Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[eddy]

Chum limit to be reduced to ZERO?
You are kidding, right, Rodney?
Why would that be? 
There are so many chum every year!

[Fish Slayer]

Or it might be a way to try and control the snagging problems. Lots of chum means it's easy to snag them, who is going to want to go snag chum ALL day to try and get a couple coho? Back in the day there was no retention of chum on the chilliwack river...

[Stratocaster]

Or it might be a way to try and control the snagging problems. Lots of chum means it's easy to snag them, who is going to want to go snag chum ALL day to try and get a couple coho? Back in the day there was no retention of chum on the chilliwack river...

Yep, no retention of chum, pinks and adult chinook.  I often wonder what the fishing experience would be like if those species were closed for retention after a certain date say Sept 30?

[chris gadsden]

Reason for making the limit zero is probably because of the flood in 2006 wiping out a large percentage of the chum eggs.

As well all the gravel mining that goes on every two years is compromising good spawning beds. If you pay attention you will notice how loose around the pits the gravel is, most fish will avoid this loose gravel as if they do spawn there it will easily wash away or get covered over by more gravel as the gravel will move around easy.

Gravel extraction in rivers is just bad, especially when they just want it for aggregate and not doing it for flood protection.

[Fish Slayer]

Yep, no retention of chum, pinks and adult chinook.  I often wonder what the fishing experience would be like if those species were closed for retention after a certain date say Sept 30?

The good old days when the coho came back thick... However now you need skill and experience to hook up with a decent number in a day. I could only imagine the number of coho an ethical angler from today could hook back then when the numbers were good. Sure it sucks that there are less coho returning this day and age however it has really increased the skill level of the anglers who stick to their ethical ways.

Joe, I don't think it would have anything to do with snagging. If that was the case then they would shut down retention on the other species as well.

I also doubt it has anything to do with the snagging as well but one can only hope I guess.



[/quote]

[Stratocaster]

The good old days when the coho came back thick... However now you need skill and experience to hook up with a decent number in a day. I could only imagine the number of coho an ethical angler from today could hook back then when the numbers were good. Sure it sucks that there are less coho returning this day and age however it has really increased the skill level of the anglers who stick to their ethical ways. I also doubt it has anything to do with the snagging as well but one can only hope I guess.

I remember as a complete newbie back in 1990, averaging 7 coho each morning on store bought roe.  I went to the same spot every time, never thought of searching out better places.  I wonder how I would have done then knowing what I know now.

[NiceFish]

okay...thats it. One of the above 3 coho pro's...has to take me fishing with them, free packed lunch!!!!

[vancook]

okay...thats it. One of the above 3 coho pro's...has to take me fishing with them, free packed lunch!!!!

I second this request, I'll bring the beverages

[adriaticum]

I second this request, I'll bring the beverages

Coho a tough to catch these days because every spot that has coho has trillion people in it.
When people see others catching coho in one spot they have to join them immediately.
They spoil it for the guy that's catching the fish.
People just don't appreciate the fact that if there is more than one guy in a small run the coho will spook.
When you catch one fish in a small pool chances are you won't catch another one for a while. You have to give it a rest for an hour.
Few years back I had 3-4 pools that I could regularly catch coho if I left them alone for an hour. I visit them each twice in the morning and I would have a bite or two. A fish or two.
It was a blast.
But there was nobody around.
Now, it a zoo.

[milo]

Chum limit to be reduced to ZERO?
You are kidding, right, Rodney?
Why would that be? 
There are so many chum every year!

The numbers are simply not there. Instead of the expected 12-15 million fish, test fisheries have shown that the number is under 1 million.
Where did the chum go?
Probably a similar mystery as the sockeye that never came last year.

I partake in the chum derby at Brown Bay's marina every year, but this year I will pass, as the most recent reports are of numerous guide boats coming EMPTY HANDED from a full day fishing for chum. Many of the missing fish are LML stock, so that is why the Vedder will see a quota of ZERO chum retention for the first time in years.

Tough luck for some...maybe there will be less people on the Vedder for that reason alone.

[Rodney]

The fishery notice for chum salmon retention closure will be available tomorrow. It will come in effect on October 15th as I mentioned earlier.

Here are some FYIs.

Outlook of 2010's chum salmon return to the Lower Fraser River.

Quantitative forecasts are not prepared for Fraser River chums (catch by stock and escapement information is limited). On average, the largest contributing age class

to Fraser chum escapement is 4 year-olds (75-85%). Consequently, the most significant brood year contributing to the returns in 2010 should be from the 2006 escapement. Fraser chum escapement in 2006 was assessed at 2.0 M; this is equal to the recent 11 year escapement average (1998-2008 average: 2.0 M). However,

Fraser chum escapement has been trending downward over the last 11 years. Both the 2007 & 2008 escapement was estimated at 1.0M; the escapement goal for

Fraser chum is 0.8 M. An estimate of the 2009 escapement is not yet available although early indications are that escapement to some of the largest contributors

(e.g. Harrison & Stave) are substantially below recent levels. Hatchery contribution to recent escapement is poorly understood. Production releases of fed fry have declined in the Fraser since the 1990’s (from a 20M annual average for 1991-1997 to a 5.5M average for 1998-2008; hatchery releases of fed fry of the 2006 brood totaled only 4.3M. Although parental escapement in 2006 was high, the recent downward trend in escapement, the early indications of lower than average escapement in 2009, and a decrease in hatchery production of fed-fry for this brood year, provides for an assessment of low to near target. (2009 Outlook status: 3)

The low forecast was discussed at the spring SFAC meeting.

Chilliwack Hatchery staff expressed concern about the 2010 return of chum salmon because of a major flood in the fall of 2006 that likely had a significant effect on this years return.  In addition the three year old return in 2007 was the lowest on record also suggesting that the chum return in 2010 will be very low.  Due to the above the hatchery staff requested non-retention of chum in 2010 for this year only.

The UFV SFAC, given the concern expressed by Chilliwack Hatchery staff of the anticipated low returns of chum salmon, moves that the chum fishery on the Chilliwack/Vedder River be non-retention for 2010 only.

[liketofish]

Well, then leave the female chum alone. Just take the male chum. I guess this will be 'roe-hardship' for some.  )   Want to do that for the fish? 

[Rodney]

Well, then leave the female chum alone. Just take the male chum.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fertilisation

[roeman]

Imagine how many chum get killed just for the roe and the fish is thrown back into the river.  See it all the time...

[chris gadsden]

Imagine how many chum get killed just for the roe and the fish is thrown back into the river.  See it all the time...

Thats a shame as I have smoked two this year and they are very good tasting done this way.