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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Officers identified in Dunsmuir shootout ... Eugene man admits to sending suspicious letters, OSP says ... Prank raises hopes of In-N-Out in Grants Pass ... Officers identified in Dunsmuir shootout ... Eugene man admits to sending suspicious letters, OSP says ... Prank raises hopes of In-N-Out in Grants Pass ... SINCE YOU ASKED Since You Asked: First springer sounds air horn to anglers Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Mar. 31, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Mar. 31, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News I noticed on your Twitter feed that Cole Rivers Hatchery on Wednesday counted the first spring chinook salmon there so far this season. March 25 sounds awfully early. And I know from reading previous Outdoors pages that the steelhead have been real early as well. Is this early springer a record? — T.T., Medford You, T.T., and the rest of the salmon-fishing community who also read Since You Asked have asked the same question. In fact, it was such a no-brainer that Cole Rivers Hatchery Manager David Pease planned to run a report in advance of the earliest returning spring chinook, but this crack bunch at SYA Central beat him to it. Turns out the March 25 first springer is the earliest on records that date back to 1984, even though the hatchery started releasing fish into the Rogue River in the mid-1970s. The previous early fish was March 30, 2010, Pease says. And this fish was a beauty — a super-silver male weighing about 12 pounds. It was so bright, in fact, that hatchery technicians had to look closely to ensure it wasn't a female, Pease says. The first upper Rogue springer of the season is like an air horn to Southern Oregon anglers, calling them out to start fishing for one of the most celebrated and cursed fish the Rogue produces. Since they're fresh from the ocean and not ready to spawn until late summer, spring chinook are the freshest and tastiest fish you can catch in Oregon's inland waters, regardless of what the Columbia River fanatics say. But they are also the toughest to catch, particularly the hatchery chinook that just don't seem to bite as well as the wild ones. Anglers such as you, T.T., can keep just the fin-clipped hatchery springers under current angling rules. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected]. We're sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Mar. 31, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501