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[Blood_Orange]

Got out this morning and arrived before dawn at the train bridge. Some other people out at that time... the run filled up by sunrise. Couple fish on quickly and then things soon died down.

There was a 30 minute window around 9:30 when the chum moved in and there were multiple fish on at the same time at that location.

Checked out the run above the bridge run later in the morning. Pretty quiet up there too.

Sum total of retained fish that I saw among all anglers between 7:30am and 12:00pm was 1 chinook, 4 coho jacks. Lots of chum caught & released. Quiet day. Gorgeous weather. Clarity was good. Water level good.

[milo]

Great report, Blood Orange, thank you!

[wooly bugger]

Yesterday marked the first time I had spent almost an entire day on the river.

Was there from 10am - 6pm and fished several spots on the lower and middle parts of the system.  Sadly I didn't get even a single bite, but actually that's more the norm for me    Should just change my alias to "no luck joe" lol

Saw a couple of other hookups but they were mostly old chum being accidentally foul-hooked.  To be honest, I didn't see a single coho while fishing the lower parts.  All I saw was dead or old chum swimming around.  I may have seen some coho surfacing in the mid-system area, but by then it was starting to get dark and I couldn't tell if I was looking at a salmon or seagull

*sigh*.... one of these days....  Until then, these are just really expensive carbon-intensive days for me 

[Knnn]

I was out yesterday enjoying this gorgeous weather.  While coho numbers are not as gang busters as they were a few weeks ago, they are still around and in good shape.  Just have to hunt them down a bit more.

As for the chum numbers, they are a kick to the guts depressing  ..... 

[wooly bugger]

Does anyone think fishing in the canal is still a good idea?  That's the only part I HAVEN'T tried (never been there before either).

I imagine the canal is only great when there's an in-flow of fish from the ocean...

[Dave]

As for the chum numbers, they are a kick to the guts depressing  ..... 

That is so true!  I have been out on my e - bike a lot recently, looking in known chum streams and channels ... just a shadow of what used to be normal numbers. Having grown up on the Vedder I remember fall days when it was hard to not step on carcasses, and the smell was almost unbearable. What a change.

[essyoo]

Is it worth fishing from a boat at the mouth this point in the season? I miss my tin can and would like to take it out one last time before the winter fully hits.

[fishdreamer]

A friend of mine is there most every day and it is super slow. I think he is crazy sitting in a cold boat for next to nothing but I guess it beats sitting at home. Slower than past years.

[chris gadsden]

That is so true!  I have been out on my e - bike a lot recently, looking in known chum streams and channels ... just a shadow of what used to be normal numbers. Having grown up on the Vedder I remember fall days when it was hard to not step on carcasses, and the smell was almost unbearable. What a change.

Do you think the fish farms causing this decline of chum David?

[Dave]

Do you think the fish farms causing this decline of chum David?

No.  I think human greed and wasteful fishing practices are the cause of chum declines in the Fraser. If it was up to me, coho production at the Chilliwack River hatchery would be scaled back and chums  increased.

[spoiler]

I think DFO allowing a FN roe fishery on the Fraser and previous commercial openings on the Fraser have taken it's toll on the current Chum runs as well as kicking the crap out of the remainder of the interior Steelhead run.(Thompson / Chilko)
And for what?

[Dubs604]

Fished from 12:30pm to 4:30pm on Wednesday with an uncle.  It was very slow.  We spent the first two hours on the lower and the second two hours on the middle.  A few jumpers on the lower and I saw one guy with a fish on.  No trace of fish whatsoever.  I was drifting roe, blades and jigs, and he was chucking spoons and jigs.

[milo]

No.  I think human greed and wasteful fishing practices are the cause of chum declines in the Fraser. If it was up to me, coho production at the Chilliwack River hatchery would be scaled back and chums  increased.

Absolutely! Chum represent the backbone of the nutrient chain in this system and their numbers are severely compromised.
Maybe start a petition Dave? Anybody who really cares would sign it.

[psd1179]

Absolutely! Chum represent the backbone of the nutrient chain in this system

Can it be replaced by more coho?

[RalphH]

Increasing hatchery production could mean little or nothing if returns remain low or get lower. The current poor chum returns look to be a coast wide phenomena and not restricted to one watershed.

If returns were good it may benefit wild stocks of steelhead and coho by providing extra nutrients though personally I have always wondered if the numerous high water events that take place late fall into spring followed by the May-June freshet leave much in the way of nutrients from chum carcasses to benefit other fish species.