Print

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

[Rodney]

Can someone clarify about the boundaries....For example, below the hwy7 bridge on the Harrison...what is the hatchery coho limit? Or below the dewdney hwy 7 bridge on nicomen?

No fishing for salmon has been put in place for downstream from the Hwy 7 Bridge on the Harrison River.

Nicomen Slough has openings for coho and chum salmon downstream from Hwy 7 Bridge.

http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/fresh-douce/region2-eng.html

There are some mistakes in the updated freshwater salmon regulations for region 2. These include the wrong date for Chehalis River Chinook salmon opening in September, and chum salmon regs for Stave, Harrison, Nicomen and Chilliwack. I also am trying to find out the reason behind having a non-retention of hatchery coho salmon in place before September 1st for the Chilliwack River. Updates to come.

[cammer]

Hammer what I’m saying is didn’t see a smolt ,  resident trout, Cuttie, char nothing ..... yes June was fantastic when hatchery still had a river by it and a few years after but I’m believing that smolt predators like seals mergansers etc are also doing a number on resident fish    My two cents

[Rodney]

No fishing for salmon has been put in place for downstream from the Hwy 7 Bridge on the Harrison River.

Nicomen Slough has openings for coho and chum salmon downstream from Hwy 7 Bridge.

http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/fresh-douce/region2-eng.html

There are some mistakes in the updated freshwater salmon regulations for region 2. These include the wrong date for Chehalis River Chinook salmon opening in September, and chum salmon regs for Stave, Harrison, Nicomen and Chilliwack. I also am trying to find out the reason behind having a non-retention of hatchery coho salmon in place before September 1st for the Chilliwack River. Updates to come.

The mistakes are now fixed.

[RalphH]

what is the purpose or reason for the salmon closure downstream of the # 7 bridge? Any ideas?

[Rodney]

what is the purpose or reason for the salmon closure downstream of the # 7 bridge? Any ideas?

I was just on the phone talking about this a few minutes ago, will get an answer soon.

[Roderick]

what is the purpose or reason for the salmon closure downstream of the # 7 bridge? Any ideas?

I would imagine that it's because fish migrating to the interior will enter that portion of the river to clean out their gills before heading back to the Fraser. 

[Aki]

Rod, thanks for following up on all the corrections and clarifications!

[hammer]

Cammer,
Thanks for clarifying...I agree that the amount of fish life in that river has plummeted. There used to way more trout both larger rainbows and cuties, plus a few char.....they are far fewer. Certainly steelhead and salmon numbers are way less too. Certainly the changing of flow away from hatchery years back had a major effect, as does predation, but there are factors that have diminished  river productivity.

Rodney, I am wondering about that no salmon retention|fishing on Harrison below the bridge rationale as well. If it is interior stocks coming into the Harrison mouth...why not make the boundary the train bridge. Some of best spots are below the bridge

[CohoJake]

Cammer,
Thanks for clarifying...I agree that the amount of fish life in that river has plummeted. There used to way more trout both larger rainbows and cuties, plus a few char.....they are far fewer. Certainly steelhead and salmon numbers are way less too. Certainly the changing of flow away from hatchery years back had a major effect, as does predation, but there are factors that have diminished  river productivity.

I would think the end of hatchery cutthroat releases, and the end of hatchery summer steelhead releases, have quite a bit to do with the lack of trout that you are seeing now.  I vaguely remember there being quite a few hatchery marked trout in that river 20 years ago.

[RalphH]

I would imagine that it's because fish migrating to the interior will enter that portion of the river to clean out their gills before heading back to the Fraser.

Perhaps. However that's a 2+ mile stretch of river at a minimum. Fish entering clear water to "clean their gills" was always a thing that supposedly occurred during the freshet (late May - June) only and was usually at the immediate  stream junction.

Recreational salmon angling in the river doesn't really get going until September.

DFO has variously set salmon fishing boundaries at the CPR Bridge, the #7 and Cabin Point over the years but usually as "upstream from". FN fisheries in river seem to take place either at the Golf course, in the Chehalis estuary or below Calamity  Point so I don't see this regulation as separating FN and recreational activities either.

[Hike_and_fish]

Its going to be a bit of a bummer. Floating jigs at Calamity point has been a favorite for me for a long time. Seems odd to me that I can't catch a fresh Chum at the mouth but I'm allowed to fish for them in their spawning grounds in the Harrison. Kind of backwards. Ive always questioned why boats are allowed to even rio thru there let alone fish for them. Lots of Chim spawn in the mainstem of the Harrison.

[iblly]

Cammer how was the water level when you were there ? Just curious

[RalphH]

There's certainly been proposals to restrict or eliminate operation of power boats on at least parts of the Harrison. Conservation groups interested in preserving bird and wetland habitat have put such proposals forward.  Last one I recall was in the 90s to make it no power above Cabin Point but it went no where. Too much money to made etc. It's too bad since so much of the river is fairly pristine and there is little road access other than around the lower end. I think most of the Fall Chinook run spawns in the main stem, there is a sockeye population, pinks and as I understand some coho all spawn in the main stem.

[wildmanyeah]

I find it ironic that the whole thing that started this review was someone who was involved with the alouette river hatchery wondering why chinook fishing was open when none return and yet it seems DFO still has the alouette open for chinook fishing.

[Hike_and_fish]

There's certainly been proposals to restrict or eliminate operation of power boats on at least parts of the Harrison. Conservation groups interested in preserving bird and wetland habitat have put such proposals forward.  Last one I recall was in the 90s to make it no power above Cabin Point but it went no where. Too much money to made etc. It's too bad since so much of the river is fairly pristine and there is little road access other than around the lower end. I think most of the Fall Chinook run spawns in the main stem, there is a sockeye population, pinks and as I understand some coho all spawn in the main stem.

I'm sure some Chinnook do spawn in the mainstem but I have not seen it. There are a few spots ( that I will not name here )  where I jave seen spawning activity and last year there was a LOT more than normal in those locations. Perhaps a regulation as to how fast some should travel in a boat or limiting boat traffic to the deeper water but then again, how will it be enforced. I see mini jets skip gravel bars in the Harrison every fall. More last year too. Even in the area listed as the Harrison sanctuary  some mini jets just rip up spawning habbit.