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[avid angler]

There’s no way they could press charges based on someone saying they saw them doing it. It’s good enough to shame them publicly though. Only Dave and Buck can confirm if the picture I sent him is one of the people they saw today

[Jk47]

Lol I tried. I REALLY wanted to see if it's a certain jackass. I'll mind my own business as I typically try and practice 

[Dave]

Buck and I viewed the photo sent by avid angler and we don't think the angler in his photo was the person fishing illegally.  We regret not being more proactive on this issue and urge others who may be in the upper river to keep their eyes open.  We most certainly will be looking on our weekly visits.
I will also be calling a Fishery Officer I know well to look into this.

[Wiseguy]

Buck and I viewed the photo sent by avid angler and we don't think the angler in his photo was the person fishing illegally.  We regret not being more proactive on this issue and urge others who may be in the upper river to keep their eyes open.  We most certainly will be looking on our weekly visits.
I will also be calling a Fishery Officer I know well to look into this.

Thank you. These clowns need to be caught.

[Drewhill]

Was fishing slab yesterday and we saw a float come drifting down but we could see nobody was above us. We thought that was kind of strange although it could have been a float that was jammed up and finally came loose.

[Dave]

The three of us made our second trip into the upper river this morning, just missing the rain when we reached Chilliwack Lake.  The snow had melted considerably but was still easy to walk on.  The water level was up about a foot, covering nearly all the new gravel at the lake outlet.  Because this new gravel has been dry for so long since it was added two summers ago, due to very low water levels, periphyton has not had an opportunity to grow on the gravel.  This will make it difficult to determine if redds have been built or attempted at this site.  Conditions were good for observations for both staging and spawning fish, but none were observed.  In past years on the approximate dates: 2014 - 1(poor viewing conditions); 2015 - 14; 2016 – 4; 2017 – 1(poor viewing conditions).  Water temperature was 5.0° C

Centennial Channel showed two areas that we considered were gravel movement by fish, but not real redds. Perhaps just exploratory digging as just upstream we observed 3 fish; one large female actively digging, accompanied by two smaller males.  In this channel the periphyton is well established and any gravel movement is readily apparent.  We saw no other fish. On the approximate date in 2012 we saw 0; in 2013 – 0; in 2014 – 0; in 2015 – 2; in 2016 – 9; in 2017 -1.  Water temperature was again 5.0° C

Final stop was the Middle Creek bridge where despite good viewing conditions we saw no fish but one possible redd.  Due to turbid water on previous approximate dates we only have numbers for 2016 when we saw 9, and 2017 when we saw 4.  No poachers were seen today and DFO has promised to do a few more patrols in this area.

On a side note there appears to be a ton of snow from about 2500' on up so we could have a larger than normal freshet this season.

[Wiseguy]

Please excuse my ignorance. What is periphyton?

[Dave]

Please excuse my ignorance. What is periphyton?

It's the slimey, algae like covering on water covered rocks found in streams and lakes.  Most times it's brownish colored but always it's slippery.  It's like sirloin steak to invertebrates like stoneflies, mayflies, caddis, etc, and an indicator of stream productivity.

[wildmanyeah]

All I hope is their is over a thousand spawners. I just read a paper that talked about when a salmon population gets below a thousand spawners that the productivity gets cut in half.

Ricker-Dep – This model includes adjustments for both larger carrying capacity as in the Ricker-PriorCap model and depensation, which reduces productivity by half when escapement to a CU falls below 1,000 fish. A variety of processes might result in depensation at low abundance; for example, inbreeding may occur, spawning fish may not find mates and higher mortality may result from predation or fishing. Depensation, where it exists, could accelerate declines or inhibit rebuilding at low abundances. There are limited empirical data to quantify the possible depensation in IFR coho – one study has shown that S-R data for the North Thompson coho population (one of five in the IFR MU) gave a good statistical fit to a variation of the Ricker model aimed at capturing depensation effects. (Chen et al, 2011).

Bradford and Wood (2004) reviewed the basis for the IFR coho recovery targets from both a genetic and demographic perspective. They concluded that achieving 1,000 spawners per sub-population outlined in the draft Interior Fraser Coho Recovery Team (IFCRT) recovery plan met the accepted standards for the maintenance of genetic diversity and persistence of subpopulations over time, but that this value was at the lower end of the range and was considered minimally acceptable. Their paper also notes the risks of managing fisheries to this minimum value.

