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[RalphH]

while local commercial harvests may have had an effect, people have to consider that several years ago chum populations collapsed all over the coast. That could not have been caused by a localized fishery no matter how intense.

 Stocks have been rebuilding since then. South of us many Oregon rivers were all but depopulated of chum for reasons that aren't clear.

this year was supposed to be a big return - something well over a million & perhaps 2. But where are they? Most of the rivers I have been on this fall certainly are not crowded with chum. The Harrison the last few weeks has been all but empty of them, just as it has been the last several years.

My guess is that most of the chum abundance is solely due to artificial production and natural stocks are still not in any kind of shape.

[Old Blue]

Absolutely the commercial roe harvest has had a very large effect.  When other species were declining they bumped up the chum harvest to create more revenue.
 The Harrison is a generally a bit later than most rivers for chum so no need to worry just yet. 

[RalphH]

could be but I have been fishing it for over 30 years and know the timing. Since the 'chum crash' what fish do come are earlier - often there are chum by late September and the peak is mid October. Then it drops off to close to nothing by November. I think I more or less made this observation above, that the big push of chum in the first half of November I once saw, has vanished.

Chum egg fisheries are not a new phenomena and the eggs have been in big demand for the sushi market for decades. Some harvest areas like Nitnat were curtailed to protect Thompson steelhead and that may be less so these days.  Loss of revenue from the sockeye  net fishery may indeed put more boats out there when in the past few part timers were interested in dealing with heavy rain and wind when they'd already made big bucks in the summer.

[Knnn]

Is the mud creek crossing still out?

[avid angler]

What determines whether the eggs are in skeins or singles? Is it age of the fish?

yes as the fish gets closer to spawning the eggs loosen up and eventually single out as the fish gets ready to drop them

[fishingwithjohn]

If you guys want to nominate a representative to come north and find out how bad it has really been, feel free. Maybe get a pool together to pay for his gas and throw him a few fish from the Vedder to make up for lost time  . I respect the need to hear it from a trusted source, but it would just be cruel to have someone make the drive without compensating him.

had to see for myself...

[ankey]

I was there with my buddies yesterday. In the first light, a friend of mine
got a wild chrom ho in the lower river and one chum. We moved to the middle river and
found 1 spot where fresh chums were stacked and hooked one after another for 3 hours.
Chum jigs were the tickets. Everybody had sore arms.

 

[eager_rookie]

had to see for myself...

Nice fish! Glad the drive was worth it.

[ali2pali]

That's a nice chum!
What are the chances of catching a hatch coho in the Squaw these days? I've had trouble finding the number released from the tenderfoot hatchery.

[bkk]

Tenderfoot releases 150 000 adipose clipped coho smolts per year.

[ali2pali]

Tenderfoot releases 150 000 adipose clipped coho smolts per year.

Awesome. Thank you . BTW where did you find that? I looked everywhere. Seems as though the DFO link is broken.

[bigblockfox]

was up there targeting bulls on sunday. first time being that far up the valley. beautiful area.

[mkempe]

Had a double digit coho day on the weekend between my friend and I. All wilds but wow what a day.
Double digit chums the day before. Pretty darn good weekend.

[bigsnag]

was up there targeting bulls on sunday. first time being that far up the valley. beautiful area.

Nice pictures, thanks for sharing.

[MetalAndFeathers]

Had a double digit coho day on the weekend between my friend and I. All wilds but wow what a day.
Double digit chums the day before. Pretty darn good weekend.

This must be why there was nobody at the stave today