Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum

Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: chris gadsden on December 18, 2024, 12:46:17 PM

Title: Boxing Day Steelhead Derby
Post by: chris gadsden on December 18, 2024, 12:46:17 PM
Once again the annual derby is coming up. Looking back at a derby story I wrote a number of years ago.

https://theprogress.newspapers.com/image/81386286/?terms=Gwyn%2BJoiner%2Bsteelhead%2Bderby&fbclid=IwY2xjawHQE1RleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHWyQ9jkEUiW4F60j_jAoN78QIJ9PWksaPqRIp1PgmFHZBkmbz1FQ0eyBSQ_aem_La78YIqSGpd_lZ6yjJjb0w
Title: Re: Boxing Day Steelhead Derby
Post by: SuperBobby on December 18, 2024, 04:24:48 PM
I would plan for very high water (possibly unfishable) unless the forecast changes.
Title: Re: Boxing Day Steelhead Derby
Post by: RalphH on December 26, 2024, 06:22:33 PM
Seven fish weighed in with the biggest at 16.05 & it is a doe...

(https://scontent.fyvr3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/471412227_1144036877724045_4974792704693091324_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=833d8c&_nc_ohc=9l5F4jBd91MQ7kNvgFLVqoh&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent.fyvr3-1.fna&_nc_gid=Axb8G-laVMTNvc_qWF3y0Jz&oh=00_AYALruuwZ4Lm1pSJPZ6kHlol4ZcBIgGC6o22UgpP3TMbOQ&oe=6773C79B)
Title: Re: Boxing Day Steelhead Derby
Post by: SuperBobby on December 26, 2024, 07:45:13 PM
Good to see the lower snow levels kept the river from blowing out.
I'm hearing that this has been the best December fishing in years. A 16lb doe this early is a great sign for a season of potential larger fish.
Title: Re: Boxing Day Steelhead Derby
Post by: Chum Slayer on December 26, 2024, 08:24:16 PM
I wonder what has triggered such a good early run?
Title: Re: Boxing Day Steelhead Derby
Post by: Fish Assassin on December 26, 2024, 08:25:11 PM
I wonder what has triggered such a good early run?

Bodes well for the steelhead season
Title: Re: Boxing Day Steelhead Derby
Post by: Dave on December 27, 2024, 04:56:28 AM
I wonder what has triggered such a good early run?
Good ocean survivals.
Title: Re: Boxing Day Steelhead Derby
Post by: Wiseguy on December 27, 2024, 08:06:21 AM
9 fish weighed in and best Boxing Day results in many years according to Fred’s social media posts.
Title: Re: Boxing Day Steelhead Derby
Post by: RalphH on December 27, 2024, 09:16:30 AM
I wonder what has triggered such a good early run?

the seals decided to  change their diet.  ::)
Title: Re: Boxing Day Steelhead Derby
Post by: Dave on December 27, 2024, 10:33:55 AM
 ;D
the seals decided to  change their diet.  ::)
  Lol!
Title: Re: Boxing Day Steelhead Derby
Post by: chris gadsden on December 27, 2024, 02:43:07 PM
the seals decided to  change their diet.  ::)
And for Dave, lack of ocean located farms. I am sure he was waiting for this observation too.lol
Title: Re: Boxing Day Steelhead Derby
Post by: wildmanyeah on December 27, 2024, 02:56:40 PM
And for Dave, lack of ocean located farms. I am sure he was waiting for this observation too.lol

Incredible the power of removing a few bc farms and Alaska to skeena to chiliwack all seen some better then average returns incredible!
Title: Re: Boxing Day Steelhead Derby
Post by: roeman on December 27, 2024, 04:36:59 PM
Lots of coho, lots and lots of chum equals a good steelhead return.
Used the weight calculator online just to see how close it is.  Weight, Girth...Came out to 14.8lbs compared to actual weight 16.03
Title: Re: Boxing Day Steelhead Derby
Post by: bigsnag on December 28, 2024, 01:15:27 PM
I wonder what has triggered such a good early run?
This just goes to show how little do we really know. As long as we keep our own house in order, the boss above will take care of the rest.
Title: Re: Boxing Day Steelhead Derby
Post by: RalphH on January 01, 2025, 10:39:46 AM
9 fish weighed in and best Boxing Day results in many years according to Fred’s social media posts.

