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[Dave]

I’m interested in the opinion of forum members, especially the oldtimers.  When I started fishing the Chilliwack - Vedder in 1960, Rocky Mountain Whitefish were plentiful.  We called them grayling then, and caught them on “hellgrammites” (stonefly nymphs) and “periwinkles” (caddis fly larva). And catch them we did- easily dozens a day if we had a mind.  Some were killed but most were released, as I did not particularly like to eat them.  But our cat did and I was told by my mother to bring home a small one for her each time I went fishing.
Finding the bait took only a few minutes back then, and Sweltzer Creek was by far the best spot to find the bugs.  And it was a great spot to fish when Art Butler, the CO at the time, was elsewhere!
Whitefish were still common up until the early 80’s (help me out here you fossils) and although I did not target them, plenty were caught steelhead fishing.
Now I can’t remember the last time I saw one in the Vedder.
So, what happened?  It would be easy to blame claybank sedimentation, or perhaps gravel extraction in the lower river but the fact is populations are not much better in the upper river, above sediment impacts.  Your thoughts??

[Sam Salmon]

I think it's just angling pressure that did in the population, people who didn't know what they were killed them because they didn't know what they were, I remember people calling them suckers when they were no such thing.

[mykisscrazy]

When I used to take the kids fishing in the summer to hone their fly fishing skills on the hatchery rainbow fishery. One of us would usually catch one or two during the day. Last time we went was summer of 06.

[Morty]

The Chilliwack hatchery produces rainbows?

I don't think so. 

Too many people are catching, and killing, the young Steelhead that are in the river in the Summer.

[drh]

Wow,you must be old Dave[just kidding of course].There is always a population of those fish in the flat water down by the train bridge, only caught 1 down there this year, but I didn't fish there often due to the pressure,it was crazy busy down there this steel season.Don't know where else you'd find them if you were trying to actually target them though.

[drh]

I too agree with what your saying Morty, but the fact is the regs say it's okay to take the family fishin to retain hatchery Rainbows in th ved in the summer ::)go figure Eh.

[greybark]

    Good thread , I am of the opinion that the whitefish populations declined prior to gravel extractions and the increased clay sediments . I may be wrong ....
        Cheers

[buck]

Dave    

If I were to take a guess at what caused the collapse of the whitefish population it would be the large flood events that have occurred over the last twenty years. I personally think that
they have not been able to recover due to the frequency and severity of storms.  We have seen a few small juvenile fish at the hatchery and have caught a few in our minnow
traps.

[hue-nut]

saw one caught the other day in the lower

[BNF861]

I haven't seen one caught or caught one myself in many years. I remember catching the odd one as a kid fishing for trout in the lower vedder, probably early 90's

[Every Day]

First of all....
Last time I saw one caught was also during the summer rainbow fly fishing.
I caught a very large one also last year mid river on a colorado, around 2 pounds (the biggest white fish I have seen to date).

Secondly.
I very strongly disagree with Morty and all others that "frown" upon flyfishers catching and RELEASING (for the most part, because I know not everyone does) the hatchery Steelhead smolts. If you have a problem with it, I suggest you stop fishing for springs with roe and prawns because you kill alot more in a day with your over-sized hooks and baits than I do in a full year of fly-fishing 

It's a great fishery to get people started off with fly fishing. These fish will readily take a dry, and there is also the possibility of catching a sockeye or a large resident bow in the process. Since I started 2 years ago I have landed 4 sockeye and 2 large resident bows, along with a stray? summer steelhead on the dry fly in the lower. Maybe there should be a new topic started on whether or not you agree with the rainbow (which technically they still are until they go to the ocean) fishery in the summer, I for one do and hope they leave it open to at least fishing (could care less if retention is stopped).

By the way Buck,
How many of these rainbows actually go to the ocean if they have not yet left by August? (when I usually start fly fishing for them).

[buck]

Every Day

If Steelhead smolts have not left the river by August they will most likely stay in the system and compete with wild fish. However, there is an out migration of late Steelhead smolts
the first 2 weeks of September. Whether or not some of the larger fish would move out during this period is not known. There has been so little work as far as wild Steelhead production
goes its a shame. Considering this is one of the most heavily fish rivers in the Province you only have to give your head a shake.
One sore point I have is the targeting of wild juveniles between Vedder Crossing and Sleese Creek. Worm containers are prevalent at all log jams and deep pools , even in the closed area
above the hatchery we find all sorts of gear.
Steve Olson spent part of one summer catching Steelhead smolts in the lower river to determine how may wild smolts - juveniles were being caught. If I am correct he caught lots of clipped
hatchery fish and no wild smolts. Steve would have all the results documented. His conclusion was that the anglers were having little or no impact on wild smolt sized fish after the migration
window had passed.( May-JUNE)

[Every Day]

Yea.... I catch VERY few wild smolts.
Maybe around 10 in a year and I fish almost every day in summer.
I also get a fair number of resident rainbows, some up to around 4 pounds.
I only fish around Peach Road, just to relax after working.

[Lew Chater]

Interesting topic Dave.....I guess I qualify for "oldtimer" or "fossil" as we fished "grayling" as we called them then also, in the late 40's and early 50's as kids. I lived right beside the Vedder Bridge when it was built in 1948 and we fished right off the bridge. You could look down and see dozens of fish! We used a drop sinker, short leader and small "grayling hook" with "hellgamites" as bait. We just hauled the fish right up onto the bridge sidewalk. Never kept very many, as only our cat ate them!
There were lots of whitefish in Sweltzer Creek and we used to watch out for Art Butler, the Game Warden also! Although at that time, there was no problem fishing Sweltzer Creek.
They were a great fish to catch and learn on for young kids. I took kids from my classes out fishing and that is what we targetted and that was in the 70's.
I agree with Buck, that huge movement of gravel from floods has had effect. I don't think they were "fished out", as there were so many and they were really not targetted very much. I think that clay sedimentation has really affected the production of stone fly.I have recently turned over a few rocks looking for them and found very few. At this time of year, you used to find lots of them before you turned over too many rocks. Without stone fly, the population is going to deteriorate!
Usually run into a couple a year steelhead fishing, but none this year!
Usually lots of them in the Harrison also, but haven't tried for them there for a few years so not sure about the numbers there.
Would like to know more as it would be a great fishery to promote for family fun to get kids interested in fishing!

[bravo252]

Wow~!! I catch them alot for the red spring season on Vedder and stave.
Last year I hooked more then ten for a month.
Am I the luck one??


Cheers~!!