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[cutthroat22]

Advantages: Less crowding/better fishing with more fresh fish.

Disadvantages: Slippery rocks and getting cold/soaked.  Also rivers can rise very fast.

I prefer a rainy less crowded day to a sunny/crowded day in a heartbeat.

[Sterling C]

hello, first time posting...

In advance of our impending deluge next week, are there any advantages/disadvantages (beyond getting soaked) to fishing during heavy rainfall? or is it best to wait until the rain stops? your thoughts?

cheers

rk

The advantage to higher water is that the fish will be free to move up river. Fresh moving fish will always be easier to catch than stale holed up ones (assuming it is your intention to induce fish to bite). As was also mentioned, the rain will keep away many of the fair weather fishermen, reducing crowds.

The only possible disadvantage would be that if we get too much rain the river could blow out.

[bbronswyk2000]

The advantage to higher water is that the fish will be free to move up river. Fresh moving fish will always be easier to catch than stale holed up ones (assuming it is your intention to induce fish to bite). As was also mentioned, the rain will keep away many of the fair weather fishermen, reducing crowds.

The only possible disadvantage would be that if we get too much rain the river could blow out.

Sterling hit it on the head. Fish that hold in these deep pools during low water dont bite all that often. You can flog the same pools for hours, see lots of fish and not have them bite. These fish are most likely conserving energy in these pools to make a run up river. I have seen this as the water is clear from top to bottom. You can see your offering go right past their heads and they barely move. Most of the time they just move out of the way. When their is more water and the fish can move freely without expending great amounts of energy to move than you will see more aggressive fish.

[Robert_G]

I'm not sure why people are concerned about all the fish moving up river if it rains.
Yes....sustained rain for several days would suck, but 2 inches of rain would be perfect.
The river would come up a foot or so and then drop slowly.
The fish don't all come up at once. Most years I'm still catching chrome Coho on Rememberance Day on the Chilliwack/Vedder.
A knowledgeable river fishermen knows that the entire month of October is prime season. Not just the first 2 weeks.
In fact, more 'northerns' will come up later in the month. These fish are huge and sometimes agressive if the river isn't too low and clear.

However....if everyone wants to pack their rods and reels away after it rains....go ahead. It leaves more space for me to fish.

[BwiBwi]

Little bit of rain is good.  In fact before flood of '06 we can take a good amount of rain and river would still be fishable.  But now with 3 slides opened up....  well you all know what happens when it rains.

[adriaticum]

Rain is what we need.
Low water conditions are not good for anyone, the fish or the fishermen.
When water is low the fish are trapped in fewer spots and everyone converges on these spots.
When the river is high there are more spots to fish and the crowds are not as bad.
For me personally rain would be great so my spots start to hold fish again.
So I don't have to join the gong show and watch idiots floss fish and kill them, kill wild cohos, take more than their limit etc.

This weekend I learned that fishermen who know the regulations and obey  them are a minority. I never really fished crowded spots before.
Fresh water fisheries enforcement is a failure.

And yes the coho fishing coming to a close, they are starting to turn red.

[Dave]

Adriaticum, you are bang on when you say low water is bad for fish too.  The stress level of all these trapped fish, pounded all day (and night in a few places I understand) must be off the charts.  And stress is known to impair (or totally stop) spawning success.
Unfortunately, it's possible the coming rain is 2 weeks too late.  Water levels this low means off channel spawning areas are totally dried up, too low or unaccessible for spawning pinks, especially in the lower river.  Have a look at Peach Channel, from Peach Road down.   That means nearly all the pinks have spawned or are spawning in the mainstem river .... with virtually no back up spawning in side channels.  A good November flood could wipe out what was probably the strongest pink run on the Chilliwack in a long, long time.
Saving graces are the off channel spawning areas in the upper river (Centennial, Yukalup, etc), Sweltzer Creek,  and the hope there are still a few pinks to come that will access these soon to fill to be wet again channels.

[Robert_G]

And yes the coho fishing coming to a close, they are starting to turn red.

Yup....keep saying that to everyone. I'm looking forward to having the river to myself for the next few weeks landing big fresh Coho.

[Robert_G]

A good November flood could wipe out what was probably the strongest pink run on the Chilliwack in a long, long time.
Saving graces are the off channel spawning areas in the upper river (Centennial, Yukalup, etc), Sweltzer Creek,  and the hope there are still a few pinks to come that will access these soon to fill to be wet again channels.

It would take an act of God to destroy the 2009 Pink Run.

[marbles]

speaking of pink's we did well at peg leg,would we still catch pinks next year or is there not pinks altogther

[dereke]

Pinks are there and are caught on off pink years but they are few and far between There is not enough to go out and target.

[rek]

great info.

thanks.

rk

[dennyman]

To those individuals doing their rain dance, please quit dancing immediately!!

[marbles]

To those individuals doing their rain dance, please quit dancing immediately!!

lol I stopped and I couldnt even go,got the flu,well whats left it,hope theres still some fish next week

[BigFisher]

To those individuals doing their rain dance, please quit dancing immediately!!

You hadnt posted for 10 days, I was starting to think it was you....