Cowichan River Chinook

[Derby]

Category(s):

RECREATIONAL - Salmon




Fishery Notice - Fisheries and Oceans Canada



Subject: FN1040-Region 1 - Cowichan River



Based on current coho and chum escapement levels to the Cowichan River the

retention limit for coho is varied to 1/day greater than 25 cm, either wild or

hatchery, and the retention of chum is varied to 2/day in the following portion

of the Cowichan River:



Downstream from the Mile 66 Trestle Bridge to the to the Highway No. 1 Bridge

(Silver Bridge). This is the typical boundary for this opening.



This opening is in effect 00:01 November 1, 2013 until 23:59 December 31, 2013.

Chinook retention is not permitted due to low returns.



Variation Order Number: 2013-483 and 2013-484

:

FOR MORE INFORMATION:



Anglers are further reminded of the following:

" The use of single barbless hooks is mandatory in all streams in Region 1;

" All foul hooked (ie: hooked other than in the mouth) must be returned to the

river immediately;



Please refer to the 2013-2015 Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis for

further restrictions and information when fishing in the non-tidal waters of

British Columbia, or contact your nearest Fish and Wildlife Office (Nanaimo 751-

3100), or Department of Fisheries and Oceans Office (Duncan 746-6221).



Did you witness suspicious fishing activity or a violation? If so, please call

the Fisheries and Ocean Canada 24-hour toll free Observe, Record, Report line

at (800) 465-4336.



For the 24 hour recorded opening and closure line, call toll free at (866) 431-

FISH.



Recovery of coded-wire tags from recreational fishers provides critical

information for coast-wide stock assessment. Sport anglers are reminded to

label and submit heads from adipose fin-clipped chinook and coho salmon to

Salmon Head Recovery Depots. Contact the Salmon Sport Head Recovery Program at

(866) 483-9994 for further information.



FOR MORE INFORMATION:



Contact the nearest Fisheries and Oceans Canada office - Duncan (250) 746-6221.





Fisheries and Oceans Canada Operations Center - FN1040

Sent October 22, 2013 at 10:37

Visit us on the Web at http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca



If you have any questions or would like to unsubscribe, please contact us via e-mail to: OpsCentre@pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca<mailto:OpsCentre@pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca>

 

[outback]

Cant wait!

 

[Time]

From the local paper:

Oct. 15
Chinook (spring) numbers showed 3,465 adults and 939 jacks.
Coho counted were 3,543 adults and 640 jacks, while pinks posted 558 adults.
There were also 503 chum counted.

Full story is here:
http://www.cowichannewsleader.com/news/228243911.html

Not all doom and gloom for once but it would be good to see Chinook and Coho escapement getting up past 5,000.
Wonder how these numbers compare to when their was still an open fishery back in the 60's and 70's?

 

[fshnfnatic]

This is great news. Pullin' out the steelhead rod for some serious C and R fishin' for chums and hoes. Nail em till my
arms fall off. Gonna be a blast!!

 

[Rum Buddies]

well that's great to hear, maybe that little river can catch a couple of good years in a row.

 

[GLG]

Thanks for posting that graph... looks familiar (see post 19 on this thread...LOL)
I would be interested in getting the numbers form the missing years and re-posting a new graph.
The river is not in my backyard but these fish do hang out near the fishing grounds (area 14) I travel.
Over the years I have had CWT on the heads I turn in.
That makes it my problem too....
I am grateful to all the work the folks down there are doing to turn this river around.
Tip of the hat....

 

[traveller]

Here is the latest graph.....estimates from DFO staff on the ground suggest after the dead pitch the count may reach 5,000 ?? Nice to think positively any way!

 

[fshnfnatic]

Looks good traveller. We're not out of the woods yet,but it's sure nice to see that graph climbing. On the other hand
been down at the flow the last couple of days playin' with some fish,and it's been fantastic. Just a solid conveyor belt
of fish heading up. Mostly chum,but a few coho mixed in. With the rain that we got last night and today,the coho will
start pouring in and the river will be frickin' plugged with fish!

 

[outback]

was out on friday, nice day. caught a few nice chum, kept two that were good enough for the smoker. Saw a good amount of chrome (im talking ocean quality) coho jumping right in front of my casts, couldnt get one on.

out tomorrow... hopefully the rain brought them up and i can get a coho for the bbq!

p.s - quite a few natives chucking barbed treble hooks out with 1/2 oz weights.... whats the legality on this for them?

obviously they have rights to the resource. not trying to bash... just asking a question. sure is hard to watch from a fly fishing point of view...lol. especially when they land a 8 lb chrome coho

 

[fshnfnatic]

Was on the flow at 7:00 am this morning. Coho first cast. Let it go. Coho second cast. Released that one. Coho third
cast. A beautiful chrome 12 lber. Was a bleeder so bonked it for my 1 coho limit. Continued fishing till 11:00 when the
bite just tapered right off. Must have hooked 20 fish,and landed a dozen or more. Mostly chums later in the morning,
and a few that were still quite silver.Man those things put up a fight when they're fresh!

 

[Goathorns]

I have received results from hatchery heads turned in, twice this year. 2 chinooks from the Cowichan. One in January in vancouver Harbour and one in early June from Thrasher rock. It has been a while since I had one, 2002 If I recall, in late May near the south Bowen fishery. Gotta love those reds.

 

[Lipripper]

Well that's it.... shut down Vancouver..

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Bugs]

I have received results from hatchery heads turned in, twice this year. 2 chinooks from the Cowichan. One in January in vancouver Harbour and one in early June from Thrasher rock. It has been a while since I had one, 2002 If I recall, in late May near the south Bowen fishery. Gotta love those reds.

When Pedder Bay was full of fish in December one of the heads we turned in was Cowichan. I was surprised as I thought the winter springs in Juan de Fuca were overwhelmingly Puget sound

 

[GLG]

So I got this from DFO the other day so I might bring this post back to life... LOL

The total chinook escapement is 6904, which can be stratified a number of ways.

Natural Spawners – 6680
Age 2 – 2189 male, 85 female
Age 3 – 1688 male, 954 female
Age 4 – 654 male, 993 female
Age 5 – 54 male, 62 female

Broodstock – 224
Age 2 – 38 male, 1 female
Age 3 – 88 male, 42 female
Age 4 – 24 male, 28 female
Age 5 – 0 male, 3 female

Of the escapement of 6904, 1347 were hatchery origin, 5557 were wild origin.
Age 2 – 437 hatchery, 1876 wild
Age 3 – 767 hatchery, 2006 wild
Age 4 – 143 hatchery, 1555 wild
Age 5 – 0 hatchery, 120 wild

Target was 6500...
Thank-you anglers for your time, effort and money in turning this around.
I don't know what it will be this year (2014) but the indicators are looking good.

 

[fshnfnatic]

That's very incouraging info there,GLG.Still a ways to go to get back to the numbers we had in the 70's and 80's though.
Just imagine what the escapement would have been if the FN would have just let them be. Close to 10000 I bet!