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[flyrod]

Fished the lower river on Monday for a couple of hours.  Hooked and released a wild coho, around 10 lbs, chromer doe.  First on the fly, Mickey Fin, this year.  Lots of pinks even caught a couple of does that were in very good condition for this time of year. 
Fished today up Lickman area and hooked and released another wild coho, 8 lb range doe, on peach wool.  Hooked and foul hooked dozens of pinks.  The spot I was at was a great place to watch coho staging and moving on through. 
My observation is that there aren't that many springs around.  Last year I caught a dozen spring jacks by now plus a number of mature springs.  Not one so far in five trips out.  Haven't seen that many springs landed.  Does anyone have any stats on how the run is doing and how large it is scheduled to be. 
Great days to be out on the flow. 
Note: I went down to the island in the canal and couldn't believe how stagnant the water was there.  We desperately need rain!

[FlyFishin Magician]

One of the nicest hatchery coho I've caught was on a Mickey Finn!  There seems to be quite a few wild coho out there.  I got a beauty 10 - 12 lb wild coho buck last week.

As for springs - I've seen quite a few myself.  I'm fishing light coho gear, so I've only landed one out of several big springers hooked.  I estimate that I've landed about 8 - 10 spring jacks.  This is in 3 trips to the Vedder so far this year.

What I haven't seen yet are chum.  I've only seen one chum landed so far and that's it.  Oops - have I jinxed us all??   

[Easywater]

Was out fishing the lower river yesterday in a popular spot.

Hooked about 10 large Springs (most over 20lbs) & landed about 5 of them - all turning dark in the belly.
The other half snapped my leader including one that peeled line immediately from the hookup and looked pretty clean.

A couple of the ones I did land had numerous hooks (3-4) in their mouths including barbed hooks. 
Snagged a number of nasty Pinks and fair hooked a bunch using pink wool.

Saw a couple of Chum landed as well.

If your fishing Coho water, there's probably not a lot of Springs there and vice-versa.

[Dr. Backlash]

I fished the upper Chilliwack yesterday afternoon for a couple of hours as I was in the area for work and brought the rod and vest with me; and I couldn't believe the amount of Pinks that are in the river.  They're everywhere.  I didn't hook or snag into anything.  Didn't see any fresh fish, or anything else besides old pinks.  They just kept moving through.  After a while I stopped fishing and just watched because I couldn't see any coho or springs; just nasty pinks everywhere!  I like to fish the upper Chilliwack because its nice to have space and avoid the crowds; but I'm starting to think that it's almost impossible to find clean fish up that far.  Last year I had hooked and landed a number of springs by this time (and in the same spots I was fishing yesterday) but I didn't even see one in about 2.5 hours of fishing.  I think Chris is right when he says that he thinks that the other species of salmon that are in the system right now are a little spooked by the enormous amount of pinks throughout the river. 

On a positive note, I was really happy to see so many pinks being able to make it up all the way to the top of the river to spawn.  It's amazing that fish manage to make it past KWB and all the carnage that occurs there.  Lots of people fishing the lower river yesterday afternoon (on a Tuesday).  I can only imagine what the locals think (especially the old timers) when they see the insane amount of crowds all over the river this time of year, and all of the snagging that takes place.  Their river has been taken over

[spoiler]

After fishing the Chilliwack/Vedder system for 41 years I get sick to my stomach every time I drive over the Keith-Wilson bridge which happens to be twice a day, on the way to work and back home at night. What I have seen is a total disrespect for the resource, the river and the local environment. The great masses that invade my backyard treat the fish poorly, leave their garbage behind and turn the peacefull past time of fishing into something resembling a circus-like slaughter-fest. I have observed everything from questionable fishing practices to down-right illegal stuff. I have phoned the RAPP line countless times with no visable success.
 As much as I love fishing my home river I have elected to drive to the interior to flyfish uncrowded catch & release waters to re-capture the deep passion I have for the sport that I have enjoyed for over 50 years.
 As a person that has lived, hunted and fished most of his life in the Fraser Valley, I don't think I have ever seen it this bad and can't even imagine what this long weekend will be llike. I can't stand to stick around to watch.
signed,
 a local fisherman

[Nervo69]

I caught nothing but a guy caught a 22 pound spring on a fly rod

[chris gadsden]

After fishing the Chilliwack/Vedder system for 41 years I get sick to my stomach every time I drive over the Keith-Wilson bridge which happens to be twice a day, on the way to work and back home at night. What I have seen is a total disrespect for the resource, the river and the local environment. The great masses that invade my backyard treat the fish poorly, leave their garbage behind and turn the peacefull past time of fishing into something resembling a circus-like slaughter-fest. I have observed everything from questionable fishing practices to down-right illegal stuff. I have phoned the RAPP line countless times with no visable success.
 As much as I love fishing my home river I have elected to drive to the interior to flyfish uncrowded catch & release waters to re-capture the deep passion I have for the sport that I have enjoyed for over 50 years.
 As a person that has lived, hunted and fished most of his life in the Fraser Valley, I don't think I have ever seen it this bad and can't even imagine what this long weekend will be llike. I can't stand to stick around to watch.
signed,
 a local fisherman

There is a lot of us in the same boat as you but we must not give up trying to correct it. That is why we formed the Chilliwack Vedder River Cleanup Coalition 7 years ago and thanks to the directors, Rodney's web page and our great volunteers who have turned out for nearly 30 cleanups we have taken close to 60 tonnes of garbage and litter off our river during that time span. Many of us are trying to halt what you talk about with all the snagging, flossing and abuse of our precious fish stocks that goes on daily. It is a shame and I regret it greatly that I was a part of getting  a sockeye opening  many years ago on the Fraser that bred flossing, the start of what we see all over all our rivers now. Many still hold onto the belief that it is OK but more and more are seeing it really is not an OK way to fish for salmon or steelhead.

We are going to attempt to reconvene a committee that but a paper together on this subject a few years ago that we had hoped FOC and MOE would do something to stop what we see today.

I believe this paper is on this web site somewhere.

[flyrod]

Hey Gord, it was on a long shank 12. 
How is the new fly rod working out for you?  You will love it.  Rod

[flyrod]

Oh my goodness, not a good plan on the river.  I have come close a number of times doing the same.  I have sprained both ankles twice over the years.  Walking on the boulders isn't fun.  How long will you be out of commission? Rod