[Dave]

Buck, Emmathedog, and I made our 3rd trip into the upper river this bright and sunny morning. Still snow on the ground and no greenery at Chilliwack Lake. The snow crust was frozen from the overnight frost so walking to the lake outlet was no problem.  Water clarity and conditions were optimum for viewing, but none were observed. In 2014 on this approximate date we saw 3; in 2015 – 20; in 2016 -10; in 2017 conditions were not suitable for observations.  Water temperature was 7° C.

Centennial Channel was perfect for seeing fish and gravel movement.  One fish was seen, along with a few minor areas of gravel movement. We had a great overhead view of this fish – fat, suggesting a female, a small scar near the dorsal fin and a very prominent adipose fin.  Seeing females by themselves, at this time of year, and especially in this channel where we are confident the fish don’t hold but enter and spawn over a few days, is unusual.   Invariably in this channel, females are attended by at least one, often more, males.   In 2012 we saw 4; in 2013 -3; in 2014 -0 (very low water); in 2015 -5; in 2016 -8, and in 2017 -0.  Water temperature was 6° C

The Middle Creek bridge site was excellent for viewing, and one was observed, holding.  In 2013 we saw 4; in 2014 and 2015 no counts were made; in 2016 -0, and in 2017 -5

On the way back we stopped at the hatchery where past experience had us expecting to see fish in the entrance channel, but again, no fish were present. Talked to staff who reported not seeing any steelhead, and that all the broodstock had been recently spawned.  Which made buck and I wonder … why is the river still open to anglers in April above Tamihi Creek, when the majority of fish would be either staging to spawn, actually spawning, or kelts?  The telemetry study done in 1999 and 2000 showed this area to be a high density spawning area, and the only scientific rational we can think of to have this stretch of river open in April is to harvest the hatchery fish known to spawn here.  But hatchery fish have been documented spawning here when the study was done, and most likely since the 1st hatchery steelhead arrived.  Interestingly, these spawnings may be one of the reasons anglers are still catching adipose intact fish today.   In our opinion, it’s time to close this area to angling for the month of April to provide sanctuary for wild, and whatever hatchery fish made it through the angling gauntlet.

[bigsnag]

… why is the river still open to anglers in April above Tamihi Creek, when the majority of fish would be either staging to spawn, actually spawning, or kelts? ... In our opinion, it’s time to close this area to angling for the month of April to provide sanctuary for wild, and whatever hatchery fish made it through the angling gauntlet.

I'll vote for that; and fly-fishing only after April 1st from below Tamihi.

[avid angler]

The upper closure is a good idea. One that will actually improve spawner productivity and will result in more fish returning in the future. fly only below tamihi lol. Changing below tamihi to fly only is a sad
joke. It’s not a conversation tool it’s just fly fisherman looking out for their own interests. Especially when most water in that section of river isn’t even suitable for fly fishing...

[bigsnag]

It’s not a conversation tool it’s just fly fisherman looking out for their own interests. Especially when most water in that section of river isn’t even suitable for fly fishing...

You got it right it's not a conservation tool but a conversation tool and you bite.
No fly water from Tamihi down to the canal? Where have you been fishing?
The fly guys need a decent chance of connecting and April is as good a month as any.  Give these guys a break for a few weeks.  We had it good for what , 13 weeks now?
Besides, my buddies need to sell more spey rods and the whole works.

I am not looking out for my own interests, are you?

[wildmanyeah]

The steelhead just need to be actively managed with counts and escarpment goals. As more and more salmon fisheries get closed down recreational fishermen will come to the c/v looking for fishing opportunities.

Recreational fishermen are the sole harvesters of this stock and with that the responsibility to make sure the stock is properly managed and escarpments are met.

If Dave is sounding alarm bells they should be listened too.

[avid angler]

You got it right it's not a conservation tool but a conversation tool and you bite.
No fly water from Tamihi down to the canal? Where have you been fishing?
The fly guys need a decent chance of connecting and April is as good a month as any.  Give these guys a break for a few weeks.  We had it good for what , 13 weeks now?
Besides, my buddies need to sell more spey rods and the whole works.

I am not looking out for my own interests, are you?

The good fly fisherman have had no problem getting into a fish or two pretty much every trip since March. If they don’t know what their doing to begin with then removing gear anglers won’t make it any easier for them. I am absolutely looking out for my own interests. The late stock on the chilliwack/vedder is probably the healthiest component of the whole run. Why take away angling opportunity on the only highly accessible productive steelhead fishery in the valley for fresh arriving healthy steelhead.

 I believe closing the upper vedder in April will actually increase the carrying capacity of the system. Taking gear guys out of the lower river in April... not so much