Print

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

[Rodney]

This fall salmon fishery takes place between late August and early December on the Chilliwack River. Like past seasons, I usually like to get this information up and provide ongoing updates so those who are new to the fishery can have a chance to enjoy what this river has to offer by learning proper techniques, staying informed on regulations and etiquettes.


Fish species

There are four salmon species that anglers can target and retain.

• Chinook salmon (mid September - mid October)
• Coho salmon (early September - early November)
• Pink salmon (early September - early October) is closed to retention
• Chum salmon (early October - late November)
• Sockeye salmon is closed to fishing.

Fishing regulations

The salmon regulations of Chilliwack River, including the daily quota of each species, can be found in Region 2 of the Freshwater salmon supplement.


Cultus Lake sockeye salmon alert

Cultus Lake sockeye salmon are endangered and usually enter the Chilliwack River in late summer so their run time overlaps with other fall salmon species. All sockeye salmon caught in the Chilliwack River are required to be released carefully. Please be aware of the difference between a coho and a sockeye salmon. Some Cultus Lake sockeye salmon are also missing their adipose fin so please don't confuse them with hatchery-marked coho salmon. Read about it some more...


How to float fish more effectively for coho salmon?

To effectively catch salmon on the Vedder by float fishing, you want to keep your offerings in the strike zone. New anglers have a tendency to mistaken the strike zone as the depth where the fish are sitting. It is not. Salmonids look up and strike at the offerings above them. The fish position themselves near the bottom, so the strike zone is usually 1 or 2 feet above the river bed. This technique does not only apply to the Chilliwack River, but also other Lower Fraser River tributaries.

Gear setup

Rod:	9' to 10'6" baitcasting or centerpin rod, rated between 8 and 20lb
Reel:	Small baitcasting reels or centerpin reels
Main line:	12 to 15lb test
Leader:	6 to 10lb test
Hook:	Size 4 to 2/0

The diagrams below illustrate the correct and not-so-correct ways of float depth adjustment.

Excessive length of leader



For some reason, many people believe a longer leader would produce more fish, quite the opposite! Your hook will always travel faster than your weight in a river. By using a long leader, your hook and bait are lifted up higher from the river bed, away from the strike zone.

Excessive float depth



Some choose to adjust their float depth so the weight is "tapping" or sitting on the bottom. The weight will usually anchor itself to the river bed, while the float drifts slowly or becomes stationary. Two things will result from this setup:

• You'll snag onto the bottom, and lose your weight, hook and bait.
• Even worse, you'll end up snagging a pink or chinook in the belly or tail, which can be time consuming to bring in and release.

My way of float adjustment, but not necessarily the ONLY way



So far this has worked very well by producing about a dozen or more coho each season on the Vedder River without losing any hook, weight or line. I usually like to keep my leader length (the line between the hook and weight) around 1.5 feet in length. Judging the depth by looking at the gradient of the river bank and the water, I adjust my float depth (the length from the float to the hook) so that it is about 1 to 2 feet shorter than the actual depth. When this is drifted, the bait will lift a few inches higher, remaining in the strike zone. When the float dips under the water, there is no hesitation as I don't need to question whether it is a snag or a fish. The hook is usually set hard and most of the time the fight is on.



Some other small adjustments

I find these adjustments would connect me into more fish in the past.

• The float size varies, small (11 grams) in clearer, slower water, while big (25 grams) in faster, deeper water.
• Tie on enough weight so only about 0.5 inch of your float (or the coloured tip) emerges on the water surface. This allows you to detect the bites sooner.
• Keep your main line (the line between your rod tip and your float) tight enough without disrupting the drift. Always try to avoid having any line laying on the water surface.
• Keep the drifts short. A longer drift doesn't necessarily mean a bigger chance to catch a fish. Long drifts also cause inconvenience for nearby anglers
• Avoid standing in the water, especially when you arrive at a new location. Undisturbed fish have a tendency to stay close to the river bank.

[Rodney]

Salmon identification

Because there are both species that you can keep and cannot keep returning to the Chilliwack River, it is important to know how to identify all five species of salmon.

Chinook salmon
Chinook salmon have small spots across their back and small spots across their entire tail. Their gum is black and the edge of their jaw is white. Adult chinook salmon are defined as over 62cm and are required to be recorded on your licence when you choose to keep one.

Adult chinook (over 62cm)	Adult chinook (over 62cm)	Jack chinook (under 62cm)	Jack chinook (under 62cm)	Black gum with white jaw edge	Small spots across both upper and lower parts of tail

Coho salmon
Coho salmon have small spots across their back and spots on the top portion of their tail. Their gum is white. Two groups of coho salmon are found in the Chilliwack River - Wild and hatchery fish. Hatchery fish, which anglers are allowed to keep, do not have an adipose fin and a healed scar can be found at where the adipose fin is missing. This fin is clipped at the hatchery when they are at their juvenile stage prior to being released. If an adipose fin is present, then it is a wild fish, which is required to be released with care.

Wild adult coho (with adipose fin)	Hatchery adult coho (without adipose fin)	Hatchery jack coho (without adipose fin)	Absence of adipose fin with healed scar on hatchery coho	White gum	Small spots on top portion of tail

Pink salmon
Pink salmon have large thumb-print type spots across their body and large spots across their tail. Males have a distinct humped back and their body colouration are typically dark green in the Chilliwack River.

