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[fishseeker]

I was fishing the Tidal Fraser in the New West area hoping in vain that I might catch a last pink run.

As I was standing there a very large Salmon cruised by my feet hugging the shoreline no more than two meters out  (aprox 3 feet long and maybe 8 inches across the body).   It was in full spawning colors with a mottled brown appearance but I cannot be sure what it was.

Judging by its size I am speculating it was most likely a Spring because it was so large and this is late in the season for them.   The thing that surprised me is I wouldn't expect to see one so colored up this close to the Ocean - is it possible I could have seen something else?   [I know chums color up very soon after entering the river but I wouldn't expect to see one now - could it be?]

Any thoughts?

[Eagleye]

I would say it was a chum.

[cutthroat22]

I saw a very decayed chum swimming in Richmond close to shore as well, I was surprised.

[fishseeker]

A chum.   Really? 

I did not realize they showed up this early but it makes sense given that they color early.  I imagine anything else would have been much more Silver. 

cutthroat22, when did you see that chum?  Was that today too?

[Sam Salmon]

If it was 8" across the back it was a Spring Salmon-remember there are fish  in the river in all months.

OTOH it's not at all too early for Chums there used to be Summer run Chums in certain small Fraser Valley streams-all gone now  of course destroyed like everything else but there are always a few Chum with Pinks.

[Rodney]

Fishseeker, you saw a loser. Every species has a few of those. It's not rare to see the odd salmon in their spawning phase in the Tidal Fraser River. Most likely these fish will never make it to the spawning ground. They are either sick or just too exhausted to complete the mission.

It's not unusual to see chum salmon in the Tidal Fraser in late September. In fact, there should be more than what I've seen right now. They typically emerge in the Tidal Fraser around mid September, most of these fish will then arrive in the Harrison, Chilliwack and Stave systems by late September and early October.

[Matt]

Hi, I'm looking for the pants party.

[funpig]

I saw the same thing at Deas Island about 10 days ago.  It had to have been a spring because it was way too big to be a chum.  It was very dark and mottled and just cruised slowly by the shore. 

[barnun]

Some salmon do spawn this close to the ocean...

[fishseeker]

Thanks a lot for all the feedback everybody.  I think I have learned something new as usual.

It may well have been a spring but I was just guessing about the width across the back.   I guess it could be time to start thinking about chums again even though I don't expect too much right now - just hope we will have a half decent run of them with all the gloomy news I have been hearing about Salmon fishery these days.

[kodiak]

I have seen springs spawning in a certain small GVRD river only a few hundred meters away from where the river empties into the ocean so they don't always make long journies upstream.

[Sam Salmon]

There was a 40+ pound Spring Salmon caught in Brown's Bay north of Campbell River a few days ago so they aren't all home yet.

In addition how many of you know there's a late run of Springs in the Squamish?

I've caught them as late as Nov 11th.

[kodiak]

I have heard of a late run in the squamish, never caught one myself. I caught one in the Thomson in December though. When I hooked it I knew it was big and it wasn't fighting like a steelhead but I never expected to see a spring come to shore.