Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: Dryfly22 on February 26, 2014, 12:11:43 PM
-
A very good friend of mine grew up fishing the Vedder in the 60's. He said he used to fish as a kid with Brian Minter and they used to catch Artic Grayling. I have no reason to not believe him, it is just that I never thought that they would have ever been found this far South. Can anyone confirm this? Thanks.
-
Not a chance that they were Arctic grayling. Most likely they were mountain whitefish.
-
I've also had lots of old timers tell me they were catching grayling... no idea why they call whitefish grayling
-
My Buddy really knows his fish. He has been fishing ever since. I asked him about the White fish and he said no way, Artic Grayling?
-
http://www.gofishbc.com/documents/pdf/fish-facts/Arctic_Grayling.pdf
-
My Buddy really knows his fish. He has been fishing ever since. I asked him about the White fish and he said no way, Artic Grayling?
O-M-G...seriously?? I can see how your buddy could mistakenly ID a Whitefish for a Grayling because of the scaly pattern and head(sort of..) but there's "NO WAY" it was a grayling on the Vedder! For some reason I seem to hook these bastards targeting other species when there seems to be a small population in the Vedder.
Your buddy just lost credibility IDing fish or he's messing with you!
-
Well, it's the 60th. And graylings are hard to mistake for other fish.
-
Take a picofboth species and write white fish on the grayling and grayling on the whitefish and ask him which ones he caught.
-
^
LOL that's awesome
-
I heard a rumour that there are steelheads in the Vedder. Can someone please confirm
-
Nope there is none.
-
The question has been answered properly and correctly. The only system that has Arctic grayling and flows into the Pacific is the upper Stikine and Tanzilla.
The topic is similar to the one easterners use when naming pickerel, pike and walleyes. Occasionally, old timers will call walleye, pickerel, when in fact a pickerel is a member of the pike, musklunge family and no relation to walleyes or sauger.
-
Unless its remotely possible someone threw some in there, I doubt they'd be Graylings for the reasons stated above. :)
-
My buddy and I have caught what we thought were grayling out of some lakes north of Dease`s lake when we were on fly in hunting trips. At least they sure did look like grayling with the large Dorsal fin. They most certainly nothing like the whitefish that we catch in this area.
-
Why not Grayling in the Vedder? There is Pike in Mill Lake and the swamp puddles around Abbotsford. Dogs are afraid of the Mill Lake pike and no longer go in there because they get bit. Those pike are eating all the helpless stocked Rainbows in the lake.
The way this year has gone, I probably would have a better chance of catching a Grayling in the Vedder than Steelhead. I can't see grayling in the Vedder unless there was some sort of un-official transplant experiment that didn't work very long.
Someone probably read some old incorrect synopsis and this rumour has passed down the years, like the Steelhead in Mill Lake or the bass in Kawakawa Lk. Next we'll hear about Halibut in the Fraser.
You know the old timers used to drink pretty hard in the old days - home made whiskey, Birch or Dandelion Wine was the problem. This could be some explanation of Vedder Grayling.
-
There is Pike in Mill Lake and the swamp puddles around Abbotsford.
Wait a second ?!
I have seen the Bass in Mill lake but have never heard of any Pike. If this is true lets see a picture ;)
Pike is on my fishing bucket list !
-
Wait a second ?!
I have seen the Bass in Mill lake but have never heard of any Pike. If this is true lets see a picture ;)
Pike is on my fishing bucket list !
Go north young man, go north. Try Wheeler Lake 40 km south of the Yukon border on the Dease highway. They are great eating fish up there. Just fry the fillets in pancake flour and butter... yum yum.
-
My buddy and I have caught what we thought were grayling out of some lakes north of Dease`s lake when we were on fly in hunting trips. At least they sure did look like grayling with the large Dorsal fin. They most certainly nothing like the whitefish that we catch in this area.
Those WERE grayling. The Dease is in the Arctic watershed where grayling are native. In the Burnt River you can catch native grayling, Bull trout, rainbows and whitefish in the same section of river.
(http://gallery.fishbc.com/albums/album765/Burnt_18.jpg)
(http://gallery.fishbc.com/albums/album765/Burnt_River_grayling_8.jpg)
(http://gallery.fishbc.com/albums/album765/Burnt_River_Bull_trout_1.jpg)
(http://gallery.fishbc.com/albums/album765/Burnt_River_rainbow.jpg)
(http://gallery.fishbc.com/albums/album765/Burnt_whitefish.jpg)
-
Rieber are you one of the old timers?
-
Rieber are you one of the old timers?
I think he just likes pulling people's chain... like I do occasionally.
Well, maybe more than occasionally.
-
The "boys" maybe drank a little, but they were not prone to "smoking" a little. Wonder,wonder who?
