Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Dave]

Today, Buck, Emmathedeog and I started year nine of our annual steelhead enumerations in the upper Chilliwack River.  These counts are done at approximately the same dates and at the same locations; the outlet of Chilliwack Lake, Centennial Channel, and at the Middle Creek (Third) bridge.  The first week in all previous years have had low numbers but in 2015, we saw a total of 7 fish, and in 2016 we saw 10. 

Today we saw none. Visibility conditions were poor at the bridge site, but the holding/staging area at Chilliwack Lake, and at Centennial Channel, was ideal.  Water temperature at the lake and CC was 6°C.

Recent snorkel counts in the area near the hatchery showed over 250 fish ... we expect to see some of those over the next few weeks.

[wildmanyeah]

looking forward to hear about your sightings to come!

[Dave]

The 3 of us made our second trip up river this morning, starting as usual at Chilliwack Lake.  Still winter here, buds just starting to come out and fresh snow 500’ above us.  Gate is closed. Water level is very low but still lots of perfect gravel available, with lots more when the lake rises. Water temp 6° C.   We couldn’t decide if we saw 4 or 5, they were so active, so decided on 4, all staging.  Some past years numbers from app the same date  ..
2014 – 1, 2015 – 14, 2016 - 4, 2017 – 1, 2018 – 0

On to Centennial Channel, the enigma of the upper river. Such fantastic habitat that steelhead either can’t find, or simply don’t like.  After close to 25 years of watching this place grow I still haven’t decided which it is.  Today we saw no fish or redds.  Conditions for observations were perfect; water temp was 5 ° C      Other years ..
2012 – 0, 2014 – 0, 2015 – 0, 2016 – 9, 2017 – 1, 2018- 3

The gravel pad below the 3rd bridge had 2 fish spawning but the holding water where fish usually stage was in shadows.  Interestingly, this site has consistently had the first spawners, visible to us, from the 3 sites.  Other years ..
2016 – 9, 2017 – 4, 2018 -0

[wildmanyeah]

On to Centennial Channel, the enigma of the upper river. Such fantastic habitat that steelhead either can’t find, or simply don’t like.  After close to 25 years of watching this place grow I still haven’t decided which it is.  Today we saw no fish or redds.  Conditions for observations were perfect; water temp was 5 ° C      Other years ..
2012 – 0, 2014 – 0, 2015 – 0, 2016 – 9, 2017 – 1, 2018- 3

Probably not genetically programmed to use it, Its crazy how salmon and steel head are programmed. Chilliwack Chinook each year show up in the ocean just of the Fraser this time of year to feed on Sticklebacks, Like clock work. The brown algae bloom starts, the bait moves offshore to feed on it and the Chinooks show up.

The amount of information salmon and steel hold in their genetics about where, when to feed and spawn is crazy. 

Probably no steelhead genetics left programmed to use it.

[Dave]

Probably not genetically programmed to use it, Its crazy how salmon and steel head are programmed. Chilliwack Chinook each year show up in the ocean just of the Fraser this time of year to feed on Sticklebacks, Like clock work. The brown algae bloom starts, the bait moves offshore to feed on it and the Chinooks show up.

The amount of information salmon and steel hold in their genetics about where, when to feed and spawn is crazy. 

Probably no steelhead genetics left programmed to use it.

Some interesting points M.  It is so frustrating to see so much quality spawning gravel not being used in an area of river that has virtually no suitable sized gravel.  Steelhead have spawned historically in this area, pinks and coho love it.  My best guess is there are so few steelhead up this far, they simply can't find the entrance.

Curious, as both Chilliwack chinook stocks are transplants, which one feeds on sticklebacks?

[clarki]

Probably not genetically programmed to use it, Its crazy how salmon and steel head are programmed. Chilliwack Chinook each year show up in the ocean just of the Fraser this time of year to feed on Sticklebacks, Like clock work. The brown algae bloom starts, the bait moves offshore to feed on it and the Chinooks show up.

It's crazy how what you wrote was similarly posted by Bon Chovy on this site that day before. Crazy uncanny.
"Like every April around this time, the longer, warmer days trigger a plankton bloom in local waters.   This change in the food web, causes the herring, anchovies and sticklebacks to push offshore.  Where the bait fish go, the chinook will go and that is exactly what has happened!"

[wildmanyeah]

It's crazy how what you wrote was similarly posted by Bon Chovy on this site that day before. Crazy uncanny.
"Like every April around this time, the longer, warmer days trigger a plankton bloom in local waters.   This change in the food web, causes the herring, anchovies and sticklebacks to push offshore.  Where the bait fish go, the chinook will go and that is exactly what has happened!"

