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[Morty]

There are times and places on the Fraser and Harrison where a boat has to pass a little closer to the shore fishers in order to be in safe water.  Unless the water is shallow enough to ripple over the rocks, it's impossible to tell the depth of the Fraser from shore.  I've passed sections near Peg where MOST of the channel is less than 3 feet deep and the only safe water was within casting distance of those on shore.

Also, with respect to speed, if a boat goes slower, it sits lower in the water and makes a bigger wake.  Unlike lake or ocean water which has relatively no current, heading upstream against a current requires some speed just to 'stand still' relative to the shore.  A wake is created even when we don't make any headway.  Unlike those casting betty's at us, we're not out to purposely disturb those on shore - we're trying to move from A to B as safely as we can.

[fishyfish711]

What would happen if a kayaker was hard to see coming down the kayak run? I guess it would be sorry didn't see him. But I was allowed to be there. Something just doesn't seem right about a jet boat going up and down that  river. But I geuss if it is legal it is okay. Maybe you should have races see how many can get up and down at one time. Do you think I could get my ski boat and attempt to waterskii? Cultus can get awfully busy. 

[DAWGMAN]

If they buzz all the way up the upper Pitt, what is wrong with the vedder.

[Davis]

Niether river should have jetboats on them.It saddens me to see the prolific increase in jetboat traffic on our local rivers.Many jet boat operators do not care for the enviroment they impede upon.I'm afraid it's only going to get worse on our local rivers untill something is done.

[jetboatjim]

If you wade a river you may crush eggs...........better to travel by boat.

all I hear is "I dont have a jetboat ,and I dont want you to use the river."

[Sam Salmon]

If you wade a river you may crush eggs...........better to travel by boat.

all I hear is "I dont have a jetboat ,and I dont want you to use the river."

That's right just a bunch of crybabies we've heard it all before.

[Davis]

I welcome others to use the rivers,but not in a jetboat.To many irresponsible and inexperienced jetters out here wrecking havoc on our local flows ,which im afraid is getting worse each and every year.I choose not to own a jet,not because of financial reasons but because of enviromental concerns with the state of our local rivers.The Upper Pitt is a perfect example of this and now the vedder is starting to get ripped up by the jets,it really saddens me to no end ,to have such negativity thrown my way over my reasoning behind my opionon,a crybaby? We are blessed to live in such a great place and to fight over our dwindling fisheries and destruction of habitat,when we need to come together and try to save what we have left.

[maverick]

Davis, could you enlighten me by telling me exactly how my jetboat rips up a river. I have had my jetboat for five years and I don't ever recall ripping anything up. If you are implying that my boat wake is eroding the river banks then you have got to be kidding. You must realize that constant flow of water has a far greater impact on the erossion of river beds and banks. It is a river after all and the channels are constantly migrating, to migrate they have to erode the banks and shift the river bed. So unless I'm missing something what exactly is a jetboat boat doing?

[Johnny_5]

Niether river should have jetboats on them.It saddens me to see the prolific increase in jetboat traffic on our local rivers.Many jet boat operators do not care for the enviroment they impede upon.I'm afraid it's only going to get worse on our local rivers untill something is done.

Operating a watercraft on a navigable waterway should never be a problem.  What's next? No boats on the Fraser?

[bcguy]

Yeah, thats a tough call, at what point does it become unacceptable to go up a river by boat, should it be volume of water, maybe the width, maybe the amount of traffic/boats on the river, how many are fishing from shore. Having a boat does not give an inherent right to go where ever you please, but neither does fishing from shore give you the right to do so undisturbed by a boat. Any one with a small craft can tell you what a MAJOR PIA it is when all the drunks are out skiing when you are trying to fish (Kawkawa Lake) Tough call. My self, I dont see the point of going up this river, when it is perfectly accessable from the bank, other than I should be able to, so I will, because I can attitude

[Davis]

