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[Rodney]

http://www-ops2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/xnet/content/fns/index.cfm?pg=view_notice&lang=en&DOC_ID=104942&ID=recreational

TIDAL PORTION OF THE FRASER RIVER (downstream of the CPR bridge at Mission, BC)

Effective 00:01 hours October 6, 2007 to 23:59 hours December 31, 2007, in the tidal portion of the Fraser River you may use bait when fishing for salmon and you may retain:

• four (4) Chinook per day, only one of which may be greater than 62 cm;
• two (2) hatchery marked coho per day (No retention of wild Coho);
• four (4) pink per day;
• four (4) chum per day; and
• zero (0) sockeye per day.

FRASER RIVER - MISSION TO HOPE, BC

Effective 00:01 hours October 09, 2007 to 23:59 hours December 31, 2007, in those waters of the Fraser River upstream of the CPR bridge at Mission to the Highway No. 1 Bridge at Hope, you may use bait when fishing for salmon and you may retain:

• two (2) hatchery marked coho per day (No retention of wild Coho);
• four (4) Chinook per day, only one of which may be greater than 62 cm;
• four (4) pink per day;
• two (2) chum per day; and
• Fishing for sockeye remains closed.

FRASER RIVER - HOPE TO SAWMILL CREEK

Effective 00:01 hours October 12, 2007 to 23:59 hours December 31, 2007, in those waters of the Fraser River upstream of the Highway No. 1 Bridge at Hope to the confluence with Sawmill Creek you may use bait when fishing for salmon and you may retain:

• two (2) hatchery marked coho per day (No retention of wild Coho);
• four (4) Chinook per day, only one of which may be greater than 62 cm;
• four (4) pink per day;
• two (2) chum per day; and
• zero (0) sockeye per day.

Variation Orders No. 2007-363 in effect.

Notes:
There is an aggregate daily limit of four salmon per day from all tidal and non-tidal waters of the Province.

Barbless hooks are required when fishing for salmon in tidal and non-tidal waters of British Columbia.  This includes all species of fish in the Fraser River.

The term hatchery marked means a fish that has a healed scar in place of the adipose fin.


Adipose fin on a wild coho salmon


Absence of adipose fin and a healed scar on a hatchery coho salmon

Sport anglers are encouraged to participate in the voluntary Salmon Sport Head Recovery program by labelling and submitting heads from adipose fin-clipped chinook and coho salmon.  Recovery of coded-wire tags provides critical information for coast-wide stock assessment.  Contact the Salmon Sport Head Recovery Program at (866) 483-9994 for further information.

Did you witness suspicious fishing activity or a violation?  If so, please call the Fisheries and Ocean Canada 24-hour toll free Observe, Record, Report line at (800) 465-4336.

For the 24 hour recorded opening and closure line, call toll free at (866) 431-FISH.

[Rodney]

I would like to add some additional information on this fishery in the tidal portion of the Fraser River. Although it is not as popularly fished as the pink salmon fishery due to the small amount of fish, you can definitely have some very good days during the incoming tides if you encounter a school of fish. A dozen coho salmon in one tide change is not common but happens at times. The fish are always incredibly fresh as they just arrive from the ocean.







It is important to remember that you are only allowed to keep hatchery coho salmon (ones without an adipose fin and a healed scar is in place). Wild coho salmon should be kept in the water at all time and released. Because you can keep chinook salmon with an adipose fin, it is important to know the difference between a chinook and a coho salmon.

Difference between a chinook and a coho salmon

It is also important to remember that wild bull trout, cutthroat trout, rainbow trout/steelhead are required to be released. These fish will also have their adipose fin. There is only a small number of hatchery trout around and it is unlikely that anglers catch them in the tidal portion of Fraser River.


Bull trout


Cutthroat trout

There are two techniques that are commonly used in this fishery. The same spincasting technique for pink salmon would work just as well for coho salmon. I prefer to use 1/4oz spoons and spinners. Pink has always been the most productive colour for me but I'm sure other colours will work too.

The other technique involves fishing with roe on the bottom. When doing this, please keep in mind that the fish have a tendency to swallow the bait. This makes releasing wild coho salmon, bull trout, cutthroat trout very difficult. For this reason, I use large hooks (2/0) so smaller trout will not swallow it. I also try to set the hook before the fish ingest the roe too much. If the hook is indeed too deep in the fish's mouth, then cut the line and release the fish instead of attempting to get it out so further bleeding is prevented.

There will not be many chinook salmon around this time of the year. There will be lots of chum salmon moving through with coho salmon. Chum salmon can also be targeted by the above two techniques. For chum salmon, it is best to use gear that is slightly heavier than what would be used for pink or coho salmon.

Enjoy the next two months and good luck!