Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum

Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: alwaysfishn on October 19, 2012, 12:42:32 PM

Title: Chilliwack River Hatchery
Post by: alwaysfishn on October 19, 2012, 12:42:32 PM
Has anyone gone up to the hatchery recently? They have been processing the salmon funneling into the hatchery and as of a couple days ago, they had hauled out 32 of those big plastic totes. The channel is brimming full. Looking like a great return this year!
Title: Re: Chilliwack River Hatchery
Post by: Dave on October 19, 2012, 01:31:38 PM
Damn fish farms!
Title: Re: Chilliwack River Hatchery
Post by: alwaysfishn on October 19, 2012, 04:11:36 PM
Damn fish farms!

Com'on Dave.....   You can't go blaming the fish farms for everything!
Title: Re: Chilliwack River Hatchery
Post by: Dave on October 19, 2012, 05:37:35 PM
 :D
Have to agree, runs of all species are doing well this year on the Chilliwack.  Great to see a good chum return; hope they continue long into fall.
Title: Re: Chilliwack River Hatchery
Post by: adriaticum on October 19, 2012, 09:52:42 PM
Damn fish farms!

LOL  ;D ;D
Title: Re: Chilliwack River Hatchery
Post by: chris gadsden on October 20, 2012, 07:20:04 PM
Damn fish farms!
Good man, if we can get rid of them we will have better returns. ;D ;D
Title: Re: Chilliwack River Hatchery
Post by: Dave on October 20, 2012, 07:31:02 PM
Go for a nap ya beek ;)
Title: Re: Chilliwack River Hatchery
Post by: fishyfish on October 20, 2012, 07:37:52 PM
How does it work with regards to  the required numbers of fish returning to the hatchery?  Is there a set goal for numbers of returning salmon? Is there a maximum they can handle?  Are they really wild coho or are they all  hatchery and some they don't  clip? ( great system) 
Title: Re: Chilliwack River Hatchery
Post by: chris gadsden on October 20, 2012, 07:39:55 PM
Go for a nap ya beek ;)
Where are the buds. ;D
Title: Re: Chilliwack River Hatchery
Post by: silver ghost on October 21, 2012, 12:28:20 AM
How does it work with regards to  the required numbers of fish returning to the hatchery?  Is there a set goal for numbers of returning salmon? Is there a maximum they can handle?  Are they really wild coho or are they all  hatchery and some they don't  clip? ( great system) 

Yes they spawn a certain quota of salmon as the feed budget only allows for so many fry to be raised.

Yes, wild vedder coho are true wilds, this has been discussed in recent weeks.

Yes, hatchet staff and volunteers are diligent to make sure all hatchery fish are clipped.
Title: Re: Chilliwack River Hatchery
Post by: dcajaxs on October 21, 2012, 01:06:39 PM
Yes they spawn a certain quota of salmon as the feed budget only allows for so many fry to be raised.

Yes, wild vedder coho are true wilds, this has been discussed in recent weeks.

Yes, hatchet staff and volunteers are diligent to make sure all hatchery fish are clipped.

thanks for the info, I thought this is what the hatchery does, One questions I do have about the hatchery fish is do they select by size and weight or just take an amount of coho for rearing the next generation?
Title: Re: Chilliwack River Hatchery
Post by: dnibbles on October 21, 2012, 05:43:10 PM
They only spawn the biggest ones.
Title: Re: Chilliwack River Hatchery
Post by: Dave on October 21, 2012, 09:40:13 PM
They only spawn the biggest ones.
Last I heard the Chilliwack hatchery attempts to spawn three groups of coho; early, middle and late timed arrivals to the hatchery.  The key word here is arrivals as water conditions play a huge part in when these fish show up to be sorted and eventually spawned.  Historically, early run timed coho spawned in tributaries of Chilliwack Lake and Post Creek; mid timed runs spawned in the mid river main stem and tribs like Neskawatch, Foley, Pierce, Borden, Slesse, Deer, and perhaps lower Tamihi and Liumchen Creeks.
Lower river coho, the late timed group, are now pretty much a memory but once provided a fun but not abundant November fishery back in the late 60’s, early 70’s  . These fish spawned in Salwein, Hopedale and pretty much any back channel or ditch that consistently held water for an appreciable amount of time.

But that was then and this is now .. Nibs, have things changed?  Anything new regarding coho enhancement on the Chilliwack coming down the pipe?   Perhaps some strategic late run broodstock collections and subsequent fry releases to these lower sites?
Hate to put you on the spot bud but you know that comes with the turf and that's why you are here on FWR  :D



Title: Re: Chilliwack River Hatchery
Post by: clarki on October 22, 2012, 11:32:27 PM
Last I heard the Chilliwack hatchery attempts to spawn three groups of coho; early, middle and late timed arrivals to the hatchery.  The key word here is arrivals as water conditions play a huge part in when these fish show up to be sorted and eventually spawned.  Historically, early run timed coho spawned in tributaries of Chilliwack Lake and Post Creek; mid timed runs spawned in the mid river main stem and tribs like Neskawatch, Foley, Pierce, Borden, Slesse, Deer, and perhaps lower Tamihi and Liumchen Creeks.
Lower river coho, the late timed group, are now pretty much a memory but once provided a fun but not abundant November fishery back in the late 60’s, early 70’s  . These fish spawned in Salwein, Hopedale and pretty much any back channel or ditch that consistently held water for an appreciable amount of time.

Very interesting, Dave! Thx
Title: Re: Chilliwack River Hatchery
Post by: salmonrook on October 23, 2012, 10:02:27 AM
Could this be why there seems to be a large number of wild coho left in the river versus hatchery.The latest ones i have caught have been wild and noticed a few members mentioning they have caught wild as well.
Title: Re: Chilliwack River Hatchery
Post by: buck on October 23, 2012, 10:32:57 AM
Chilliwack hatchery coho are randomly selected for holding and spawning and are not selected for size alone. There are as many small and mid size fish used as larger ones.
Title: Re: Chilliwack River Hatchery
Post by: dnibbles on October 23, 2012, 06:47:46 PM
Sorry, sarcasm and smart assed tone don't always come through on the net. All sizes spawned, not just big ones. Should be representative of natural size distribution (save for light on jacks).

There are some fry releases to some of the lower groundwater tribs in the lower river these days, and some of the restoration channels mid-river, but not targeted strategic enhancement. Nothing going on in the upper river these days I don't think. The program is focussed on large scale production from the swim-ins still, smolt releases to provide clipped fish to be bonked. Not really aimed at rebuilding any of the small, distinct wild pops. The hatchery does monitor many of the tribe you name, so there is some good data to track wild abundance from year to year in those streams. The wild pop's seem to be holding their own these days.
Title: Re: Chilliwack River Hatchery
Post by: Dave on October 23, 2012, 08:39:49 PM
The wild pop's seem to be holding their own these days.
   Certainly agree there nibs... Buck and I plan to have a look at Centennial this week; may be a shade early for coho but hoping mega chum carcasses are evident!