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[Darko]

I have heard lots of people saying that a majority of the coho they have been catching in the Vedder this season have been wild. This raises a couple questions for me, are the rumours true that some released hatchery fish don't get clipped? Or how about the half clipped ones? Anybody have any good pictures to show the difference? Thanks and tight lines this long weekend.

[Dave]

I have heard lots of people saying that a majority of the coho they have been catching in the Vedder this season have been wild. This raises a couple questions for me, are the rumours true that some released hatchery fish don't get clipped? Or how about the half clipped ones? Anybody have any good pictures to show the difference? Thanks and tight lines this long weekend.

All Chilliwack River hatchery coho and steelhead are clipped.

[psd1179]

I have heard lots of people saying that a majority of the coho they have been catching in the Vedder this season have been wild. This raises a couple questions for me, are the rumours true that some released hatchery fish don't get clipped? Or how about the half clipped ones? Anybody have any good pictures to show the difference? Thanks and tight lines this long weekend.

definitely more wild fish in the run fished today. Rodney has a video showing the coho spawning habitat restoration in upper Vedder. The abundance of wild coho might be the positive result.

[MetalAndFeathers]

Living proof that wild genetics are better than hatchery!

[fic]

May be the habitat restoration efforts are paying off for the Wild Coho.

[SALMONRULE]

could be that all the hatchery fish are being harvested at the  gauntlet on the Vedder Canal ... And the fish making it up are the wild ones released .

[milo]

Or how about the half clipped ones?

A half-clipped fish (or missclip), as long as it has some scar tissue, counts as a hatchery fish. Bonk it, gut it, and take it home.
Here's a good article on the topic:

https://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/bill_monroe/2010/03/bill_monroe_to_keep_or_not_to.html

[colin6101]

About six years ago I had a run of 17 wild coho in a row, all in the same day. This was fishing below the highway bridge and other people around me were catching hatcheries. Sometimes it just happens! I'd be interested in a C.O.'s positions on partially clipped fish, I always just let them go as a precaution. The river I fish closest to home I catch them all the time, it's a volunteer run hatchery so I'm sure not going to complain about it.

[jackster]

I heard those stupid excuses more than once: " Oh I thought it was a misclipped".
If you are not sure, put it back.

[dave c]

could be that all the hatchery fish are being harvested at the  gauntlet on the Vedder Canal ... And the fish making it up are the wild ones released .

x2 not all but most.

[wildmanyeah]

Do the hatchery coho and wild coho have the same migration timing??

[Dave]

Do the hatchery coho and wild coho have the same migration timing??

Historically, coho used to be in the Vedder from late August ( upper Chilliwack River stock) till January/early February ( lower river groundwater channels).
I know some late run fish are still here, not sure what's left of the extreme up river stocks.

Hatchery fish have been produced over the years with a mix of wild and hatchery donors and this has definitely shortened and narrowed the run timing of these fish.

[RalphH]

Hatchery fish have been produced over the years with a mix of wild and hatchery donors and this has definitely shortened and narrowed the run timing of these fish.

that's a common observation for many high production hatcheries - narrowing of the run timing window.

A couple of years ago I had a chance to talk with some of the principals from the Community hatcheries on the streams that flow into Boundary Bay. They said the % of wild fish counted at their fish fences was on the order of 70% of the return and the hatchery fish tended to time later - coming to the fence mostly in November while earlier fish would be there in October.

My experience( which goes back 50 years)  with those streams is that while the biggest return historically came in the first 3 weeks of October though I have seen fish from December through February.

[iblly]

Many years ago I caught a chrome hatchery coho in December in the Chehalis

[armytruck]

Many years ago I caught a chrome hatchery coho in December in the Chehalis

I have as well . To bad that river died out . I don’t know why 😕. Great memories I that system.