I guess because of the Navigable Waters Act, some feel it is there god given right to scream up the river because they can!This is a controversal topic to say the least,and stirs up alot of emotion.I think running a jet on the Fraser is fine ,it is a large enough river to handle the traffic and one has enough room to steer clear of the shore anglers.Smaller rivers such as the Upper Pit and Vedder to name a few in our local area,in my opinion cannot handle jet boat traffic,inexperinced people crashing thier boats and polluting the waterways,reckless behavior,disturbing shore anglers etc.Lets keep our smaller rivers jetboat free,if you want to use a boat on them, try a raft,a nice silent,peaceful way to fish the flow.I.m sure there are many who disagree (jetboat owners) with my opinion on this topic.But hey that what this forum is all about discussing the topics.Thank you

[maverick]

So Davis, what your saying is a jet boat doesn't have an environmental impact on a river, they are not ripping them up or destroying habitat? It is just about jet boats disturbing shore anglers on smaller flows that you don't like. I agree at the second a boat passes a shore angler they have had an impact on their fishing but as many have already stated stirring up a pool can have a positive effect on the fish.

I personally don't have an issue with people using their boats in the Vedder because most fisherman are on the shore. You don't need to be in the water to fish the Vedder so aside from the instant a boat passes is shouldn't be a big deal other then the boat could pull out at the next hole that the shore fisherman had intended to walk to which if you think about it is no different then a guy on a raft who could beat a shore fisherman to the next hole. I think it is tougher using my jet on the Bulkley because all of the fisherman are in the water and in some of the narrow channels it can be tough working around the fisherman as you navigate the flow. I still don't think it is an unsafe situation and I have never felt like I almost ran into a fisherman.

I can't comment on what impact a jet boat has on the fishing on the Vedder because I have never seen a jet boat on the Vedder but I like many others have previously said it definately does not effect the fishing on the Bulkley in fact I know on several occassions it has moved fish out of the middle of the river into slots I could cast to and caught them.

[teamwooldridge]

I've heard the 'jet boats cause erosion' argument and that is totally bogus running the pitt or vedder in May, June or Jully, might be noisy but isn't going to have any more enviromental impact than anyone else on the river.  The only time I can see a jet boat being an enviromental issue is when rivers are dead low and fsh are spawning.  That would be September on the Pitt and late fall on the vedder.  Neither one of  these are navigable during really low water, so not really a problem.

[Davis]

Very noisy indeed,disturbing the tranquility of the moment,casting for fish and having a jet roar by at top speed on the vedder or upper pit.I have seen jets this past winter on the vedder under very low water conditions ripping up the canal.Believe me its happening and will only get worse.I don't know anything about the Bulkley,have never been there, so i won't comment on that river.There is a time and place for jets but not on the vedder or upper pitt in my opinion.Thats all i have to say on this topic and won't repeat my personal views on this thread, you all know where i stand and no amount of dialogue will convince me otherwise! Over and out.

[maverick]

Davis, you should run for politics. You are very good at dancing around a direct question. I have continued to push you on the subject because I have had to listen to countless driftboat fisherman and shore fisherman about how my wake is destroying the river banks and I should not be allowed to use it. It is a ridiculous agrument to assume a jet boat is creating erossion on a river when the river is in a state of constant erossion. I don't want your intentional lack of not responding to a direct question on the subject to be interpreted as anything other then you can't respond to the question because you know it to be true, a jet boat has no material environmental impact on river bank and river bed erossion.

Like jetboat jim stated all I hear is you can use that thing to get from pool to pool quicker then I can so I don't want you using it. Which in my opinion is not a good enough reason to ban boats from any flow. The reality is most jetboat owners are not using their boats to race shore bound anglers to easily accessible pools they are typically going to locations that foot trafic can't get to. Most jetboats don't race driftboats and rafts downstream either. Why would I when I am waiting at a launch listening to the drift boats complain I usually ask which way are you going downstream or upstream. Cause I'm going upstream so I can fish my way back downstream and avoid all of the traffic and fish in total solitude for the day. It is the best reason for owning a jet boat, I don't have to compete with the floatila of boats going downstream and I can very quickly get away from the shore bound anglers who don't typically walk very far from the access points.