Fraser Early Run Chinook 1982 to 2018 (April 22 to May 20) Albion test fishery 2018 Brood Year

wildmanyeah

Crew Member
So I decided to crunch some numbers today, Based on the Fraser River Albion Test fishery and only using the current year cycle. As you can see not good at all.


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#STOP THE NETTING
 
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Which is why the Department is proposing strict management measures to protect these Fraser stocks. Decision from the Minister is imminent in terms of SOG regulation options to lower recreational fishing exploitation.
 
Fraser has been flood stage for a few weeks. Albion ain' going to get **** all with the higher water!!!
They used to do good in high water when Fraser used to peak out at end of June...but that also coincided with the peak early run right around June 21
Upriver netting has been doing good despite what the Albion says.
 
It’s wild to see this Fraser test fishery and how the numbers literally fell off a cliff between 2000 and 2005. What happened during those years that were so catastrophic to chinook stocks. They’ve never recovered! Does anyone know what happened during these years?
 
Yes this is just the early part of the early run, I will update it at the end of June and it should capture more of the whole story. Also that crash is the early 2000's is not limited to chinook on the Fraser. It's hard to see with steelhead but it's their as well. also with sockeye apart from the dominate adams cycle.

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If you are wondering what happening in the early 1900's to fraser river sockeye, There was a slide in hells gate in 1913 during the construction of the railroad.

"In the years following the Hell’s Gate slide large amounts of rock and debris were removed. But the run sizes continued to be only a small fraction of those that occurred up through 1913. The drastic decline of all runs, on all cycles, along with increased fishing pressure in both countries, created an urgent need for international cooperation."
 
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Early 2000s was also when we started to see an increase in the chum roe fishery.
We used to get steelhead on the Fraser first week of August....but sadly those early stock chilcotin have all been netted out.
 
The highly productive 1980 and 1990 that all the older members have found memories of their was far higher ocean survival rates and returns. During this time the department created the first nation fishing beast along with a serious of court rulings. It was easy to give them all these added net fisheries as the returns were plentiful. thanks to the courts their rights were affirmed and now it's near impossible for the department to take away or rachete back the First Nation fishery.

Since the 1980 the population of BC has more than doubled as well. First Nations are also the fastest growing population. Now we have low survival rates and lots of nets. That combo is a recipe for disaster.

Harvest reduction by all sectors is needed but thoes deadly, non selective nets is killing the endangered runs.
 
Albion is useless.... One 4 hr soak in a FN set net got 2 sockeye and 12 springs yesterday!
The sad part was the well known Sturge guide trying to buy the endangered springs off the FN to use as bait!!
 
Albion is useless.... One 4 hr soak in a FN set net got 2 sockeye and 12 springs yesterday!
The sad part was the well known Sturge guide trying to buy the endangered springs off the FN to use as bait!!

Do you have pics, data, ect..? Its may 27th that would be almost unheard of early run timing for early stuart.
 
Nope...used to get them at Scale and other bars mid may regularly. FIRST week of June sockeye would be though out the lower Fraser. This is only 10 years ago. A net in any backeddy will pick them up as socks love that kind of water. Sad how much our new fishing ppl actually know about the history of the Fraser. No offense
 
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Nope...used to get them at Scale and other bars early and mid may regularly.
Sad how much our new fishing ppl actually know about the history of the Fraser. No offense

In the 1990's I never bothered to go snagg sockeye till the test fishery was over 100 per set. So I wouldn't no
 
Nah...the Fraser used to open May 1 for springs...nothing to do with sockeye retention.
Some great fishing in May before the Fraser blew out. Bar rods on the seam at herring island, bar rods at the Top of off channel. WHAT a great fishery we lost.
 
Well I sure hope so would be nice to see a big return of socks this year. Of course more nets will show up then and that will be devastating for chinook.
 
You will also have the first few sockeye move into the vedder here in the next few weeks.
My records show May 7 earliest Fraser sockeye and that was from spring bar.
People forget how strong the early stuart return used to be.
People also forget how much the sports guys have given up over the last 10-15yrs and with our cutbacks there has been zero increase in fish or returns. Keep cutting the sports guys back and watch as another group just nets to extinction.
Guess I am the only only angler on this board who remembers what our May June fishery was about on the Fraser.
 
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Do you have pics, data, ect..? Its may 27th that would be almost unheard of early run timing for early stuart.
I agree. Certainly there are outliers in the fish world but Early Stuart sockeye are not common in the Fraser River during May. I have spent a ton of days on this river sampling this stock - started the 2nd- 3rd week in June at Whonnock and the 1st week of July at Hells Gate. I would love to see the scales from these fish analysed.
 
You will also have the first few sockeye move into the vedder here in the next few weeks.
My records show May 7 earliest Fraser sockeye and that was from spring bar.
People forget how strong the early stuart return used to be.
People also forget how much the sports guys have given up over the last 10-15yrs and with our cutbacks there has been zero increase in fish or returns. Keep cutting the sports guys back and watch as another group just nets to extinction.
Guess I am the only only angler on this board who remembers what our May June fishery was about on the Fraser.


Did u want me to post pics up from my 1980's bar fishery on early Chinooks?.... your not the only one.. it was a very cool fishery & I do miss it...:(... that's how I would know about the Steward sockeye;)
 
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