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[Britguy]

Went to the Squish to chuck some feathers with the spey rod
quite a few fish moving through but not one hooked that i could see
i tried all i had in my box but only had one take and that got off just as quick as it hit
There were many seals in the river
I am sure these rain falls will entice more fish to move up river but may make it tough to fish

[fishyfish]

What do you think the chances of an opening ( retention of chum)  are this year?

[adecadelost]

Hopefuly slim to none.
Was a very enjoyable day on the river with hardly a soul around. Even the mamquam bars only had one or two people on them. Water levels were great but visibility went from 2 feet in the morning down to 6" by the afternoon.
Managed one chum early on but everything clouded up soon after. We're going to need a few days for things to clear again.
I love the Squamish system and I hope they keep it closed for retention.

[hotrod]

Been there a couple times already, but don't think the numbers of fish are even close to what it used to be like five years ago! Sad to see such a great system struggling!

  hotrod

[bkk]

What do you think the chances of an opening ( retention of chum)  are this year?

Most likely not even a consideration. The Squamish has had 6 years of very poor chum escapements, most years in the 10 - 30% range of what was once considered a "normal" year. We would need to have a exceptional return on those brood years to even consider supporting an opening. But hey, they caught 425 000 chum in the first Johnstone Straight chum seine opening with only 50% of the catch being Fraser fish. There might be your answer as to what is happening to Squamish chum.

Here's hopeing and praying the chum return in abundance to what they were a few years ago as they power this whole ecosystem here for fish, bears and eagles. Not holding my breath for that!

[hickman]

When I first started fishing for salmon in the Squamish system in 2005, there were lots of chum and coho. Even as a total newbie I was able to catch them (not snag them!). The spill in the Cheakamus and its effects on that river are widely known. I have heard of several theories around the decline of the runs in Squamish, especially the chum. Some say it is the fish farms and the route the Squamish bound salmon are taking... I honestly think it is a combination of a lot of factors: destruction of natural habitat, loss of spawning grounds, installation of hydro projects, over fishing, diseases from fish farms etc. you pick the one you like....
From what I see in the rivers each year, I do not believe that there is going to be any retention of anything ever again in this system except for hatchery coho or unless there is a huge pink run.
Having said that, I think this year is slightly better for chum than the previous based on my two fishing outings so far. Apparently, the first cohos are in the system as well. But with the rain over the weekend, it will take a while for the brown soup to clear up.

Hick

[Britguy]

I agree that they should keep it closed for retention for a few more years at least to give them time to breed more
I remember years back having days when you had to take a break due to arm fatigue fighting so many chum
and they seemed to be bigger fish than some other flows get

It sure was nice to have so much river to fish the other day
not sure why they were not biting though conditions were great and many fresh fish moving in
normally they will snap at anything that gets in there face

[purplehelmet]

Last year I saw First Nations take a ton @ the Cheak confluence & Fergies.  I'm not trying to start a S___storm & I'm not disputing their right to fish, but is conservation a consideration?  Do elders monitor this?  Because it seems FN guys & gals just go to the river whenever they want & snag a crapload of fish.  Somebody tell me there is some morals & ethics here, please.  Even lie to me to make me feel better because on a gut-level it just seems wrong to me in a struggling system like this.  I've only been to the above locations once each this season & only saw 2 fish snagged & taken, unclear what species the fish were.

[dereke]

Hickman I started fishing the system the year before and remember the run in 2005! It really was a sight to see all chum and you could get into really fresh fish everyday and like Marty mentioned you would have to take breaks with sore arms. Agreed the system seems to be dying out and alarmingly fast. Only a few cycles and the fish aren't coming back. With what seems to be a huge run on the Fraser and tribs I was hoping to hear it was making a come back a bit. I guess only time will tell...

[hickman]

Over the years I have explored the Squamish system, especially the Cheakamus because I love the area. I bushwack and make an effort to get to places where not a lot of people go. Often I do not even fish, I just enjoy exploring. Doing that I have seen lots of pools and spots where there are still lots of fish willing to bite. I fished Friday and Saturday for a couple of hours and hooked into a few chum, landing two on pink/ red wool. I think, this year might be one of the better years for chum (since 2005). Or maybe it's just an early rush and then the run dies off.

I know the areas where the natives fish. They just "harvest" in a different way. There is no point in opening a discussion here because you can find those in many other posts here. Nonetheless it is sad to see how the natives fish in terms of equipment and methods. Nobody as far as I have ever seen enforces or checks anything. What disturbs me most is how caught fish are "released" if they don't want to keep them.
On a different note, I also have to say that a lot of weekend warriors have made especially the Cheakamus less enjoyable due to piles of garbage left behind. These are often not fishermen, but too many times I have found line, gear, packaging of fishing related stuff on the rivers, not to mention the Tim Hortons coffee cups. Every year after salmon season I stock up on "gear" and hardware for the following season by just walking along the river.
The least everyone can do is show a little respect for nature and pack out their garbage!

Hick

[Matt]

...On a different note, I also have to say that a lot of weekend warriors have made especially the Cheakamus less enjoyable due to piles of garbage left behind. These are often not fishermen, but too many times I have found line, gear, packaging of fishing related stuff on the rivers, not to mention the Tim Hortons coffee cups. Every year after salmon season I stock up on "gear" and hardware for the following season by just walking along the river.
The least everyone can do is show a little respect for nature and pack out their garbage!

Hick

Hi Hick, could you please contact the Steelhead Society of BC and let us know where you've been spotting garbage, particularly if its not right next to the river?  Email us at info@steelheadsociety.org

Last year, the Steelhead Society of BC and volunteers removed 10,164lbs (!!!) of garbage from the river banks and adjacent forest.  We've been doing a Squamish Watershed Cleanup (http://www.steelheadsociety.org/news/2012-squamish-watershead-cleanup)two years running and will be doing another this spring either the third or fourth weekend in April.  We do our best to scout out where best to send volunteers, however, the more info I have, the fewer days we have to spend driving around burning fuel.  Also, consider joining us next year.  

Here's some pics from last year:

SSBC and Squamish River Watershed Society members and directors, anglers, SFU university students, members of the community, local guiding companies Whistler Fly Fishing and Valley Fishing Guides were in attendance.





there used to be an illegal dump right beside the Cheakamus...



we were able to remove it almost entirely



I had the dump keep track of the weight we brought in.



At the end of the event, Fergies Cafe at Sunwolf made us up some awesome burgers.  (Their brisket is unreal too.)

[silver ghost]

where is the like button?

[Matt]

its here: http://www.facebook.com/groups/47570728000/?fref=ts

[adriaticum]

its here: http://www.facebook.com/groups/47570728000/?fref=ts

Thanks for this reminder!

[Matt]

Thanks for this reminder!

Remember to become an SSBC, not just its webpage.  Members make a difference!