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[Coho Cody]

has anybody fished the coquitlam lately???

[silex]

Have not seen anyone down there. I live about a 1 minute walk away. Not unexpectantly, it is extremely low at present. I believe the steelhead run (or what is left of it...probably in the teens by now) is late spring. There are always lots of nice shopping carts in it if you need one....makes me sick to see that.
It's hard to believe but I was reading an historical account of the river and at one time there was a big fishing lodge up the river that the 'rich folks' would stay at to fish one of the best steelhead rivers in BC, at the time. They would be transported by boat from New Westminster. It's amazing to think that this beautiful river could have been destroyed by one person and nothing done about it, save for a few small fines.

[The Gilly]

Coquitlam (Kwikwitlem) stands for "little red fish".  The Coquitlam R. used to have one of BC's most prolific runs of Sockeye until, like the Fraser R. now, it was over fished.  I caught my first steely on the Coquitlam about 20 years ago, I haven't fished it for at least 15 years.

[Trout Slayer]

The Coquitlam R. used to have one of BC's most prolific runs of Sockeye until, like the Fraser R. now, it was over fished.

Could you please elaborate on that. I believe what destroyed the Sockeye stocks was the building of the dam. Habitat destruction probably did more damage then overfishing. What the present problem is right now is the gravel pits and garbage dumping problems. Doesnt take a genious to figure out why the river blows out after an hour of rain.

Speaking of garbage I was out for a stroll last week and in the lower end alone I seen over 20 shopping carts. These are both in the bank and river itself. Do I hear another FWR Coquitlam River Cleanup date like last Spring? Randog, Rodney, Garry/Jordan from Riverside Fly And Tackle? Can we get it rolling?

[Coho Cody]

yes thats what destroyed the sockeye run was because of the dam.

[Addicted To Steel]

The gravel pit definitely is screwing up the river in large ways. The silt release and build up in the river is discusting. What chance do the eggs have when they're covered with silt all the time? I used to fish the Coq. regularly when I was a kid, targeting cutties mostly. I would fly fish and spinner fish with Panther martins and Mepps spinners. Every March/April I would un-intentionally hook what I later found out to be steelhead. And on a regular basis. I'm talking about 20 years ago or so. When I got enough money saved up, I bought the proper gear for the big boys. Back then my friends and I were also catching lots of big dollies as well. If I wasn't fishing it, I was constantly around it and would quite often see fellas around the fire hall area and up Shaughnessy park area catching Steelies. I moved to Maple Ridge when I was 12 years old so I couldn't fish it much at all any more. About 8 years ago or so I made several trips back to the river to try and find some steelies. I managed only one small 7/8 lb. wild buck in about 8 trips. I haven't been back since.
  I heard from the Chehalis hatchery fellas a few years back that the Coquitlam hatchery was getting shut down because they were illegally doing fish projects on their own, without gov. knowledge. I believe they told me they were charged under the SPCA act. for cruelty to fish and improper care. They were also in violation of illegally supplying a brood fisherman with an illegal permit to catch and hold wild steelhead for the purpose of hatchery production. I was told they did not have the gov. permision to raise hatchery steelhead.
 Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm trying to remember the info as correctly as possible. I am not sure if the hatchery is functioning again.
 Sure would be nice to see some enforcement on these gravel operations. What a travesty. As well as Damming these rivers. What about fish ladders? I know they're not 100 percent efficient, but they have to help matters some what.
 A clean up on the river is a great idea. Every effort helps. It's nice to see some caring soles out there. Good on you!
  Tight lines

[chris gadsden]

I believe if you check with The Coquitlam Fish and Game club they will give you the info on the steelhead hatchery situation. I believe it was going along well until the old Ministry of Environment which is now called WLAP got involved and fouled it up. Randog may have a contact with them or know about it but if not PM me and I will give you a name you could talk to about it.

Yes Randog and a number of others did a great job on a cleanup of the Coquitlam a while back.

It would be great if a group would adopt it like CVRCC has with the Chilliwack/Vedder. Our group I am sure could give anyone that wanted to start a similar program on the Coquitlam some info that we have and could prove useful.

My personal wish would be all our BC rivers would have a similar program in place. What a wonderfull thing that would be to have happen, to return them to theirorignal pristine past before so many people became so careless and turned them in a lot of cases nothing but a garbage dumping grounds.

Disgraceful is too polite of a word to use.

[Randog]

Coquitlam river spring clean up is in the works, Just trying to hammer down a date. I'l let Rod know and he'll spread the word.

[chris gadsden]

Coquitlam river spring clean up is in the works, Just trying to hammer down a date. I'l let Rod know and he'll spread the word.

Well done. I hope I can make it this time and a few others from our area can attend your cleanup as you have supported ours so well in the past.

[Trout Slayer]

Great work Randy, it really is starting to look disgusting down by the river. Like Chris had said, it would be nice to see a group formed like the CVRCC on the Coquitlam. I can tell you right now......I would be very interested in helping get it started as I am sure also the names mentioned above who have been involved in the organization before as well would.

Well done.

[Sterling C]

Additcted to steel: Currently they are looking at ways to get salmon above the dam. They have already released coho and chum fry above it to determine if the can pass over the dam on their way out to the ocean. As for the sockeye, they are lost forever. At leaste genetically wise. Coquitlam sockeye traditionally ran in may, kinda unique in the world of sockeye.

[Coho Cody]

well they are not lost forever. they are thinking of building a new fish ladder.

but we'll wait and see

[The Gilly]

Count me in on the clean up effort too.  I can see the river from my back deck and would love to help out.

As for my comments that the Sockeye in the Coquitlam River were over fished, I take that back.  I had read some 15-20 years ago in a regional history book that the Coquitlam R. was over fished by early settlers (not natives).  Of course, I'll probably never find that book again to prove my source.  However, after some searching on the net, I have found lots of more recent information to support the idea that it was the damn that killed the Sockeye run et. al.  There are lots of good bits of information, but the best one I found is this one...
http://www.watershed-watch.org/PDFs/RedFish_Mar6_2004.pdf It's an excellent article written by Scott Simpson of the Vancouver Sun from March 06, 2004.  I recommend it.

[Rodney]

With so many organizations, fishing clubs and concern residents surrounding the Coquitlam River, it wouldn't be as hard to develop a similar program like CVRCC. Something worth looking into for sure.

[Steelhawk]

Hydro, by piping water away from the Coquitlam to Buntzen lake (for its generator there), is the main cultpit of destroying the Coquitlam, besides the gravel pit.  There is simply not enough flow released to the Coquitlam to flush away siltation. The Vedder can flush itself of all the clay slides, but not the Coquitlam. If the dam is like the one in the Stave, where all damed water is released downstream, there should still be enough flow to be like a river.  Now it is just a lifeless muddy creek most of the time.  There is practically no kill fishery any more. Even the kids' favourite summer fishery of stocked trouts was stopped after many years of fun for local kids.  Too bad fishery cannot get Hydro to release more water to the Coquitlam, and stock the river like Alouette, Kanaka, or Little Campbell.