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[fish_oholic]

Tried spincasting spoons in the north arm at richmond...all I had was a big Sculpin  . Saw few fish jumping here and there...no luck for me though..

[Rodney]

To all Fraser River pink salmon anglers, please be aware of a seasonal regulation that will become effective starting next week as a conservation measure on interior coho salmon.

FN0635-Recreational: Salmon - Region 2 - Management Measures to Protect Interior Fraser River Coho

The following measures will be implemented to protect Interior Fraser River coho.

Tidal portion of the Fraser River (downstream of the CPR Bridge at Mission, BC)

Effective 00:01 hours September 4, 2007 to 23:59 hours October 5, 2007 in the tidal portion of the Fraser River (downstream from the CPR Bridge at Mission, BC:

• the use of bait is prohibited while fishing for salmon.
• fishing for coho is prohibited.

Fraser River - Mission to Hope

Effective 00:01 hours September 6, 2007 to 23:59 hours October 8, 2007 on the non-tidal portion of the Fraser River from the CPR Bridge at Mission, BC upstream to the Highway No. 1 Bridge at Hope, BC:

• the use of bait is prohibited while fishing for salmon.
• fishing for coho is prohibited.

Fraser River - Hope to Sawmill Creek

Effective 00:01 hours September 8, 2007 to 23:59 hours October 11, 2007, on the non-tidal portion of the Fraser River from the Highway No. 1 Bridge at Hope, BC upstream to the confluence with Sawmill Creek:

• the use of bait is prohibited while fishing for salmon.
• fishing for coho is prohibited.

Fraser River - Sawmill Creek to Alexandra Bridge

Effective 00:01 hours September 19, 2007 to 23:59 hours December 31, 2007, on the non-tidal portion of the Fraser River from the confluence with Sawmill Creek upstream to the Alexandra Bridge:

• the use of bait is prohibited while fishing for salmon.
• fishing for coho is prohibited.

Variation Orders 2007-316; 2007-218 in effect.

Notes:

The aggregate daily limit for all species of Pacific Salmon (other than kokanee) from tidal and non-tidal waters combined is four (4).

Barbless hooks are required when fishing for salmon in tidal and non-tidal waters of British Columbia.  This includes all species of fish in the Fraser River.

Sport anglers are encouraged to participate in the voluntary Salmon Sport Head Recovery program by labelling and submitting heads from adipose fin-clipped chinook and coho salmon.  Recovery of coded-wire tags provides critical information for coast-wide stock assessment.  Contact the Salmon Sport Head Recovery Program at (866) 483-9994 for further information.

Did you witness suspicious fishing activity or a violation?  If so, please call the Fisheries and Ocean Canada 24-hour toll free Observe, Record, Report line at (800) 465-4336.

For the 24 hour recorded opening and closure line, call toll free at (866) 431-FISH.

If you encounter a coho salmon while fishing for pink salmon, please release it with care by keeping the fish in the water at all time. Both wild and hatchery coho salmon are to be released during the period of this period.

An update on the pink salmon fishing in the Tidal Fraser River

The water clarity remains poor. Visibility is still sitting at around 1 foot. Scattered small schools of fish have been creeping into the river during the strong incoming tides, but with the visibility so poor, chances of connecting with a fish has been very slim.

Make sure the rods and reels are wiped down after each trip because the amount of silt building up on the gear can be rather damaging.

From my personal outings, I was able to connect with one fish on August 16th, 2 on August 18th, 1 on August 26th, but all were lost. Today (August 30th), three were connected, one was landed, one did not count as it was foul hooked, the other one popped off fairly far out not long after it bit. The last several days we have been seeing more surface activities during the time we expected, but they produced no bites most likely due to the poor visibility. A large bump on the return should happen this weekend, hopefully.

Some interesting sightings out there. On Sunday the 26th, I saw two people with no life jackets making their way out to the middle of the river just downstream from Alex Fraser Bridge in an inflatable and an electric motor. They proceeded to anchor and fish while tug boats and barges cruised right beside them.

Two days ago I saw a prop boat going airborne when attempting to get over a big wave from a cargo ship. Even though they were quite far out, I could see the passengers bouncing on the seats as the boat landed.

Play safe and good luck on this long weekend!

[Sinaran]

congratulations on the first pink landed.  
hopefully i would connect with one the next time i go spooning for them.

[Rodney]

I just realized that we don't have any close-up photos of a pink salmon (or its parts) for identification purpose.

Here's a small female pink salmon from today.




The easiest way to identify a pink salmon is by looking at its tail. Large oval spots can be found all over the tail. It's quite different to the tail of other salmon species (chinook salmon has tiny spots all over its tail, coho salmon has tiny spots on the top portion of its tail, sockeye and chum salmon have no spots on their tails).




Large oval spots can also be found along a pink salmon's back. These spots (almost the size of thumb prints) are much larger than the spots on other salmon species' backs. Both coho and chinook salmon have small spots along their backs, while sockeye and chum salmon have no spots.




We were checked by DFO officers again tonight, fourth time for me in two weeks. The officers from the Steveston office continue to do a good job on patrolling. No violations found tonight out of 6 anglers. Make sure you have your license, your single hook's barb pinched and know your salmon species.

