Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: rides bike to work on October 05, 2010, 08:49:07 PM
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I would like to take a talley on the red spings caught in the vedder in september october Personaly I have none while we are at it lets talley the whites to.By red sring I mean the meat is red.The topic of the type of springs coming up the vedder realy intrests me because I have notice a farther separation in the different speceis of salmon in the non pink years (tons of springs leading into tons of chum with less coho)to pink run years(lots of pinks leading into fair coho fair chum and low springs).Are these results a part of aplan in place by fisheries or was it a crap shoot back in the day that gives a our current populations of species.And if this is a part of a plan why dont they focus on boosting a red spring fishery wich are better table fair.
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There are 3 stocks of Chinook in the Chilliwack-Vedder: indigenous summer run fish, entering the system in late June thru August, spawning in late September. This stock is genetically extinct but I’m told a few exist - they were a hoot to fish for in the early 70’s when more abundant.
Next to arrive are the hatchery summer reds , a mix of interior stocks from systems like Bowron River, Finn Creek and Chilko River. These fish spawn late August - early September and are essentially a put and take fishery as wild recruitment is minimal due to poor egg/fry/smolt production.
Last to arrive are the fall whites, derived from Harrison River stock. This is what is in the Chilliwack now and has been for the last month. When fresh and new, the flesh of these fish is pink; almost steelhead flesh coloured. After a week or so in the river this flesh colour fades to the more common white or marbled look. Again, wild recruitment from fall whites, with the possible exception of Sweltzer Creek spawners, is minimal.
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I have gotten around 10 of the reds over the last few years in September/October.
I have even got one that was chrome in November.
There are a few reds around in the system in later months.
Have heard that this is the last remnants of the native run to the Vedder. They like roe.
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Lets see some meat shots. Every one and their dog seems to be catching these 'red' chinook. Not saying they don't exist but in all my years I can't say I've ever seen one... :-\ Granted I never really target adult chinook in the fall.
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Meat is in the freezer but if you are desperate to see it, yes, it is red. Very red. Not light pink not marble, but red.
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Sterling, I will email you a photo of one I caught last week and you can post it for me. Unfortunately, it did not taste as good as I remembered the reds I caught in July years ago. I thought it tasted more like a white.
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My brother just pulled in the driveway with a 26 lb pure red from the Vedder...not one incling of marble or white in it. I just fillet it in half.....he gave me half. Dinner has been decided.
Very happy right now :)
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My brother just pulled in the driveway with a 26 lb pure red from the Vedder...not one incling of marble or white in it. I just fillet it in half.....he gave me half. Dinner has been decided.
Very happy right now :)
Pics or it didn't happen :-\
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I saw a spring a guy was calling red...it wasn't what I would call a red. I agree with Sterling in that I think a lot of people are calling fish reds that arent.
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I saw a spring a guy was calling red...it wasn't what I would call a red. I agree with Sterling in that I think a lot of people are calling fish reds that arent.
I def know my fish.... and I don't keep many white.
I can say for certain these were RED chinook and not white.
I have caught many whites that were fresh with pale pink meat, etc but these were blood red.
Don;t need to believe me or anyone else but they are there.
Remember, I use to fish the Vedder every day for 4 years in a roe after school, weekends, etc so I ran into a lot of weird stuff over those years.
What about the December chromer chum? Seen any of those? I can say I've caught a few.
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Pics or it didn't happen :-\
Not that I should have to post pictures.......there is no question that today's catch is a pure red spring
(http://members.shaw.ca/rcompserve1/redspring/P1020467.jpg)
(http://members.shaw.ca/rcompserve1/redspring/P1020468.jpg)
(http://members.shaw.ca/rcompserve1/redspring/P1020471.jpg)
(http://members.shaw.ca/rcompserve1/redspring/P1020472.jpg)
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That's a beauty Robert!!
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that is as red as mine was last week, however mine was a hatchery
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That a boy, you just put an end to the debate whether there are red ones in there or not. Thank you for the pics!!
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At least until the next red spring come along. ;D
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Fall Marble and Reds are becoming more common each year in the Vedder. It's getting to the point where I can tell before I bonk it whether it's Red/Marble, or White. There is a difference. Even looking at this picture I posted, you would NOT think that was a white spring. It looks exactly the like the summer reds caught in the Fraser.
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Posting this one on behalf of Norm.
(http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz222/fishingadventures/09302010047.jpg?t=1286858549)
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I got a red yesterday.
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Marble is a separate flesh color from white - not fresher white fish. However, all flesh colors fade as the fish stay in fresh water longer, so a marble will eventually be as pale as a white. I have caught white springs in the ocean as white as a fresh white jack on the vedder - it is a genetic variant relaed to how well the fish can metabolize the red dyes (not the scientific term, I know) in their diet. On Saturday I bonked a fresh marbled female which was clearly different from the white chrome jack my dad bonked. Then came the surprise - I landed a spring which you could tell from the outside was a red. I was hoping it was a big coho before I landed it - it was turning red on the whole side just like a coho (as opposed to the pink highlights you sometimes see on the bellies of white springs). Red tint on the entire outside of the fish. Given that white meat is a recessive trait (it takes two white parents to make a white spring), we can expect that if these fish are spawning together we will see more and more red springs in the fall run. I was skeptical of other people's claims of red springs this year until that fish on Saturday - now I'm convinced. The Reds are coming! The Reds are coming!
On a related note - does anyone claim to be able to tell a marble spring from a white on the outside? Also, anyone notice if the Reds are bigger or smaller than the whites?