-
As kids in the late 1940's we lived right at the Vedder Bridge and caught strings of "grayling" fishing right off the bridge. We used drop sinkers and tiny hooks, and baited our hooks with "periwinkles" or "hellgrammites".
Many people called the fish we were catching "grayling", but of course they were white fish, lots of them. The bait was really stonefly nymphs but that's not what we thought they were.
Over the years the whitefish populations has deteriorated.
Yesterday on the river I looked for stonefly nymphs and did find some but in past years have found that silt from clay slides packed around the rocks and made habitat for these bugs very poor, maybe part of the reason for their decline.
They are fun to target even now even with lower numbers but not with live bait of course.
-
I totally agree. Sorry Ian but there is not a golden rule where fish can be found. We used to fly in to a lake at least a hour and a half out of Fort Nelson--Guess what, it was catch and realese becuase so many JERKS flew in and fished out the lake.
-
As kids in the late 1940's we lived right at the Vedder Bridge and caught strings of "grayling" fishing right off the bridge. We used drop sinkers and tiny hooks, and baited our hooks with "periwinkles" or "hellgrammites".
Many people called the fish we were catching "grayling", but of course they were white fish, lots of them. The bait was really stonefly nymphs but that's not what we thought they were.
Over the years the whitefish populations has deteriorated.
Yesterday on the river I looked for stonefly nymphs and did find some but in past years have found that silt from clay slides packed around the rocks and made habitat for these bugs very poor, maybe part of the reason for their decline.
They are fun to target even now even with lower numbers but not with live bait of course.
Perhaps we are hijacking this thread a bit Lew, but yeah, I remember catching lots of whitefish "grayling" back in the 60's, when I started fishing the Vedder. Interesting post, as today I fished the upper river with an old friend and soon to retire FO who also fished the Vedder in the 60's and 70's ... we both could not come up with a plausible explanation for the demise of this once so numerous species.
-
Perhaps we are hijacking this thread a bit Lew, but yeah, I remember catching lots of whitefish "grayling" back in the 60's, when I started fishing the Vedder. Interesting post, as today I fished the upper river with an old friend and soon to retire FO who also fished the Vedder in the 60's and 70's ... we both could not come up with a plausible explanation for the demise of this once so numerous species.
Studies done have linked commercial cures used on eggs to juvenile mortalities...
I wonder if it's possible that commercial cures used on eggs have the same effects on white fish (super sensitive species). I could see them eating up any eggs that fall off a hook (caught quite a few on my roe flies over the past couple years, so I know they go for chunk roe)!
I could also concur with Lew, that siltation caused decline in food species.
I'd say the Vedder overall though, is getting healthier by the year. I'm catching far more large resident rainbows and bull trout down low the past 2-3 years than ever before, I never use to be able to count on 3-4 bullies day to save my days steelheading like I do expect now! In the past 3 years I've also started catching whitefish somewhat commonly again, which I had never seen before up until then.
-
I totally agree. Sorry Ian but there is not a golden rule where fish can be found. We used to fly in to a lake at least a hour and a half out of Fort Nelson--Guess what, it was catch and realese becuase so many JERKS flew in and fished out the lake.
True, there is no golden rule where fish will be found. A lot depends on the season and the water height. I fished a two mile section of the Anzac River on time and never touched a fish despite covering the water thoroughly. Then I fished upstream from the bridge and found a section of river that was full of grayling. I can name 20 other rivers in the north where exactly the same thing happened. I've fished miles and miles of several northern rivers where almost nobody goes except gold searchers and the occasional hunter, and had poor results. Then, I'll find some little creek mouth that is stuffed with them. My only conclusion is that Arctic grayling are very migratory and you have to be in the right spot at the right time.
-
There's pike in mill lake????? Holy I waanna try catching one
-
We might start to see people chucking five inch lure with 3 treble hooks into Mill lake and puddles.
-
there are no pike in mill lake
I guess you're right.
(http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb45/rieber_photos/AbbyPike_zps95140ea9.jpeg)
-
Looks like there's no delicious pike there to me :/
-
Those WERE grayling. The Dease is in the Arctic watershed where grayling are native. In the Burnt River you can catch native grayling, Bull trout, rainbows and whitefish in the same section of river.
(http://gallery.fishbc.com/albums/album765/Burnt_18.jpg)
(http://gallery.fishbc.com/albums/album765/Burnt_River_grayling_8.jpg)
(http://gallery.fishbc.com/albums/album765/Burnt_River_Bull_trout_1.jpg)
(http://gallery.fishbc.com/albums/album765/Burnt_River_rainbow.jpg)
(http://gallery.fishbc.com/albums/album765/Burnt_whitefish.jpg)
and made a great sub for spam , recipe as you suggested. . when I worked for shoestring exploration in the Horseranch range , NE of dease.
fished the hell out of them ) sub species)on the Nith and Annan rivers back in Scotland, Dave and John Maire were aces at it on those rivers also , they were then then considered a rat fish.
working the Arctic and barrens , got to fish them till your arms were sore, but .. also could be frustrating as there one minute gone the next , hot spot an hour ago and nothing the next.
