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[buck]

BKK
Did you have to bring the "OLD" word into the equation. Everyone keeps asking me if I have retired yet. I still have a few more things I would like to accomplish before leaving. One more shot at collecting indiginous red chinook in the upper Chilliwack for one.
   

[buck]

Mark
No offense taken but the reality of removing or ceasing production of transplanted Harrison White as well as Chilliwack Red chinook would all but reduce our/your fishery to coho and steelhead only. Coho survivals are in the toilet and we may be there for some time unless ocean survivals increase.
Production of juveniles from the mainstem spawning of white chinook is very low as these fish are not adapted to our system. Returns of adults are 95 % hatchery fish and about 5% from natural production. Juveniles from the red chinook spawning are just about nil as they come out of the gravel in February when there is no food for them to eat.( Transplats from the Prince George area )
You should see a reduction of returning white chinook to the system as we have reduced production to a release of about 1.2 million from a high of 2.2 M.
As Dr Brannon said last weekend , " If you want to have salmon 20 years from now, you had better have hatcheries in your plans".

[mark]

Well said Buck, Yes very true I was making a simple point at the beginning. I agree with what you said but at the same time you must agree with the idea that white chinooks can have a serious impact on the natural species.

[Nicole]

I'll third that, Buck knows the score... He's worth his weight, and a great rod too!


Nicole

[mark]

Coho only is fine with me by the way. I don't care to fish for whites they smell too much.

[buck]

Nicole

Remember that 11' Blackhawk rod you tied for me a number of years ago? My wife drove over it with the car and it's a little worse for wear. Caught a lot of springs with that rod and hated to see it go that way.

PB

[buck]

Mark

I agree with you about catching white chinooks. There big ,smell and really don't fight that well unless your in the pond and trying to pick them up. Coho fishing is by far more challenging and lets hope we have a good season this fall. I do like to catch chinook jacks as they provide a good fight and take bait readily. Catch and release only with long needle nose pliers .

[RalphH]

Production of juveniles from the mainstem spawning of white chinook is very low as these fish are not adapted to our system. Returns of adults are 95 % hatchery fish and about 5% from natural production.

Interesting - how was this 95/5 number determined?

[buck]

RalphH
We mark all of our white chinook with a thermal mark to enable us to identify them when they return to the hatchery. Progeny of chinook that spawn in the wild do not have this thermal mark and can be identified readily.
Thermal marks are applied to alevins by adjusting the water temperature by up to 3 degrees for a period of 24 hours for a 10 day period. ( warm, cold, warm, cold etc.) These marks show up on the otolith and look very much like rings on a tree and can be easily counted .

[RalphH]

cool