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[Dave]

I had a look at Angelwing channel this morning … nada. In 2012 we counted 7

[Dave]

Buck and I showed 2 DFO habitat restoration biologists around a bit of the upper Chilliwack River today.  They were looking for a big ticket, big dollar, new spawning/rearing area channel, if funding comes through, and an easier and less expensive project involving gravel augmentation in known spawning areas for all Chilliwack River salmonids. 
Our last stop was at the outlet of Chilliwack Lake… busy place with campers everywhere and many boat anglers – thankfully, none fishing in the area steelhead are now spawning.  We saw several pairs, but accurate numbers were not possible as the water is high, people were many, and it was quite windy reducing visibility.  Maybe 10 fish …

[chris gadsden]

Buck and I showed 2 DFO habitat restoration biologists around a bit of the upper Chilliwack River today.  They were looking for a big ticket, big dollar, new spawning/rearing area channel, if funding comes through, and an easier and less expensive project involving gravel augmentation in known spawning areas for all Chilliwack River salmonids. 
Our last stop was at the outlet of Chilliwack Lake… busy place with campers everywhere and many boat anglers – thankfully, none fishing in the area steelhead are now spawning.  We saw several pairs, but accurate numbers were not possible as the water is high, people were many, and it was quite windy reducing visibility.  Maybe 10 fish …

Good work Dave and Buck, good to have people with your knowledge showing the new boys around.

[Dave]

Buck and I made our weekly trip up river this morning; as usual our first stop was the outlet of Chilliwack Lake where, thanks to buck putting in considerable effort for a better observation site, saw 11 spawners, interestingly, all clustered together in a relatively small area.   Again, all of these fish were smaller than normal, maybe 6-7 lbs.  Water was high, but clarity was acceptable for accurate counts.
Next up was Centenntial Channel … where one lonely slightly larger fish was observed.  Last week we commented on the lack of redds and gravel movement in this bastion of spawning gravel … well, today we saw just one redd, exactly where we saw 3 of last week’s four fish.  Water temp was 9.0°
Angel wing channel was not checked, and the spawning gravel/holding pool below the Middle Creek bridge was too high for counts.
We plan on at least one more count, next week.  So far, what we have seen is exactly what we expected from the poor catches reported by anglers.
   

[Dave]

I made my last trip of 2014 into the upper river this morning; due to the freshet I only looked at Centennial Channel.  I was hoping for something positive … didn't happen – no fish seen, and no redds observed.  I and others have walked this channel for close to 15 years, documenting the last 4 on FWR. This is the only year I can say there is a possibility there were no steelhead spawning here. This observation has huge implications, IMO, as this channel is home to all we think is required by steelhead IE. superb spawning gravel, necessary cover, few predators, abundant periphyton and invertebrates for fry and parr, and relatively little human encroachment.
We hope this year is simply an anomaly; we hope steelhead have successfully spawned in areas we did not cover. We hope the removal of 70-75 wild steelhead to feed the hatchery program on this system will prove beneficial to anglers 4 and 5 years in the future.

As you have read, I am passionate about these fish and this river, but I feel anything but optimistic right now.
 

[chris gadsden]

Thanks for your dedication to this work.

[zap brannigan]

cut the quota for wilds by half for hatchery enhancement, awesome work dave love to read this thread every year but never like hearing about fewer pairs and redds being spotted.

[Dave]

cut the quota for wilds by half for hatchery enhancement

Zap, I fully support that idea.  It would help in many ways … first, fewer wild steelhead would be sacrificed. Second, dollars would be freed up to raise these juveniles to the mandated 80g release size, and third, because fewer wild steelhead are being used, perhaps proper hatchery procedures regarding how these fish are spawned could be put in effect, so although the number of viable eggs would be less, still pretty close to todays’ procedures.   My guess is the Chilliwack River Hatchery would be happy to implement these new protocols as they foot the $$ for raising these fish, and standard spawning procedures would streamline the work.
 The problem, imo …   I sincerely doubt the average angler would buy in … I and others have raised the topic of how Chilliwack steelhead are managed, and how that could be improved.   
Apathetic is how I would describe the response.

[bigblockfox]

very interesting read. i personally would have no problem bucking up for a classified water licence to fish the vedder if the funds went to improve the survival of wild fish. thanks to all involved for making a difference.

[Dave]

Thanks for the support bbf.  I don't think making the C-V a classified river is the answer – way too close to so many people who demand, and really need, affordable fishing opportunities.  Imo, they have these angling opportunities on the Chilliwack with the hatchery coho, chum, chinook, and every other year, wild pinks.  Oh, and don't forget the steelhead parr released by the Chilliwack River hatchery that creates a “trout” fishery for kids throughout the summer.

But steelhead, and again this is just my opinion, are very different. They are an iconic part of the history of this watershed and angling in BC, and appear to be declining in numbers.  I think steelhead angling on this system could and should be taxed, somehow, the money going to habitat improvements and improved hatchery procedures.  How to bring this potential increased revenue into play is the question.
A good start though are discussions like these.

[bigblockfox]

i was thinking classified water between dec 1 and may 31. that way the proceeds go towards enhancement or to the hatchery.

[Dave]

i was thinking classified water between dec 1 and may 31. that way the proceeds go towards enhancement or to the hatchery.

That makes sense to me.

[silver ghost]

Become a member of the Steelhead Society of BC, ensure your voice is heard on behalf of wild steelhead

http://www.steelheadsociety.org/become-member

[clarkii]

i was thinking classified water between dec 1 and may 31. that way the proceeds go towards enhancement or to the hatchery.

While that is a good idea, you would have to figure out how many fisherman haven't bought a classified waters license and are fishing the Vedder between those times. If the river had a lot of non-residents fishing (like the Skeena or East Kootenay's) then a classified waters license would be an excellent revenue source.

However as a CW license for residents is $15 for a year, I think an additional $5 Vedder steelhead stamp to go with the steelie stamp on the Vedder might be a better option if the revenue goes directly to the vedder steelhead.
 
Also I would personally say to April 30th as the river closes above Vedder crossing, and the number of people on the river are at that point fly only till may 31 when it closes

[Dave]

Here is a link to a study looking at survival rates of hatchery and wild steelhead juveniles and has implications for the management of Chilliwack steelhead.

http://www.steelheadsociety.org/sites/defa...-0165%20(1).pdf