-
True, there is no golden rule where fish will be found. A lot depends on the season and the water height. I fished a two mile section of the Anzac River on time and never touched a fish despite covering the water thoroughly. Then I fished upstream from the bridge and found a section of river that was full of grayling. I can name 20 other rivers in the north where exactly the same thing happened. I've fished miles and miles of several northern rivers where almost nobody goes except gold searchers and the occasional hunter, and had poor results. Then, I'll find some little creek mouth that is stuffed with them. My only conclusion is that Arctic grayling are very migratory and you have to be in the right spot at the right time.
I wasn't going to mention that one , but ditto.... got some great pictures of the Anzac somewhere.
-
I guess you're right.
(http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb45/rieber_photos/AbbyPike_zps95140ea9.jpeg)
doesn't count , no visible landmarks :)
-
doesn't count , no visible landmarks :)
There's a couple clues there. Look at the reflection of the trees and the pilings. If you know where that is you will find them. Sorry, no more pictures.
-
There's a couple clues there. Look at the reflection of the trees and the pilings. If you know where that is you will find them. Sorry, no more pictures.
well then sir we call BS on you.
Its Mill lake for crying out loud ::)
-
well then sir we call BS on you.
Its Mill lake for crying out loud ::)
Why is it so hard to believe? Bass, crappie etc are not native to the lake, so why not pike?
-
If the pike was indeed caught at Mill Lake, then you may want to notify the region 2 biologist who manages the lakes and river in the Fraser Valley and Lower Mainland. As far as I know, from all the regular briefings which we receive, northern pike is one invasive species which has not been reported/recorded in Region 2.
And just a reminder to all… Not everything you read on FWR is true… ;D
-
And just a reminder to all… Not everything you read on FWR is true… ;D
As some people who read some of my replies obviously know.
Just wait until I bring some Giant snakeheads from Thailand and stock them in Lower Mainland lakes. They are faster than anything else that swims and are 10 times as smart as any old pike. They are even smarter than wiley old Brown trout.
(http://gallery.fishbc.com/albums/album223/fly_caught_snakehead_1_Em.jpg)
-
Ian, a Snakehead was already captured in a Burnaby lake last year.
I've been hearing rumors of Pike in Mill Lake for a couple years now but personally haven't caught one myself yet.
And yes; "just a reminder to all… Not everything you read on FWR is true… ;D"
-
Ian, a Snakehead was already captured in a Burnaby lake last year.
I've been hearing rumors of Pike in Mill Lake for a couple years now but personally haven't caught one myself yet.
And yes; "just a reminder to all… Not everything you read on FWR is true… ;D"
This just cannot be a true statement-fishermen don`t tell stories---or do they????
-
Ive been fishing mill lake since i was a kid and know plenty of people who have been fishing it for longer and haven't heard or seen any pike come outta there.
-
Ive been fishing mill lake since i was a kid and know plenty of people who have been fishing it for longer and haven't heard or seen any pike come outta there.
I used to live three blocks away from Mill Lake for sixteen years and fished the lake about two-three times a week. Usually early sping and late in the Fall because often the smell during the warmer months was to strong. During all the years that I fished it I never saw or heard of Pike in the lake. After all, the lake is really just a flooded sawmill. Where the species other than the trout stocked from the local hatchery came from I have no idea. Quite likely some fool fishing with live bait and then just dumping his left over bait into the lake.
-
Ive been fishing mill lake since i was a kid and know plenty of people who have been fishing it for longer and haven't heard or seen any pike come outta there.
Brandooner - at 24, you were a kid not that long ago. Just because you haven't seen one or caught one doesn't mean there isn't some. Have you ever caught one or seen one of the monster 30#+ catfish that live there?
One morning a few years back, I saw a large long fish that passed under my pontoon boat that creeped me out so much the immediately my feet came out of the water and I oared well away from that spot. I could see it was a fish but couldn't identify it but I literally had bad dreams of this dang thing. I couldn't take it anymore and that was the deciding factor that made me sell my fishcat and stick to the jon boats.
Now I think it could have been a sturgeon that someone plunked into the lake - but maybe it wasn't. Either way, I don't put my feet into that lake anymore.
-
theres been rumors of pike in there for years, who knows whats all in there, ive caught goldfish,big carp, koi, all sorts of sunfish/bluegill, crappie, both small and largemouth bass, big cats, turtles, and of course trout.
all sorts of aquarium fish and turtles get dumped in there aswell.
-
Brandooner - at 24, you were a kid not that long ago. Just because you haven't seen one or caught one doesn't mean there isn't some. Have you ever caught one or seen one of the monster 30#+ catfish that live there?