Male pink salmon with hump back	Large spots across tail

Chum salmon
Chum salmon have two distinct characteristics, which are colourful stripes across their body and large teeth found on males.

Female chum salmon	Male chum salmon with teeth	Striped back

Sockeye salmon
Althought sockeye salmon cannot be retained on the Chilliwack River, it is important to know what they look like so you do not kill one by accident. Sockeye salmon that are returning to Cultus Lake are endangered and their recovery depends on your assistance. Sockeye salmon are typically spotless and silver until they are near the spawning ground. At spawning stage, their body colouration is red.

adult sockeye in spawning colour	adult sockeye prior to spawning stage

Some thoughts on fishing locations

The Chilliwack Vedder River is long. Some say it gets crowded, but only at certain spots. To have a good experience, it's best to avoid the busy spots. The busy spots are usually the visible ones that have easy access. These include Keith Wilson Bridge, railway bridge, Lickman Road, Peach Road, Vedder Crossing, Tamahi, Alison Pool, Limit Hole. By going to a spot where less people are fishing, the likelihood of you hooking into some quality fish is bigger since the fish are not spooked. Surprisingly, you can usually find a nice quiet spot by taking a very short walk from one of these busy spots.


Additional readings

• Short Floating Tactic Explained
• Those Picky Silvers

Water condition updates

Throughout the season, members will post up water condition updates so everyone can be alerted if condition is not ideal. Please feel free to post updates in this thread after your trips. We can all benefit from each other's updates and save gasoline and cost of our season. Please do not ask for updates. All requests will be deleted.

[dennisK]

Went Sunday. Slow , clear water and shallow. Some pink surfacing but not taking anything in general. Didn't hook one at all. Nice spring landed at horse stalls at around 10-am, 20-25, silver. Went to crossing but cant fish as already to many people, went to old gravel pit (yarrow side ) pinks and very slow. Gravel pit , same. Under K. Wilson ear to ear not shoulders...must be catching...went middle canal have one nice spring (12-15)and there was several already landed (10-12) and 2 big coho's. All very clean. and mostly in the afternoon. Rain started around 3 pm but sporadic. Expected more but it was a very nice day for fishing. It should be better at the and of the week and following several weeks.No pink retention

[chris gadsden]

Made my first trip out today and started at The Blue Cup, but no action for me or others at the run. Saw a few going through the ripples above the run. Only fished 45 minutes
then checked the bar for garbage for the river cleanup on Sunday. Found a couple of tires, a tent full of sand and other garbage in the wetted area that we will deal with on Sunday.

Toured a few other spots and the TOWers will pulling the pinks in, some beginners were dragging them up on the rocks and sand before letting them go. Saw a number of dead ones along the way too.

Lots of shouting "Fish On" at KWB as usual, with the fish stacked in there and easy picking for the TOW ers.

[JBB]

Remind me please what TOWers are ?

[cammer]

Force feeders

[dcajaxs]

I love tossing a spoon at the bridge every once and while when I don't have the time to hike where I normally go on the vedder.  always funny to watch the people towing look in awe at how effective a spoon can be.   

[Easywater]

I think it is people that fish "the other way".

[chris gadsden]

Checking some new areas this afternoon trying to find the new runs in the changing river, was sad to see Gwyn's run not there at this time. Water condition still good of course even with the rain we have had past few days, no enought to dirty it up anyway.. Coho are slipping in every day, heard around 200 in the Chilliwack River Hatchery. Cleaned up another bag of garbage around the Diving Board Run not a good area to fish as too many TOW ers there as well as number or people striking at the end of each of their drift.

This of course with the clear water conditions just scares the fish and makes it tought to get a fish to actually bite.

[cammer]

River Barista's are the guys who froth up the river at end of drift by yarding,,,,see that and move on. Nothing going to bite when that happens

[Blackrt03]

Force feeders 

 

[NothingToSnagAbout]

Thanks for the diagrams, Rodney. What's it mean if your float is pointing up river or down river during the drift?

[CohoJake]

Thanks for the diagrams, Rodney. What's it mean if your float is pointing up river or down river during the drift?

Down river means you are dragging bottom (or sometimes it means the deeper water is much slower than the fast chute on top).  Upriver means you are putting too much tension on your line and not getting a natural drift, which may be something you want i.e. you are floating a Colorado blade and you want to impart a little action.

[96XJ]

River Barista's are the guys who froth up the river at end of drift by yarding,,,,see that and move on. Nothing going to bite when that happens

" River Barista's ", thats hilarious

[dennisK]

Checking some new areas this afternoon trying to find the new runs in the changing river, was sad to see Gwyn's run not there at this time. Water condition still good of course even with the rain we have had past few days, no enought to dirty it up anyway.. Coho are slipping in every day, heard around 200 in the Chilliwack River Hatchery. Cleaned up another bag of garbage around the Diving Board Run not a good area to fish as too many TOW ers there as well as number or people striking at the end of each of their drift.

This of course with the clear water conditions just scares the fish and makes it tought to get a fish to actually bite.

Chris. Do you have a dog named emily? a lab i think.