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[Chehalis_Steel]

I fished one of the north Fraser sloughs a few weeks ago and caught quite a few nice cutties on minnow patterns. I was hoping to do some more fishing for these guys over the next few weeks. Assuming the system doesn't blow out from the freshet, how long can you still catch them? Do they start returning to the ocean around now or will they still be in the freshwater throughout May?

[Danny Coombs]

I've seen a few jumping in the sort of area, couldn't get them to bite on the same patterns though 

[Chehalis_Steel]

I've seen a few jumping in the sort of area, couldn't get them to bite on the same patterns though 

Good to hear they're still around. Jumping fish might mean they're taking dries or emergers.

[Every Day]

I catch them into June quite often. Got two 17 inchers on Sunday, along with half a dozen 6-10 inchers to the beach and missed easily a dozen bits. The SC Needle was killing them on a fast strip. Definitely being cautious though, as I said I missed half the hits I got.

[clarki]

I fished one of the north Fraser sloughs a few weeks ago and caught quite a few nice cutties on minnow patterns. I was hoping to do some more fishing for these guys over the next few weeks. Assuming the system doesn't blow out from the freshet, how long can you still catch them? Do they start returning to the ocean around now or will they still be in the freshwater throughout May?

This topic has been discussed a bit over the years, and usually I get involved!

To summarize an email converastion with a now retired provincial fisheries biologist, there are/were no clear indications that Fraser R cutthroat are anadromous. Although some may be anadromous, they do know that hatchery ct that originate from brood stock taken above Mission, and are stocked above Maple Ridge, are virtually absent from the lower Fraser, suggesting that the fish are migratory within the river system, not andromous, but rather mostly potamdrous (river dwelling) or lacustrine (lake dwelling).

So to answer your question, I would suggest that most (all?) of the fish are there year round. Just where depends upon the season, water conditions, food availability...         

[Chehalis_Steel]

To summarize an email converastion with a now retired provincial fisheries biologist, there are/were no clear indications that Fraser R cutthroat are anadromous. Although some may be anadromous, they do know that hatchery ct that originate from brood stock taken above Mission, and are stocked above Maple Ridge, are virtually absent from the lower Fraser, suggesting that the fish are migratory within the river system, not andromous, but rather mostly potamdrous (river dwelling) or lacustrine (lake dwelling).

       

That's really interesting. I always assumed that the fact that most fish I caught were chrome meant that they came out of the ocean. But it makes sense that they would stay in the Fraser and its tribs with all the salmon fry and other food available to them there for a large part of the year. You're talking about a study about info on stocked fish though, so I'm wondering if at least some of the wild fish are actually anadromous.

[clarki]

This was an emailed conversation 16 years ago, so I want to careful to not mis-represent what he told me.

Yes, some wild fish could certainly be anadromous, as could some hatchery fish, but there are no clear indications, as he said. Although I can't say for sure, I would suggest that his observations of the absence of hy ct from the Lower Fraser is less from a study and more from anecdotal evidence   

As to how complex this is, here is what he wrote "These fish don't organise themselves into neat and separate categories like we would wish in order to make the picture more clear. Undoubtedly there are lots of situations where fish with different lifestyles are together at the same time and place.  Our understanding of all this is pretty skimpy plus we have meddled in the situation by having a hatchery program for CT... Unravelling the mysteries of these fish, in an area as complex as the Fraser, is an interesting but very expensive proposition. As time proceeds methods for sorting out the various stocks and lifestyles are improving. There are techniques for differentiating stocks by analysing DNA , for determining if there has been marine residency by looking for indicator chemicals and a whole host of other neat ways to put the puzzle together. All it takes is lots of time, money and people!! - which these days are in very short supply!!"

If time, money and people were an issue 16 years, it wouldn't be any different today. If some DNA testing of Fraser River coastal cutthroat has been done recently, I am not aware. Several years ago, I was doing some cutthroat sampling for provincial fish tech, but he indicated that there wasn't the budget at that point for the analysis. No cost for my free labour though!

FYI This is a good read http://www.shim.bc.ca/cutthroat/ct.pdf

[RalphH]

This is a good discussion Clarki. What work has been done is that cutthroat populations in the lower Fraser (say from Hope downstream) split into 2 groups roughly at Mission. Below they are anadromous and like most trout with access to the sea on the coast spend a part of the year off the beaches but close to their natal streams (mostly within a few miles). Above Mission they reside year round in freshwater. I think or guess this also applies to the Pitt River Pitt Lake stocks as well. These fish likely stay in larger bodies of water like Harrison River and Lake, Stave River Pitt Lake etc much of the year. Unfortunately they are not easy to find as cutties don't seem to stick to fixed schedules of migration or foraging movements.  For me Sept to April seems to be the most consistent time of year as they respond both to breeding urges and forage associated with salmon runs. From May on the fish seem to almost disappear though I do hear of folks who catch fish in small sloughs away from the Fraser muck as it rises in late spring. Likewise I have taken the odd fish at creek and river mouths in early summer. Water temperature gets to be a major issue in summer and in some places the fish may be deeper or out in main currents than is the case in other seasons or simply not active. Coarse fish get very active in warm weather and competition for the trout is probably significant. Hard to get a lure or fly in many waters without it getting grabbed by a pike minnow or other coarse fish when the water is warmish.

[clarki]

This is a good discussion Clarki. What work has been done is that cutthroat populations in the lower Fraser (say from Hope downstream) split into 2 groups roughly at Mission. Below they are anadromous and like most trout with access to the sea on the coast spend a part of the year off the beaches but close to their natal streams (mostly within a few miles). Above Mission they reside year round in freshwater. I think or guess this also applies to the Pitt River Pitt Lake stocks as well. These fish likely stay in larger bodies of water like Harrison River and Lake, Stave River Pitt Lake etc much of the year. Unfortunately they are not easy to find as cutties don't seem to stick to fixed schedules of migration or foraging movements.  For me Sept to April seems to be the most consistent time of year as they respond both to breeding urges and forage associated with salmon runs. From May on the fish seem to almost disappear though I do hear of folks who catch fish in small sloughs away from the Fraser muck as it rises in late spring. Likewise I have taken the odd fish at creek and river mouths in early summer. Water temperature gets to be a major issue in summer and in some places the fish may be deeper or out in main currents than is the case in other seasons or simply not active. Coarse fish get very active in warm weather and competition for the trout is probably significant. Hard to get a lure or fly in many waters without it getting grabbed by a pike minnow or other coarse fish when the water is warmish.

Not that I'm distrustful, Ralph, but I do tend to be a bit of show-me kinda fella. Although I don't doubt that ct below Mission (with the exception of Stave and Pitt fish) could be anadraomous, I'm curious what you base that on. Personal experience? Studies?...   

[RalphH]

Personal experience and guess but I could be wrong. If the Fraser River fish above Mission don't have to migrate out to the chuck I'd guess the Pitt Lake & River complex of fish do not need to either. They have what they need right there and my experience is they move around that area a lot and may also move into the Fraser to other suitable waters as opportunities provide.