I travelled to the island this weekend to discover a remote river system that gets almost no pressure. It has a decent steelhead run as well as coho and cutties - reputadely. It's a system that has very little access and where i went, no signs of recent human presence.
I canoed upstream from the mouth at the pacific, for over a kilometer, over some excellent holding water and rearing pools for coho fry. The river is clear with some tanin stain and an excellent gravel bottom mixed with decent riparian foliage. A mayfly hatch was coming off the water. Conditions were prime.
So, I didnt see one fry nor any evidence of resident fish after scouring several pools and runs for hours. The water was so clear i could 'stalk' certain pools overhead for signs of life - nothing.
Without giving away the location, can anyone comment on the lack of life?