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[qescott]

Are there chum in the Mamquam in good numbers yet?

[silver ghost]

haha I wish. end of november I think

[fishseeker]

Late October / Early November.   Last year the return was particularly poor - hopefully better this year.

[bkk]

The whole Squamish system chum return has been in the toilet for the last complete 4 year cycle. Most years the escapement has been in the 20 - 30% of the previous brood year so I'm not expecting a good return this year. The Squamish has mirrored what has been happening on the Central and North Coast and once again places like Kitimat and Bella Coola are poor for chum. If that holds true, I expect another dismal year. As a reference point this year, I have seen 4 chum adults todate and the First Nations fellows that I know who are netting the Squamish have seen very few chum. While it is still at the start of the run,I would have expected to see many more chum by this date. Don't expect it to open this year!

[joy-of-fishing]

haha I wish. end of november I think

IF you want to go catch stale spawners.... stop spamming the forum.

They should be entering around this time.

[bigblue]

Don't expect it to open this year!

Hmmmm.... Let's not hope for the worst as it is still early.

[bbronswyk2000]

IF you want to go catch stale spawners.... stop spamming the forum.

They should be entering around this time.

Well said. If you dont know you shouldnt post as if you actually know.

[purplehelmet]

The whole Squamish system chum return has been in the toilet for the last complete 4 year cycle. Most years the escapement has been in the 20 - 30% of the previous brood year so I'm not expecting a good return this year. The Squamish has mirrored what has been happening on the Central and North Coast and once again places like Kitimat and Bella Coola are poor for chum. If that holds true, I expect another dismal year. As a reference point this year, I have seen 4 chum adults todate and the First Nations fellows that I know who are netting the Squamish have seen very few chum. While it is still at the start of the run,I would have expected to see many more chum by this date. Don't expect it to open this year!

What about the chemical spill (2005) & the big flood (2003?)--things seemed to go for a crap after that...

[redlad]

I think Chum runs are in the tank all over the lower mainland.  I hiked a couple of systems this wekend and while it is still early for chum,  the numbers were super way below what they normally are for this weekend.  If they don't show up within a week it is another disaster year

[redlad]

Should have mentioned I don't mean the Mamquam for showing uup within in a week.  I always found it got going around November 1st.

[bkk]

What about the chemical spill (2005) & the big flood (2003?)--things seemed to go for a crap after that...

The 2005 chemical spill had no negative effect on chum as it occurred on Aug 5, 2005, about 2 months before chum were in the system. In fact the spill has benefited the poor chum stocks by removing the cautid (sculpin ) population allowing more chum fry juveniles to migrate to the ocean from small brood years. If the cautid population had not been effected so much then these predators would have eaten many of the surviving juveniles and I suspect the population would be in even worse shape. Other species have been heavily impacted by that spill but not chum.

The 2003 flood indeed was a epic event with serious damage done to the rivers but it also occurred before the majority of chum were in the system. There are lots of groundwater spawning channels in this system and they helped mitigate the effects of that flood and were used extensively that year. The main river spawners I think did not do so well as many of those areas were now unstable and were heavily silted after the flood. The major return year for the 2003 fish was in 2007 which also coinsided with the extremely low marine survival years that have been plaguing juvenile salmon. Same problem as the sockeye stocks of the Fraser which seems to be improving with juveniles that entered the marine evironment post 2006. Hopefully the chum will benefit from those improved survivals.

[jon5hill]

The 2005 chemical spill had no negative effect on chum as it occurred on Aug 5, 2005, about 2 months before chum were in the system. In fact the spill has benefited the poor chum stocks by removing the cautid (sculpin ) population allowing more chum fry juveniles to migrate to the ocean from small brood years. If the cautid population had not been effected so much then these predators would have eaten many of the surviving juveniles and I suspect the population would be in even worse shape. Other species have been heavily impacted by that spill but not chum.

The 2003 flood indeed was a epic event with serious damage done to the rivers but it also occurred before the majority of chum were in the system. There are lots of groundwater spawning channels in this system and they helped mitigate the effects of that flood and were used extensively that year. The main river spawners I think did not do so well as many of those areas were now unstable and were heavily silted after the flood. The major return year for the 2003 fish was in 2007 which also coinsided with the extremely low marine survival years that have been plaguing juvenile salmon. Same problem as the sockeye stocks of the Fraser which seems to be improving with juveniles that entered the marine evironment post 2006. Hopefully the chum will benefit from those improved survivals.

Such certainty! Finally someone with all the answers!

[silver ghost]

I read an article about the bycatch of chum being discarded to allow for more TAC of a vessel's quota or whatever. millions of pounds of chum just dumped at sea...disgusting
http://www.steelheadsociety.org/news/news-release-chum-discard-numbers-bc-coast

[bkk]

Such certainty! Finally someone with all the answers!

No I don't have all of the answers but I have been involved with the chemical spill since day one as well as I have acess to the juvenile monitoring data on the Cheakamus. All of the data is out there either through BC Hydro monitoring ( on Hydro's website) or on the CERTC website (CN Rail).

[purplehelmet]

Interesting thread...  I'd give my left nut to have the good 'ol Chum days back...  Every drift your float went down or your fly-line straightened-out, & it it was on like popcorn!!!!!!