Tod A. Jones, Project Mgr. for Clatsop Co. Economic Development Fisheries Project in Astoria, WA. will speak at our Nov. meeting, about a unique salmon egg planting device and method.

Mist Incubation and Eyed Egg Planting To Be Featured Video at Nov. Meeting

Tod A. Jones invented a unique salmon egg planting device that plants the eggs deep in the gravel of the stream and results in a high egg-fry survival. In a recent telephone interview, Mr. Jones explained the process.

In 1979, while working with an aqua-culture group in SE Alaska on the Metlakatla Federal Indian Reserve, they wanted to plant sockeye above a barrier falls. The standard way to plant eyed eggs was for US Fish & Wildlife personnel to take eggs from wild fish, fertilize them, and then broadcast the eggs into the upper stream.

At my home in Randle, I began experimenting with a garden hose and water pressure. The egg planting device {patent pending} is basically a one inch pipe that drills into the gravel of a streambed using high water pressure. The water is stopped; the eggs are sent down the pipe and deposited in the streambed, under the gravel.

Alaska Fish & Game issued Jones a Scientific Education Permit to deposit 100,000 pink salmon eggs. Mr. Jones believes we need to jump start the system by placing pinks and chum salmon. “When I first started, there were 10 chum in the system. Now there are 20,000. Chum put nutrients into the system at virtually no cost, because they don’t stay around in the riverine environment.”

Tod also trialed a new mist incubation system that gives infinite control, good filtration and uses no harsh chemicals during the incubation process. Jones compared the mist incubator to a similar mist a grocery store owner automates to spray over the produce. His system is able to control water temperature and with mechanical filters, he can filter to two microns. He gets ten times better survival rate if the eggs are eyed before placing them in the stream.

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A team of Fish First volunteers met with a crew filming for ’The New Flyfisher,’ a PBS program produced by Colin McKeown that focuses on fly-fishing education and conservation. They spent a few days in late October filming at G. Loomis and at Fish First projects sites for this sportsman T.V. show.

They filmed parts of the Doty project, a functioning 55 gallon egg box and nutrient enhancement-dumping carcasses in Lewis River tributaries. [Al Felcher and his assistant Dennis Frantz have taken over nutrient enhancement duties with over 5000 carcasses placed thus far.]

In attendance was Bob Shirley, President of the WA Council Federation of Flyfishers. This is an international organization based in Bozeman, Montana.

Visit them on the web at www.thenewflyfisher.com

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This summer the Fish First Board of Directors hired Elizabeth A. Landrigan as an Administrative and Bookkeeping Assistant. She is taking care of mailing this newsletter, letter writing, and bookkeeping for the board.

Liz has worked for Deborah Kennel State Farm Insurance in Woodland, as a receptionist. She worked for the City of Salem, OR as an occupancy coordinator and office assistant. She has been a church secretary for Faith Lutheran Church in Keiser, OR. She has also worked as an administrative assistant to Key Bank, and as an Information Services Admin. Assistant to Saddleback Community College District in CA.

Landrigan has taken over the membership mailings and provides clerical support as needed. She has excellent communication and organizational skills and has an Associates degree from Saddleback Community College, Mission Viejo, CA.

Please welcome Liz when you see her at our meetings. She is working for our membership too.

If you have a project for her, or want to make suggestions, contact Liz at

360-225-1352, PO Box 1825, Woodland, WA., 98674

scottliz28@aol.com