Back in September, we toured Den Blå Planet (The Blue Planet) in Copenhagen, Denmark. Opened in early 2013, this aquarium in Denmark is currently Northern Europe’s largest. Check out this short video tour which I filmed during the visit.
I began targeting coho salmon in the Lower Fraser River watershed one week ago but unlike other years, success has been hard to come by. On opening day in the tidal portion of the Fraser River, I visited a regular spot. Among 20 or so anglers, I caught, a bull trout, one of three fish in the entire afternoon. Knowing that sooner or later the fishing will pick up, especially with the extremely large incoming tide this week, I have persistently spent a couple of hours each day by the water when the tide peaked.
Today the persistence finally paid off. We gave the gradual outgoing tide in the afternoon a try and the fish were definitely cooperating. My gear of choice was a Shimano spinning setup, a 9′ Clarus spinning rod rated 6 to 10lb and a Sustain 2500 reel. The lure of choice was a 1/4oz fire orange clear crystal Gibbs Croc spoon. This pattern has served me well since I discovered how effective it was for coho salmon back in 1996.
In total four coho salmon could not resist it, but only two were managed to be hooked and brought to shore. They were wild, as the presence of their adipose fin indicated, so they were gently released after a quick photo snap. Only hatchery-marked coho salmon can be kept in the Fraser River, which can be identified by the absence of their adipose fin.
My other companions also did well, by plunking roe on the bottom. This method yielded two adult coho salmon and a coho jack. Jacks, matured males which return one year earlier than their brothers and sisters, do not grow much bigger than a foot long. These smaller fish, possibly due to a lack of life experience, will always find roe or any other bait irresistible.
Lower Fraser River’s coho salmon fishing is just starting to pick up and will remain productive for at least another month, so be sure to take advantage of this fishery.
This year marks the tenth anniversary since the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC was formed by the Government of British Columbia. More commonly known as GoFishBC by recreational fishermen, Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC is responsible for all lake stockings in British Columbia, as well as river steelhead and coastal cutthroat trout productions, and additional conservation work such as the white sturgeon recovery program.
To celebrate this milestone, we were invited to attend the release of the 95 millionth fish at Lafarge Lake in Coquitlam. In the past ten years, a total of 90 million+ fish have been released into hundreds of lakes across this province for anglers to enjoy. In return, revenue generated from anglers’ freshwater licences is used to fund the production and stocking of these fish.
The Honourable Steve Thomson, Minister of Forest, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, was present to assist with the release with students from Maple Creek Middle School. Also present were City of Coquitlam, BC Federation of Drift Fishers, Sportfishing Institute of BC, Family Fishing Society of BC, BC Wildlife Federation and other key partners of the society.
Below is a video of speeches from GoFishBC’s president Don Peterson and Minister Thomson, ended with some footage of the rainbow trout release.
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