By Rodney Hsu

Having a great salmon bbq meal and sharing laughters among family and friends on a Warm, sunny September weather, that's exactly what took place at the Seymour salmon hatchery open house day on September 30th. On this day, the public had a chance to witness the work that has been done to sustain the salmon populations of Seymour River.

Volunteers like myself showed up early in the morning to complete the final preparation before the day started. By ten o'clock, the first bus load of visitors arrived and the entire hatchery was filled with fish enthusiasists by noon.

For the kids, it was a day of excitement and education. Games such as the original Seymour hatchery fishing game and egg number guess were set up to occupy those little minds. They also got to see some real fish, from tiny cutthroat smolts to large spawning cohos.

The hatchery staff (Brian, Marc and James) guided tours around the facilities while the official hatchery chef Doug managed to cook up a delicious salmon BBQ for the hungry visitors.

Of course, an hatchery tour can not be perfect without some fishing tips. Hatchery volunteer and flyfisher Wally Nowak demonstrated the art of fly tying while sharing his fishing stories as many watched on with amazement.

The Seymour salmon hatchery was built in 1987 and it plays a great role of sustaining the fish population and improving habitat of the Seymour River. The species that are looked after by the hatchery include coho, steelhead, cutthroat trout, chum and pink salmon. The hatchery is located in the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve and the public can visit it by a bike ride through the beautiful Seymour Demonstration Forest. If you have more question regarding the hatchery or you would like to spend some time volunteering, then you can visit their website.