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[Johnny Canuck]

So wild fish don't stage between Allison and the fishing boundary prior to spawning? Just think that everyone has probably had a fair crack at these fish by mid April at the latest and they might be better left in peace. I don't see the satisfaction in hooking coloured up wilds that have a been hooked multiple times to be quite honest, I have done it my self and it feels pretty greasy.

I said "most of the wild fish will spawn in the canyon section in the closed area just up from the hatchery."

There are fresh fish to be had elsewhere in April and May

[Dave]

More than half of the river is closed to fishing...

 Most of the wild fish will spawn in the canyon section in the closed area just up from the hatchery.

Say what?  Have you seen steelhead spawning in the canyon above the Chwk hatchery?

[farky]

Remember steelhead are not like salmon, they can color up spawn and go back to the ocean for another cycle. Unlike salmon, which die after they spawn.

[nickredway]

Exactly there are fresh fish to be had in lower river areas where there aren't a high concentration of staging wild fish that have already run the gauntlet and deserve a rest.

I said "most of the wild fish will spawn in the canyon section in the closed area just up from the hatchery."

There are fresh fish to be had elsewhere in April and May

[nickredway]

Remember steelhead are not like salmon, they can color up spawn and go back to the ocean for another cycle. Unlike salmon, which die after they spawn.

The less times they get hooked the better odds they have of making it back a second or third time.

[Johnny Canuck]

nick there is still staging fish in the rivers I was talking about in April and May. They just have a higher percentage of late run fish so there's more fresh fish around.

[nickredway]

I don't get your point? What does the fact that there are other rivers with fresher fish have to do with my point re the upper Vedder in April?

[nickredway]

If most of the fish in an area are staging then shut it!

[nickredway]

If I am mainly hitting Coloured up fish I will choose not to fish there!!!

[nickredway]

The Vedder has the most pressure so those wild fish deserve the most protection in the later part of the season IMO.

[Johnny Canuck]

I don't get your point? What does the fact that there are other rivers with fresher fish have to do with my point re the upper Vedder in April?

If I am mainly hitting Coloured up fish I will choose not to fish there!!!

You answered your own question.

If most of the fish in an area are staging then shut it!

The Vedder has the most pressure so those wild fish deserve the most protection in the later part of the season IMO.

Well I guess it should be shut down in Febuary than huh...



On a side not do you not know how to use the modify function? Or maybe get all your ideas into one post rather than making four consecutive posts.

[firebird]

Back on topic here ... I have fished a total of 3 hours this season but know a few anglers that have fished the C-V daily since late November.  These guys are as good as you can get regarding catching C-V steelhead, local legends really with a combined several hundred years experience and thousands of fish to their credit.
What they tell me is this is, to date, a very poor year.   Rain is falling big time in Chilliwack now and water will rise ... sure hope things pick up after this high water event because if not, I would suggest reconsidering starting broodstock capture of wild fish Jan 15, meaning let the few wild fish in the system now find some sanctuary in the closed area and spawn naturally. Call it a future source of broodstock or better yet, wild fish for the the next generation.
When and if numbers arrive, and angling reports will indicate if it happens, then start collecting wild fish for broodstock.   My $ .02

Hope I'm wrong and plenty of wild steelhead show up in our spring counts.

Good point for the managers to ponder Dave. A couple of other thoughts ... I have to wonder about the effectiveness of delaying broodstock collection for the purpose of conserving early wild fish. Who's to say that a bunch of the fish eventually collected didn't enter in mid to late December anyway? Do they only collect fish that are chrome as chrome can be or do they take whatever they can when they can just to make sure they reach the quota? The supposedly slightly later running wild broodstock seem to produce plenty of early season returners which may or may not indicate that the parents could have been early returners as well. My $.02

[nickredway]

You answered your own question.


Well I guess it should be shut down in Febuary than huh...



On a side not do you not know how to use the modify function? Or maybe get all your ideas into one post rather than making four consecutive posts.

Completely pointless discussing this with you as you actually don't have a point. Just to clarify mine is that it makes sense to me that portions of rivers with mainly staging, mainly wild fish should be closed to angling earlier than they are currently to prevent needless pin cushioning of wild fish that have already run the gauntlet.

[adriaticum]

Nick,
More than half of the river is closed to fishing.
I assume and you should too, that there is some research behind the exact spot they set the boundary at.

There is a reason why they close the river at that point.
By March/ April most of the wild fish are probably above the hatchery already.

[nickredway]

I don't always assume that anything that the powers that be do makes a whole lot of sense to be honest   If all the wild fish are above the hatchery by then why bother closing limit hole again?