Stamp River Chinook Retention

[soxy]

We used to fish the Stamp back in the 80s for Chinook. Myself and 2 or 3 other guys would go over in a motorhome and park it up the hill from Eagle Rock. During the week, too crazy on the weekends. Unbelieveable fishing. I believe possession was 4 adults and 2 a day limit. We would head to the pocket water below Eagle Rock and had the time of our lives. Centerpins, levelwinds, Fenwicks and green wool. Hard work lugging a pair of 30lbers up that hill. Chinook everywhere. The inlet was full of boats down to the Franklin River. What the hell happened? Now there is no retention?

 

[SophiaB]

. What the hell happened?

 

[soxy]

You must be joking?

 

[tubber]

Seines and gillnets taking too many chinooks undoubtedly are/were a major problem. Hatchery funding shenanigans didn't help either.
But that photo catches the opening gong show of an early June sockeye fishery that was basically over after the first 15 minutes.
No boats made expenses, all delivered between a handful and a few hundred fish, the purpose of which was to put in a "week's work" so they could collect EI, then UI, over the winter. They needed a certain number of weeks to qualify and the summer plus fall chums wasn't always enough. So for several years DFO allowed this EI fishery. Conservation has always sucked the hind tit of politics.

 

[FishNazi]

We used to fish the Stamp back in the 80s for Chinook. Myself and 2 or 3 other guys would go over in a motorhome and park it up the hill from Eagle Rock. During the week, too crazy on the weekends. Unbelieveable fishing. I believe possession was 4 adults and 2 a day limit. We would head to the pocket water below Eagle Rock and had the time of our lives. Centerpins, levelwinds, Fenwicks and green wool. Hard work lugging a pair of 30lbers up that hill. Chinook everywhere. The inlet was full of boats down to the Franklin River. What the hell happened? Now there is no retention?

....................................

 

[soxy]

Seines and gillnets taking too many chinooks undoubtedly are/were a major problem. Hatchery funding shenanigans didn't help either.
But that photo catches the opening gong show of an early June sockeye fishery that was basically over after the first 15 minutes.
No boats made expenses, all delivered between a handful and a few hundred fish, the purpose of which was to put in a "week's work" so they could collect EI, then UI, over the winter. They needed a certain number of weeks to qualify and the summer plus fall chums wasn't always enough. So for several years DFO allowed this EI fishery. Conservation has always sucked the hind tit of politics.

I remember those days, tubber. Those commercial boys were working 6 months and the UI ski team the next 6 and driving around in new caddys. But I never saw them in the Alberni Inlet when the Chinooks were running. On the outside yeah. How long have the Chinook been in bad shape?
Hey fishnazi....

 

[SophiaB]

Seines and gillnets taking too many chinooks undoubtedly are/were a major problem. Hatchery funding shenanigans didn't help either.
But that photo catches the opening gong show of an early June sockeye fishery that was basically over after the first 15 minutes.
No boats made expenses, all delivered between a handful and a few hundred fish, the purpose of which was to put in a "week's work" so they could collect EI, then UI, over the winter. They needed a certain number of weeks to qualify and the summer plus fall chums wasn't always enough. So for several years DFO allowed this EI fishery. Conservation has always sucked the hind tit of politics.

Correct, this is a sockeye seine slayfest. However, nets are a big reason for the fish decline. MY top 4 are in no particular order. Commie Over fishing, FN over fishing, Sporty over fishing (most namely the derby targeting large mature fish in boot form) and greatly decreased hatchery production.

 

[soxy]

Correct, this is a sockeye seine slayfest. However, nets are a big reason for the fish decline. MY top 4 are in no particular order. Commie Over fishing, FN over fishing, Sporty over fishing (most namely the derby targeting large mature fish in boot form) and greatly decreased hatchery production.

Why would the hatchery decrease production when it was such a boon to all users as well as the locals such as motels, restaurants, all businesses and housing, SophiaB?

