British Columbia Fishing Blog

 

The 21st Chilliwack River Cleanup will be happening on this Saturday, April 5th! What started out as a very localized effort by a small group of individuals in 2002 has grown to a rather large and successful program six years later.

The cleanups, which are hosted three times per year, are now attended by over 200 enthusiastic volunteers who are determined to keep our watershed clean. These volunteers come from all backgrounds, including anglers, hikers, kayakers, and local residents. Scouts, girl guides and school groups also have a big presence at these cleanups.

These cleanups are especially beneficial to anglers for several reasons. They obviously keep the Chilliwack River cleaner, making it a more enjoyable environment for fishing. Reduction of garbage problems also ensure that public access to the river is not restricted, something that British Columbian anglers tend to take for granted. It is crucial that anglers do our part, by taking more garbage out more than what we bring in. By demonstrating that we can be stewards of our rivers rather than just consumers, you and I can make sure our enjoyable fishing days on the Chilliwack River will not be lost.

If you are interested in coming to this Saturday’s cleanup, please dress wisely as some rain is expected. Waders are not necessary since all cleanups are done on dry banks but a pair of boots would come in handy. Garbage bags, plastic gloves are provided, but you may want to bring a pair of working/gardening gloves as well. There will be donuts, hot coffee and cold juice for all volunteers, courtesy of Tim Hortons.

Registration is at 8:30am – 9:30am at the Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve. During this time, directors will assign you into groups that will focus on a particular section of the river. The cleanup will wrap up by noon.

The river condition is perfect for this event as it is currently at its lowest. This allows volunteers to access more dry banks than usual to make sure they are litter-free. In a few weeks from now, freshet will begin so it is crucial that we remove all garbage otherwise they will be washed away into the ocean during that time. Don’t forget to bring your fishing rod either, because the winter steelhead season is not over yet!

For more information, please go to this page. For more information on the Chilliwack Vedder River Cleanup Coalition, please visit their website.

After hearing several banner days from Chris since last week, it was only a matter of time before I am lured back to the Vedder again. This morning I hopped out of bed at 4:38am, seven minutes before the alarm went off! After a quick bite in the kitchen, I was on the road to the valley. I arrived on the river bank at dawn and was delighted to find not a single soul around. Knowing that I would be the first one to dangle a few roe bags through some very fishy run, I was quite certain that there would be a connection this morning.

A few casts later, a parade of cars emerged on the other side of the river. They speedily made their way downstream, perhaps to where the fish really were. Chris’ car pulled over once the parade moved on. He made his way down to the river, waded across and took a look upstream at me. He made his way downstream, probably so I could fished the first run alone. It turned out that he thought it was not me standing by the river, apparently “he looked too tall to be Rodney.”

Once I felt that I had fished through the first run thoroughly, I made my way down to catch up with Chris. As I walked down and took a peek at him, I saw a silver fish flopping beside him on the river bank. Fifteen minutes into the morning, he was already done! A local fisher who scouts the river daily indeed has the advantage on the hook-up ratio. He almost felt bad once he found out I was upstream from him. He said that he would have let me drift through first, but I doubt that the result would be any different.

This female steelhead was approximately 7 to 8lb and one of the freshest fish that we have seen so far this season. Of course, I was glad to snap some photographs for Chris once he marked the catch on his license.

The rest of the morning was rather uneventful for me again. Other nearby anglers also reported the same result. Nevertheless, it was a splendid day as we were able to soak in plenty of sunshine. Water has been dropping and clearing steadily. The expected showers may bring in some fresh fish for the weekend. The hatchery is now holding 52 adult steelhead for its broodstock program. With over two months of steelhead season remaining, the 70 fish target will be reached quite easily.