I saw on Facebook that 272 anglers registered for the Derby. With 9 fish weighed in that's a success rate of about 3%. Does that indicate a better return than the previous dismal years? Water conditions were pretty good compared some previous blow outs. Maybe that had more to do with it.
Title: Re: Boxing Day Steelhead Derby
Post by: Wiseguy on January 01, 2025, 11:25:43 AM
I saw on Facebook that 272 anglers registered for the Derby. With 9 fish weighed in that's a success rate of about 3%. Does that indicate a better return than the previous dismal years? Water conditions were pretty good compared some previous blow outs. Maybe that had more to do with it.
That number doesn’t include the wilds that were caught and released.
Title: Re: Boxing Day Steelhead Derby
Post by: RalphH on January 01, 2025, 11:41:21 AM
That number doesn’t include the wilds that were caught and released.

well obviously and what that number is, can't be determined.
Title: Re: Boxing Day Steelhead Derby
Post by: ribolovac02 on January 05, 2025, 09:05:33 AM
I saw on Facebook that 272 anglers registered for the Derby. With 9 fish weighed in that's a success rate of about 3%. Does that indicate a better return than the previous dismal years? Water conditions were pretty good compared some previous blow outs. Maybe that had more to do with it.

Now just take into equation that 10 percent of guys actually catch 90 percent of the fish and there is the real number ;) ;D
Title: Re: Boxing Day Steelhead Derby
Post by: RalphH on January 05, 2025, 09:36:55 AM
I think the question was does 9 fish weighed in for the Boxing Day Deby indicate a good early return or a recovery of the early run segment? If you look at the Wally Hally weigh in list you might get more support considering more fish were weighed in on the 24th and possibly with fewer anglers on the river. It looks even better compared to last year. Still it dropped off after the 24th/25th suggesting, maybe the numbers on the 26th was from a bump of fish and not indicative of  any sort of 'significant recovery'.
Title: Re: Boxing Day Steelhead Derby
Post by: MetalAndFeathers on January 05, 2025, 05:19:59 PM
This years winter run is doing well coast wide. If you fish steelhead yearly on multiple rivers it’s obvious some years are better than others, such as the low summer run in 2021 and the good summer run in 2022. “Recovery” would be seeing consistency year after year which the vedder hasn’t shown in the last few derbies.
Title: Re: Boxing Day Steelhead Derby
Post by: RalphH on January 07, 2025, 05:49:47 PM
talked to a person in a tackle shop today. They said they fished the Vedder a lot right around christmas. Fishing was good & had landed a number. All were hatchery fish. Not a single wild fish. Ditto for fish seen taken by other anglers and for people they had talked with. Fishing was likely good because there had been rain but the river didn't blow out thanks to the low freezing level. Now with the dry cool weather, the river is low and fishing is not so good.

There you go 1st class 2nd hand info and you all heard it first!  ;D
Title: Re: Boxing Day Steelhead Derby
Post by: roeman on January 07, 2025, 08:21:30 PM
talked to a person in a tackle shop today. They said they fished the Vedder a lot right around christmas. Fishing was good & had landed a number. All were hatchery fish. Not a single wild fish. Ditto for fish seen taken by other anglers and for people they had talked with. Fishing was likely good because there had been rain but the river didn't blow out thanks to the low freezing level. Now with the dry cool weather, the river is low and fishing is not so good.

There you go 1st class 2nd hand info and you all heard it first!  ;D
Well obviously. Good water conditions typically means good fishing.