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[chris gadsden]

We are fortunate we have a number of off river spawning channels that have been built over the years that are very important when we have these high water events in the main river. Well done all those involved in getting them built.

Also having the Chilliwack River Hatchery fits into the equation as well.

[Dave]

We are fortunate we have a number of off river spawning channels that have been built over the years that are very important when we have these high water events in the main river. Well done all those involved in getting them built.

Also having the Chilliwack River Hatchery fits into the equation as well.

This.
I have no doubt many mainstem pink eggs, and rearing coho and steelhead parr, especially in the lower river, will be lost.
You are right Blair, salmon are resilient but the combination of summer droughts and fall floods is a double whammy that will certainly affect future years production.

[greyghost]

Doom and gloom! wow! Like this has never happened before!

[Fish or cut bait.]

It has happened before.
However the stocks were higher then.
It's more than just the hatchery enhanced rivers.
Folks will whine in a few years forgetting the unfortunate weather pattern that was 2015.

[Dave]

Well gg, when was the last time the Chilliwack had a record drought, followed by a near record November flood?
In a pink year.

[greyghost]

Dave. Near record flood? Not even close! You should know that! As for the drought. Did the cheddar close down during the summer! Nope. Seen the river lower during the cold snaps of winter in years gone bye! The drought of winter is known to do just as much damage if not more! Does it not Dave!

[Dave]

Have it your way greyghost.   I spent considerable time this summer on the entire C-V system and saw streams and rearing areas bone dry. You're right, the river has been higher in the past but I stand by my claim many lower river pink eggs will be toast.

As Chris mentioned, the saviour (for pinks) will be the off channel areas created in the past 20 or so years.

[greyghost]

Where there is loss there will be gain somewhere else. There is no doubt that some beds dried up and there will be loss there! I wonder how many cheddar pinks spawned in the mainstem Fraser this year to counter balance the loss, great year for that senerio. Sure is funny how Mother Nature works sometimes! Not all salmon return home all the time but the offspring may in 2 to 6 or 7 years"Chinook".

Great having a good discussion with you Dave. Cheers

[Drewhill]

LOL

  Numbers in the Fraser are totally down, the high water tends to push fish up river to the hatchery as fast as possible and we're already in mid-late November which by most years has wrapped up the salmon season. If you live close by it's always worth checking out but for anyone who travels a bit of a distance it might not be worth it this season.

[clarki]

We had the identical low water/high water discussion 6 years ago.
http://www.fishingwithrod.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=22722.msg214762#msg214762

[Noahs Arc]

Numbers in the Fraser are totally down, the high water tends to push fish up river to the hatchery as fast as possible and we're already in mid-late November which by most years has wrapped up the salmon season. If you live close by it's always worth checking out but for anyone who travels a bit of a distance it might not be worth it this season.

Granted, the glory days are over this year, and with the high water I'm staying away for now. That said, there is still fish to be caught and I will be out there when conditions allow enjoying my runs to myself. There are still some specific areas that I know will be holding places for coho for a few more weeks. Come Dec 1 I'll be switching to boraxed chum roe scouting, moving and getting to know these new runs which are sure to be scoured out by this high water looking for my first winter steelhead of the year.
If a sure thing catching fish is your goal, then yes stay home and tie hooks. I'm not one to brag or post photos (although I enjoy others photos) but being on the river is all I desire.

[Dave]

Where there is loss there will be gain somewhere else. There is no doubt that some beds dried up and there will be loss there! I wonder how many cheddar pinks spawned in the mainstem Fraser this year to counter balance the loss, great year for that senerio. Sure is funny how Mother Nature works sometimes! Not all salmon return home all the time but the offspring may in 2 to 6 or 7 years"Chinook".

Great having a good discussion with you Dave. Cheers

I also appreciate the respectful dialogue   It really is a shame DFO no longer has the budget to enumerate pinks and chums properly, as they really are the cornerstones to healthy coastal river ecologies.

[redtide]

Lots of coho in the hatchery...... including the runt sized jacks. A few chrome springs as well. The water is still high but clearing up a bit. I'd your coming from the metro van area then probably good idea to give it a few days to settle down. Unless you want to hunker down at tamihi and " fish ".......

Ps. Dress warmly it's bloody cold along the river.

[chris gadsden]

Did not take a look myself but a friend said the lower is a "Milky Color" today.

[Dave]

Buck and I were in the upper river this morning, checking on the entrance to Centennial Channel.  During the summer DFO's habitat restoration unit gave Buck and I the green light to oversee a new design for the entrance to this channel.. We had a superb machine operator at our disposal and we think we did a pretty good job of making this entrance more fish friendly   I had looked earlier on and saw thousands of pinks using it but we wanted to see today if the high water had changed things ... it had, but still we saw quite a few coho in the upper end.  Our steelhead counts in the spring will give us more information.

All the way to Slesse Creek is chalky white, indicating some major clay bank intrusions.  Imo, even with freezing temperatures overnight this river will not be fishable for a few days. Others however may disagree