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[Rodney]

Here is a 50 minute talk by Matt Foy on Chilliwack River's native chinook salmon, and a really detailed history of the hatchery chinook salmon program. Matt is a retired DFO biologist and the current chair of Fraser Valley Watersheds Coalition.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-M3MmDyKk0I

[fishdreamer]

Very interesting read.  Hopefully some Masters student or other picks it up.  Need to get the guy snorkeling the Vedder to spend some time in the canyons.

[RalphH]

what a great presentation of this all but unknown  sort of legendary strain of chinook! If anyone knows of any other links of this sort please post or forward to me.

[Dave]

what a great presentation of this all but unknown  sort of legendary strain of chinook! If anyone knows of any other links of this sort please post or forward to me.

Matt is a great story teller.  If you haven't already, check out the FVWC webpage, he has a few there as well. And, you could follow him on Fb and see just how involved this "retired" biologist/conservationist is!

[wildmanyeah]

Mark all hatchery chinook

[wildmanyeah]

After watching this video am I right in saying anything below slesse creek is not viable spawning habitat?

[CohoJake]

After watching this video am I right in saying anything below slesse creek is not viable spawning habitat?

I think there is still some good off-channel habitat below Slesse Creek - specifically around the campground? Although I haven't seen it in years. I think the point he makes is that it isn't reliable spawning habitat because it is so frequently subject to flooding and scouring, but it depends on the conditions of a particular cycle, and for the native strain of chinook they are subject to a very long window where they need good conditions because they spend a year in the river after hatching. Other salmon like pinks and chum have a much shorter window that they need to survive in the lower river after hatching, so the risk of spawning in the lower river can still be rewarding (just not so much this year for the pinks).

I've wanted to hike the Upper Chilliwack river for years, but it is a several-day trip in North Cascades National Park and the best time is during peak salmon fishing, so I have never made it a priority. This video really motivates me to get something planned. It sounds like Labor Day weekend might not be too early to see any chinook if they are in the river above the lake, and I'm sure there would be sockeye there. The river is open to trout fishing in the National Park (US Side) so one could target the trout that follow the salmon up to eat their eggs.

[RalphH]

After watching this video am I right in saying anything below slesse creek is not viable spawning habitat?

lots of salmon spawn right down into the canal. Chum and pinks certainly. Chum utilize side channels and the river margins throughout that section. How successful that spawning is will depend on conditions through the winter. Really big floods likely results in large eggs loss.  I can't remember the exact figure he mentioned but the total gravel movement was astounding.

[RalphH]

Here is another  with Matt Foy about the Salmon River near Fort Langley. The salmon is an index stream - little or limited enhancement. The size of the coho run given our current situation surprised me. I was also surprised to learn this little river is important to the Harrison white chinooks. How? watch and find out. the extent of these inter relationships is astounding.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzloF2kndqw

[wildmanyeah]

Here is another  with Matt Foy about the Salmon River near Fort Langley. The salmon is an index stream - little or limited enhancement. The size of the coho run given our current situation surprised me. I was also surprised to learn this little river is important to the Harrison white chinooks. How? watch and find out. the extent of these inter relationships is astounding.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzloF2kndqw

The salmon river flooded during our last storm. DFO got lots of calls over stranded salmon for it.

[spoiler]

I remember fishing for this native run of Chinook back in the early 1970's.
they were amazing fish and even more rare than Steelhead.
they were one of the strongest fighting fish I ever encountered and it was a major feat to land one over 20 lbs!
We would start looking for them in late May and fish through June and into early July if the water conditions allowed.
I have caught and heard of caught early Chinook over the years. Some as early as mid February.
The last one I hooked was on March 25th a few years back.
it was just above Vedder Crossing Bridge and was in the 20lb range and mint bright silver.
At first I thought I had hooked a monster Steelhead!
I have always wondered whether these really early fish were just lost early Fraser Chinook or actually part of the remnant native run.
 

[Dave]

I remember fishing for this native run of Chinook back in the early 1970's.
they were amazing fish and even more rare than Steelhead.
they were one of the strongest fighting fish I ever encountered and it was a major feat to land one over 20 lbs!
We would start looking for them in late May and fish through June and into early July if the water conditions allowed.
I have caught and heard of caught early Chinook over the years. Some as early as mid February.
The last one I hooked was on March 25th a few years back.
it was just above Vedder Crossing Bridge and was in the 20lb range and mint bright silver.
At first I thought I had hooked a monster Steelhead!
I have always wondered whether these really early fish were just lost early Fraser Chinook or actually part of the remnant native run.

My God but they were strong fish! You're right, landing anything over 20 lbs was more dependent on where you hooked it ... mostly this fishery was in high water with limited areas to fish and even more limits on how far you could follow them.  My biggest landed was 17 lb, pretty sure Buck had one 27lb fish.
The best part about this fishery was there were only a handful of anglers and the huge amount of sea run Bull Trout (then known as Dolly Varden).  They were the best tasting fish I have had from the Vedder.

[CohoJake]

My God but they were strong fish! You're right, landing anything over 20 lbs was more dependent on where you hooked it ... mostly this fishery was in high water with limited areas to fish and even more limits on how far you could follow them.  My biggest landed was 17 lb, pretty sure Buck had one 27lb fish.
The best part about this fishery was there were only a handful of anglers and the huge amount of sea run Bull Trout (then known as Dolly Varden).  They were the best tasting fish I have had from the Vedder.

From what you guys remember of this fishery - what were you using in such high water? Was it primarily a roe fishery? Was there much clay silt at the time?

[Dave]

From what you guys remember of this fishery - what were you using in such high water? Was it primarily a roe fishery? Was there much clay silt at the time?

Everyone used roe.  I did have a few follow me in using a big silver spoon, but only hooked fish on roe. I honestly don't remember clay colored water but it was mostly colored, and high.  For what seemed like a small run, I remember catching several jacks... that's one of them in Matt's presentation.  The adult in that photo was 24lb, caught by the late John Mair.
Fwiw, about 55 years ago I spoke with a Soowahlie elder, Francis Kelly, who as a boy remembered catching chinooks in the Vedder, using a cut branch and heavy cord for line.  Francis was at least 75 when he told me this story.

[bigsnag]

Fascinating. Thanks to all who share the history and stories of this magnificent fish.