sea, before migrating again to spawn.

Whereas many of the pacific salmon will return to their natal rivers at roughly the same time, once a year, Atlantic salmon are less rigid in their time keeping. They return throughout a given year and are known as spring, summer or autumn fish. Spawning is more strictly regulated by nature however and takes place from October through to January/February.

The Name
Salmo means 'the leaper'. The marching Romans gave this name to the Atlantic salmon over 2000 years ago. They encountered its majesty in many of the rivers of northern Europe

Common name: Atlantic salmon
Scientific name: Salmo solar
Adult weight typically: 6lb-9lb 14 oz (2.7-4.5kg)
Typical life history: 1.1-2.3 (but exceptionally 6.1-6.2) -- (Life history is described by the 'binomial' system - e.g. 2.3 means that the fish remains in fresh water for two winters and then migrates to sea, where it spends a further three winters before returning to spawn).
Breeding behaviour: Anadromous