I wrote about it last year and the year before, its no secret the feast happens with a Diatom bloom.  Also had pictures in a report in 2017 in the fishing report section about it.

http://www.fishingwithrod.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=41004.0

As far as the harrison transplants go, They have took them from the chilliwack hatchery, placed them in net pen out front the CAP and they still have high survivability and show up and feed in the same area and times as the Chilliwack harrison but they return to where they were released.

These fish are programmed genetically

I bet if the hatchery took steelhead smolts and released them into the Centennial Channel in 4 years those same fish would be using it

[Dave]

Buck, Emmathedog and I made our third trip up river this morning, starting as usual at the lake.  Thankfully the gate was open, saving us a walk of a few km, all good at our ages. Quite a few campers, boat launch in good shape. At the outlet we saw 5 on the gravel pad, none staging.  Good viewing conditions, water temp again at 6°C.  These fish may be the ones we saw last week, but the amount of gravel disturbance suggests other fish have recently spawned here.
Past numbers on this app date:  2013 – 20, 2014 – 3, 2015 – 20, 2016 – 10, 2018 – 0

Centennial Channel also had campers and, no fish or redds. Emma into the dried out fish bones again .. Water temp was also 6° 0.
Past years: 2012- 4, 2013 – 3, 2014 – 0, 2015 – 5,   2016 – 8, 2017 – 0, and 2018 – 1

Third bridge had 2 fish staging, none on the gravel pad.
Past years:  2013 – 4, 2016 – 6, 2017 – 5, 2018 - 1

Hope you are updating your graphs to include this new data WMY

[Wiseguy]

Thank you for your efforts. Enjoy reading your reports.

[wildmanyeah]

So far looks better then last year, but the bar was set pretty low, was hoping you would see close to 2015 numbers but it looks like a decline

[Dave]

Trip 4 this morning, starting at the lake. What a pleasure to have the gate open!  Conditions for viewing were great – we saw 6 fish on the gravel and 7 staging.  All fish were larger than average and 2 were close enough to see adipose fins.  Water temperature 8° C     Previous numbers on app same date:
2011 – 5, 2013 – 20, 2014 – 7, 2015 – 21, 2016 – 7, 2018 – 0 

Centennial channel was also 8° C, and as is becoming usual, empty of fish.  No signs of gravel disturbance, no coho fry, no mergansers, both of which were seen frequently in earlier years. But some good news, last weeks campers left the area spotless ..
 In 2011 – 0, 2012 – 7, 2013 – 3, 2014 – 1, 2015 – 2, 2016 – 6, 2018 – 0

Conditions for viewing the gravel pad at the 3rd bridge was good, but the staging area was poor.  No fish were seen.  In 2011 – 2, 2013 – 4, 2014 – 5, 2016 – 6, 2017 – 5, 2018 – 0.

Pete and I and Emmathedog will continue for a few more weeks and finish out the season but are thinking this will be our last year of doing these counts. We’re hopeful a few others a bit younger will consider carrying on with these enumerations and adding to this unique data set.  If interested contact either of us.

[GordJ]

Like they say, Dave thank you for your service. Your efforts will be missed. Gord

[typhoon]

Thanks Dave! Your efforts are hugely appreciated.

[Dave]

Thanks for the kind words GordJ and typhoon – we posted the fact this was our last year doing these counts in the hopes others would volunteer to continue these enumerations .. so far we are still waiting.

Trip 5 this morning, starting as usual at the lake outlet.  Water temperature was down to 7° C, and viewing conditions were good, but you can’t count what isn’t there. Zero fish seen and periphyton already growing on last week’s redds, indicating no spawning since last week.   Very, very disappointing.  Other years on app the same date:  2012 – 30, 2013 -21, 2014- 14, 2015 – 16, 2016 – 12, 2017 – 8, 2018 – not counted.   You don’t need a graph to see the trend here.

On to Centennial channel where the temperature was also 7°C, and again no fish observed, no gravel disturbances.  Just for the hell of it we turned over a few rocks looking for invertebrates, and saw nothing.  Other years: 2011- 32, 2012 – 7, 2013 – 18, 2014 – 13, 2015 – 4, 2016 – 1, 2017 – 8, 2018 – 5

The third bridge had excellent viewing conditions and one was seen, a moribund wild (adipose intact) male.  Other years: 2011 – 3, 2014 – 2, 2015 -4, 2016 – 0, 2017 – 2.   Years not listed were not counted due to high water.
Stopped at the hatchery where no fish were seen.  We were told 160K eggs were taken from 31 females, and this year’s parr will be released this week – should make for some happy mergansers.

[wildmanyeah]

Just for the hell of it we turned over a few rocks looking for invertebrates, and saw nothing.