RE: The creature from the black lagoon...

[Rex S. Takasugi]

Sean,               Enjoyed your story about the big Coho in the beaver pond…               Found this article about controlling beavers and it had an interesting comment regarding Coho fry:   http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wlr/Dss/beavers/beaverintro.htm   “Recent studies indicate that coho that are reared in beaver ponds find more food, refuge from floods and predators, and may be twice the size of juveniles that are not reared in beaver ponds.”               So, I guess it is a good thing that you are spotting Coho in the beaver ponds…               My wife and I regularly walk the Soos Creek Trail down in Kent and I am seeing more and more beaver activity along Soos Creek, so this might be positive for Coho survival.  I have spotted what I think are salmon fry towards the north end of the trail, just a quarter mile south of the 208th parking area.  An elementary school teacher I know has his students raise Coho fry and plant the fry in Soos Creek further south along the trail, so it seems that some should survive and populate upper Soos Creek naturally in future years.  I’ve yet to spot an adult salmon in Soos Creek along the trail, but I’ve smelt a couple of dead ones occasionally.  It seems like a few of the hatchery salmon would make it past the Soos Creek Hatchery, but thus far I haven’t seen any adults in the creek by the trail.   Tight lines!   Rex