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[RalphH]

Ok ... us Fly guys will be happy with adding the water below the crossing to the Fly only period, maybe even just from after April 15th.

Don't get excited - just kidding, sort of...more like dreaming.

[Wiseguy]

Fly guys can fish anywhere they want. Followed one down the river yesterday.

[bigsnag]

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

Nothing to disagree with you there, thanks for joining the conversation.
Time for us to get the hell out of Dave's thread.  Tight lines.     

[Dave]

Nothing to disagree with you there, thanks for joining the conversation.
Time for us to get the hell out of Dave's thread.  Tight lines.   

Discussions regarding Chilliwack steelhead and their management is needed, and if it comes from this post, so be it, imo.  I know for sure at least one person who is involved in management decisions for this stock is reading this thread, and he is very interested in what anglers have to say.

[buck]

Dave, as you and I have discussed, a more proactive approach for managing Vedder steelhead has to be undertaken. Now is the time to start making some meaningful decisions  before numbers decline to Thompson River levels. You and I and a few others remember how good Steelheading was in the early sixties. It would be a win if we could maintain the current run size over the next decade.

[bigsnag]

Personally I will not fish above upper Wilson Rd. after the end of March.

[avid angler]

As someone who actually puts in atleast 100 rod days a year vedder steelhead fishing my opinion is that in recent years the fish just aren’t utilizing much of the spawning habitat between tolmie slide and the boundary.

In 2011 the upper river took a turn for the worse holding water wise and hasn’t ever really come back. At the same time that was the start of the social media hype and the first major spike in fishing pressure as stores like Fred’s started really commercializing it with their Facebook pages. A lot of the good spots lost a lot of their depth and with the heavy angling pressure the fish just don’t stick around because they don’t have good enough water to hide in. So they just keep moving on until they reach the closed section where they finally get left alone. If you kept anglers out of Allison, cedars, prison, thurston, Borden creek, slab etc in the later part of the season these fish would once again take advantage of all the prime spawning habitat and wouldn’t be forced to compete for the water above the current boundary.

[redside1]

while it would be an unpopular decision, the river should most likely close to angling from April 1 or maybe even March 15 from the Tamihi bridge upstream to give the fish a rest before spawning season. They are harassed all season long and do need a rest period at some point 

[Dave]

The only thing that will keep Chilliwack River steelhead a viable angling commodity will be the anglers themselves. Suggestions like these are a step in the right direction, imo.

[Dave]

Our 3rd trip was made this morning and as usual we started at Chilliwack Lake.  We were in luck as several groups were working in the Park so the gate was open, saving us a goodly walk.  Still a bit of snow in the shady areas and the lake did not rise much from last week.  Conditions were excellent for seeing fish – every square inch of spawning gravel was visible and the holding/staging area below the bridge was near ideal, but we saw 0.  On this approximate date in 2014 we saw 7; in 2015 -21; in 2016- 7; 2017 was not counted due to poor viewing conditions.  Water temperature was 8° C.

On to Centennial Channel where again viewing conditions were excellent, and again we saw 0; nor did we see any visible gravel disturbances.  In 2011 we saw 15; in 2012- 7; in 2013- 3; in 2014 -1; in 2015 -5; in 2016 – 6; in 2017 – 0.   Water temperature was again 8° C.

Last stop, the Middle Creek bridge holding and spawning area, where again viewing conditions were ideal.  Nothing.  Jack squat.  No gravel disturbances.
Finally, a look see at the hatchery showed no fish there either.

Since buck and I started these counts in 2011, this is the first time we have not seen at least one fish at our designated sites, and this is also the first time for this date we have not seen fish at the hatchery.
The next 2 counts will tell us just how bad this year may be for early run fish.  Here’s hoping this warm weather doesn’t raise the level and turbidity of Chilliwack Lake, as we feel this site is our best indicator of run strength.

[Wiseguy]

Thanx for sharing. Concerning that no fish have been sighted yet. Is it early run fish that would be staging to spawn now?

[Dave]

Thanx for sharing. Concerning that no fish have been sighted yet. Is it early run fish that would be staging to spawn now?

I think nearly all C-V steelhead will be spawning about now or in the next few weeks, and I know of a few kelts caught recently. It’s my experience the bright fish caught this time of the year are nearly always gravid and very close to spawning. 

[stsfisher]

I think nearly all C-V steelhead will be spawning about now or in the next few weeks, and I know of a few kelts caught recently. It’s my experience the bright fish caught this time of the year are nearly always gravid and very close to spawning.

Hi Dave,
 I have a question for you and the guys that may have a better understanding than I do about the Chilliwack lake site. I know the site you examine well and have witnessed fish on it in the past. I know putting new gravel at the site was done with good intentions but I wondering in doing so if it changed the make up of that site and maybe put fish elsewhere?

What I noticed and believe happened here anyways is that the gravel bed was actually raised, leaving more of it exposed throughout different times of the year. I  had also noticed when it was put in place that the rock appeared to not have been washed prior to laying. Now I have no idea if this would even matter as I honestly have no clue that's why I ask, but could the new gravel  being used have something to do with these 2 factors and maybe time will put them back on that spot?
Another question I ask my self about that spot is the size of the gravel? It appears to be larger than what was on the site before hand, maybe this is a factor there?

[Dave]

Hi Dave,
 I have a question for you and the guys that may have a better understanding than I do about the Chilliwack lake site. I know the site you examine well and have witnessed fish on it in the past. I know putting new gravel at the site was done with good intentions but I wondering in doing so if it changed the make up of that site and maybe put fish elsewhere?

What I noticed and believe happened here anyways is that the gravel bed was actually raised, leaving more of it exposed throughout different times of the year. I  had also noticed when it was put in place that the rock appeared to not have been washed prior to laying. Now I have no idea if this would even matter as I honestly have no clue that's why I ask, but could the new gravel  being used have something to do with these 2 factors and maybe time will put them back on that spot?
Another question I ask my self about that spot is the size of the gravel? It appears to be larger than what was on the site before hand, maybe this is a factor there?

It is possible there is something fish don't like about this gravel ... who knows? You are correct in that the gravel was not washed but that is standard procedure by DFO's Habitat Restoration Branch, the people who do this stuff. The first high water seems to remove or settle most of the fines.  The placement was done so gravel would be available at all water levels and the size is what is considered optimal for salmonids.

If indeed the fish don't like this site now, for whatever reason(s), and they are spawning elsewhere, we don't know where.

As you probably know the upper river has a lack of suitable spawning gravel other than man made pads and off channel areas. We have witnessed the same gravel size and quality being utilized by steelhead at the Middle Creek bridge site so we think the main reason we are not seeing fish at Chilliwack Lake (yet) is because either they are staging and spawning elsewhere, or they don't exist. 

Not mentioned in our reports is two trips I made earlier to the Box Canyon ... this site historically was a major staging area for upper river spawners.   I have personally seen hundreds of fish in these pools back in the late sixties ... this year I saw none.

[stsfisher]

Thanks for that information Dave. Lets hope that pad and your other sites see fish soon. Very disappointing to hear Box Canyon has been void when you have had a look this season, I always enjoyed stopping there in the mid 90's to see more than 1-2 dozen fish milling around at any given time late season.