One morning a few years back, I saw a large long fish that passed under my pontoon boat that creeped me out so much the immediately my feet came out of the water and I oared well away from that spot. I could see it was a fish but couldn't identify it but I literally had bad dreams of this dang thing. I couldn't take it anymore and that was the deciding factor that made me sell my fishcat and stick to the jon boats.
Now I think it could have been a sturgeon that someone plunked into the lake - but maybe it wasn't. Either way, I don't put my feet into that lake anymore.
Ive been fishin there since i was like 3 with my dad so thats still a good 20 years and I know a bunch of the old timers that fish that lake almost everyday. Not saying it's impossible just haven't heard anything about pike being in there before. Ive seen massive bass, carp and cats pulled out, nothing 30# plus but i believe there could be some monsters lurking for sure. How big was the fish you seen swim under you, that sounds terrifying!!
-
Without exaggeration, what I saw was a solid 4-4.5' long and relatively slow moving - that's why I think it was a sturgeon now.
-
Brandooner - at 24, you were a kid not that long ago. Just because you haven't seen one or caught one doesn't mean there isn't some. Have you ever caught one or seen one of the monster 30#+ catfish that live there?
One morning a few years back, I saw a large long fish that passed under my pontoon boat that creeped me out so much the immediately my feet came out of the water and I oared well away from that spot. I could see it was a fish but couldn't identify it but I literally had bad dreams of this dang thing. I couldn't take it anymore and that was the deciding factor that made me sell my fishcat and stick to the jon boats.
Now I think it could have been a sturgeon that someone plunked into the lake - but maybe it wasn't. Either way, I don't put my feet into that lake anymore.
Rieb, time to sign up with Almo!! She could use you :D :D :D
-
Rieb, time to sign up with Almo!! She could use you :D :D :D
What is Almo? ???
-
What is Almo? ???
Someone who has as much as credibility as you.
-
Someone who has as much as credibility as you.
Big_Fish, I just quickly scanned over your posts - hahaha - pretty weak. Not worth my time getting into it with you.
-
I know to funny hey Reiber :) I read all his posts after telling me all I do is stir up crap I just peed myself laughing so hard :)
-
Sounds like Mill Lake is a bit of a hotbed for invasives. I wonder if this lake might be a candidate for an intentional fish kill. Not that I would be in favor of that necessarily, considering other ecological issues, but sometimes it might be worth losing a battle to win the war. Nobody knows what the true cost is of a successful invasive species. Are there any tribs or connections to larger waterbodies from Mill Lake? Either way, if there are as many invasives as people have suggested here, something should be done about it.
-
I just enjoy Mill Lake for what it is and has become. To kill the lake would destroy so many little creatures that the folks here in Abbotsford have grown so fond of. Lots of little turtles, eagles, geese, ducks and dragon flies. There would be such a public demonstration here of people holding hands around the lake to prevent a lake kill. Someday this little lake is going to become quite the bass fishing destination.
-
People have to have SOMEWHERE to dump their unwanted pets!
In Thailand the pet fish get eaten... or dumped in some stream in front of a temple to let the monks feed them.
-
Between the Bass, Pike, Eagles and the two legged predators that keep everything they catch, pets dumped into Mill won't survive very long.
-
The question is whether or not Mill Lake poses a threat as a base for the proliferation of potentially invasive species. If the risk of this is high, then it should be looked at seriously, the only way to stop invasions is to prevent them
-
I think it is illegal to prevent Asians, British and stupid people from immigrating to Canada. That is where our invasive species came from in the past. I would like to know how Largemouth bass "migrated" to southern Vancouver Island lakes, and a few lakes in the south Cariboo region.
-
I think it is illegal to prevent Asians, British and stupid people from immigrating to Canada. That is where our invasive species came from in the past. I would like to know how Largemouth bass "migrated" to southern Vancouver Island lakes, and a few lakes in the south Cariboo region.
if it was legal to prevent different cultures from immigrating to Canada then none of us would be here.
-
if it was legal to prevent different cultures from immigrating to Canada then none of us would be here.
The laws and rules only happened after the British took over and started trying to turn North America into a larger version of Great Britain. The Chinese and Japanese were allowed to immigrate because the Brits did not enjoy doing manual labour. The Brits first thought they could get the local natives to do the drone work, but discovered the local natives disliked manual labour as much as they did, so the Brits imported Asians. The Americans had a slightly different system... they imported black slaves to do the hard work.
Each foreign culture that came to North America wanted to bring a little of their own culture with them. There were no environmental laws and people didn't even think about how they were affecting the country. That only happened fairly recently and probably only within the last 80 years. Now we are stuck with Starlings, European hares, pigs and other invasive species. Many Asian species of fish were imported and released into the wild.