[Rodney]

Please note that there has been a change of daily quota of pink salmon in the non-tidal Fraser River, Chilliwack Stave River, Harrison River.

http://www-ops2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/xnet/content/fns/index.cfm?pg=view_notice&lang=en&DOC_ID=104094&ID=recreational

Effective immediately until December 31, 2007 the daily limit for pink salmon in the following areas is increased to four (4) per day:

• Chilliwack/Vedder Rivers: downstream from Slesse Creek, including that portion of the Sumas River from the Barrow Town Pump Station downstream to boundary signs near the confluence with the Fraser River,
• Fraser River: downstream side of the CPR Bridge at Mission upstream to the Alexandra Bridge (except the Landstrom Bar area closures listed below),
• Harrison River: from the Highway 7 Bridge downstream to the confluence with the Fraser River, and
• Stave River: downstream of B.C. Hydro Dam to the CPR railway Bridge.

While fishing for Pink salmon in this area, the Department requests that the recreational community take every measure possible to ensure that their fishing activities are not impacting sockeye salmon.

Variation order 2007-327.

Notes:

The aggregate daily limit for all species of Pacific Salmon (other than kokanee) from tidal and non-tidal waters combined is four (4).

Barbless hooks are required when fishing for salmon in tidal and non-tidal waters of British Columbia.  This includes all species of fish in the Fraser River.

Sport anglers are encouraged to participate in the voluntary Salmon Sport Head Recovery program by labelling and submitting heads from adipose fin-clipped Chinook and coho salmon.  Recovery of coded-wire tags provides critical information for coast-wide stock assessment.  Contact the Salmon Sport Head Recovery Program at (866) 483-9994 for further information.

Did you witness suspicious fishing activity or a violation?  If so, please call the Fisheries and Ocean Canada 24-hour toll free Observe, Record, Report line at (800) 465-4336.

For the 24 hour recorded opening and closure line, call toll free at (866) 431-FISH.

[mykiss]

Thanks for the update Rod!  I can't wait till I get to go out there over the next few weeks!  Perhaps we'll bump into each other.
I've made 2 outings last month with nothing to show for but did see a few jumpers out in the middle of the river....perhaps sockeye?

Regardless.... haven't connected with one yet this year but I'm still eager to get out!  Good luck all!

[Eagleye]

Please note that there has been a change of daily quota of pink salmon in the non-tidal Fraser River, Chilliwack Stave River, Harrison River.

http://www-ops2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/xnet/content/fns/index.cfm?pg=view_notice&lang=en&DOC_ID=104094&ID=recreational

Effective immediately until December 31, 2007 the daily limit for pink salmon in the following areas is increased to four (4) per day:

• Chilliwack/Vedder Rivers: downstream from Slesse Creek, including that portion of the Sumas River from the Barrow Town Pump Station downstream to boundary signs near the confluence with the Fraser River,
• Fraser River: downstream side of the CPR Bridge at Mission upstream to the Alexandra Bridge (except the Landstrom Bar area closures listed below),
• Harrison River: from the Highway 7 Bridge downstream to the confluence with the Fraser River, and
• Stave River: downstream of B.C. Hydro Dam to the CPR railway Bridge.

While fishing for Pink salmon in this area, the Department requests that the recreational community take every measure possible to ensure that their fishing activities are not impacting sockeye salmon.

Variation order 2007-327.

Notes:

The aggregate daily limit for all species of Pacific Salmon (other than kokanee) from tidal and non-tidal waters combined is four (4).

Barbless hooks are required when fishing for salmon in tidal and non-tidal waters of British Columbia.  This includes all species of fish in the Fraser River.

Sport anglers are encouraged to participate in the voluntary Salmon Sport Head Recovery program by labelling and submitting heads from adipose fin-clipped Chinook and coho salmon.  Recovery of coded-wire tags provides critical information for coast-wide stock assessment.  Contact the Salmon Sport Head Recovery Program at (866) 483-9994 for further information.

Did you witness suspicious fishing activity or a violation?  If so, please call the Fisheries and Ocean Canada 24-hour toll free Observe, Record, Report line at (800) 465-4336.

For the 24 hour recorded opening and closure line, call toll free at (866) 431-FISH.

I don't understand why DFO is increasing the limit for anglers upstream and not on the lower as well.  Seeing as that is the area they closed down to protect the sockeye as they say and also the best place to BB.  Instead of giving anglers an incentive to go out of town to stock up on pinks  I would think they would want to encourage anglers to fish the wider parts of the river on the lower to avoid catching socks.  It seems as though they are trying to set us up for another closure or just trying to please the guides.

[Old Black Dog]

Think about it, 10 million.
Do you really think that sports anglers will have an effect?
This is not sockeye in the prime of the summer.

Even the F/N are throwing them back.( After they are dead of course).

[Fish Assassin]

I don't understand why DFO is increasing the limit for anglers upstream and not on the lower as well. 

Isn't the limit in the tidal portion 4 per day ?

[Rodney]

I don't understand why DFO is increasing the limit for anglers upstream and not on the lower as well. 

Isn't the limit in the tidal portion 4 per day ?

Yes.

The pink salmon daily quota increase or decrease in the non-tidal portion of the Fraser River is always done in-season once the managers determine whether the in-season estimate can accommodate that.

[Rodney]

While everyone's enjoying the pink salmon fishing, I'm not sure if you have been looking at the catch reports from test fisheries lately.

This graph (by Fisheries and Oceans Canada) maybe interesting to some of you.



It indicates that daily migration numbers through Juan de Fuca Strait have been sharply declining in the last two weeks instead of peaking right now as originally forecasted.

[adriaticum]

Yeah, pink season is slowing down quite a bit and some guys are saying that it might not be any better. 

[Rodney]

We definitely will not see another big bump of pink salmon this season unfortunately, but there should be enough fish to provide some steady fishing result in the next several weeks. Current daily passage of pink salmon through Mission is estimated at around 400,000 fish. The 10 million returning fish will be revised and most likely downgraded further after the US fisheries' effort is taken into account.