2007 Steelhead Brood Collection Program
Posted on January 15th, 2007 by Rodney Hsu, webmaster

Volunteer steelhead broodstock anglers Chris Gadsden (left) and Nick Basok fishing on the Chilliwack River (Photo: Rodney Hsu).

Starting on January 15th, a group of approximately twenty steelhead anglers will be armed with large rubber tubes while fishing the Chilliwack River. These volunteers are part of the annual winter steelhead brood collection program on the Chilliwack River.

Each year, a small percentage of the steelhead are caught, transported to and held at the Chilliwack River Hatchery where they are spawned. Their youngs are raised at the facility and released back into the river during May when they reach 80 to 100 grams. The 120,000 youngs are marked by the clipping on the adipose fin and they will return as hatchery steelhead that anglers can retain. This year, the program aims to capture 35 pairs of wild adult spawners.

Steve Olson, a technician at the Fraser Valley Trout Hatchery, is a coordinator of this year's brood collection. He said without dedicated volunteer anglers who spend hours on the river to meet the program's objective, the Chilliwack River would not have this sustainable hatchery steelhead fishery.

To speed up the program, anglers who wish to donate a wild steelhead that they catch are appreciated, but the well being of the spawners is the first priority. Proper fish handling techniques such as the use of wetted bare hands are crucial. Keeping the fish in the water at all time improves the spawner's chance of survival.

"There has to be a brood stock angler in the vicinity to retain the fish for pick-up by hatchery staff.", emphasized by Peter Buck, who is a Chilliwack River Hatchery staff. "Please release the fish carefully if a brood stock angler is not nearby."

Below is a short video of how a wild steelhead is transported to the hatchery vehicle by a Chilliwack River Hatchery staff.

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