 

[Charter Tofino]

Why would the hatchery decrease production when it was such a boon to all users as well as the locals such as motels, restaurants, all businesses and housing, SophiaB?

No funding. Better question is why would a tyee bite green wool in pocket water...... haha

 

[SophiaB]

no funding. Better question is why would a tyee bite green wool in pocket water...... Haha

.......bazinga!

 

[soxy]

No funding. Better question is why would a tyee bite green wool in pocket water...... haha

I wonder if I can find some info on the no funding angle. As far as the green wool, that by accident. We were told roe was best off of Eagle Rock so I had some primo pro cured humpy eggs. It didn't work too well and it was boring standing on that rock watching your move at a snails pace. So that faster water below and green wool was the ticket. Ended up selling the roe for beer...lol

 

[soxy]

http://www.canada.com/albernivalleytimes/story.html?id=d3576cb4-40d9-4043-aee5-6b0ebf66cd09

Found this from 2008...

"A range of chinook salmon net fisheries are underway this week in Alberni Inlet.

On Sunday evening, Area D gillnetters began the harvest, with 80 vessels reporting a preliminary catch of about 2,100 fish. Down on the waterfront Monday morning, Seven Seas fish buyer Mike Rekis said business was somewhat slow.

"There's about eight buyers here, but there aren't enough fish for everyone," Rekis told the Times. According to Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), boats averaged about 26 fish apiece. "We're paying about $2.50 a pound, in the round," Rekis said. "The problem is, there's lots of chinook in the U.S., in the Columbia River and in Puget Sound. Some of the fishermen are saying it's the best return to the Columbia in 30 years." That's despite a gloomy pre-season forecast, he added.

On Monday morning, two Area B seine vessels began what could be two daytime openings.

"They're operating to a total (maximum) catch of 1,600 fish," said DFO resource manager Alistair Thomson.

On Monday evening, Tseshaht and Hupacasath First Nations were scheduled for a six-hour gillnet opening, beginning at 10 p.m. Both bands are authorized to sell their catches. Thomson said the opening would be extended a few hours in the event of low catches. Barkley Sound Nations will participate in the fishery, but are limited to food, ceremonial and social purposes for their catches.

According to DFO, recreational fishing was well down in the first half of the month in Alberni Inlet, with 1,083 boat trips (the average is 2,659) and 800 chinook (average 1,170) and 42 coho reported between Aug. 1 and 16. Those numbers have now climbed, with the arrival of chinook in the Upper Inlet.

"On Saturday, there were probably 400 boats fishing on the Inlet," Thomson said. "Even this morning (Monday), after the gillnetters, there were 263 counted out there. That's a fair number."

The Port Alberni Salmon Festival (and Derby) kicks off on Saturday morning. Net fisheries are scheduled to leave at least three days of clear water prior to the big annual event.

DFO has forecast a run of 53,000 chinook salmon to the Somass River system, with an escapement goal of 25,000 fish. Thomson said the Stamp Falls counters would be operational by the end of this week. Visitors to the park can watch salmon passing through the counters in real-time on a public TV monitor."

 

[FishWhisperer]

Here is some slabbin' in the Stamp River in 1991.
The mullets are real, hockey hair was cool back then ...at least I thought it was, lol.
Enjoy.


[_UtBcsKdOuk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UtBcsKdOuk

 

[FishWhisperer]

[Y_FTkrUsCzs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_FTkrUsCzs

 

[soxy]

Good stuff FW!

http://www.islandfishermanmagazine.com/issue/august-2010

"In 1971, after mismanagement of the commercial sockeye fishery almost annihilated local Chinook, coho and steelhead stocks, an intensive rehabilitation program was initiated at the Robertson Creek Hatchery. Located where Great Central Lake drains into the Stamp River, a tributary of the Somass River, this federal hatchery has created what is now considered one of the most resounding success stories in the history of North American salmonid enhancement. The annual smolt output averages an impressive eight million Chinooks, one million coho, and 180,000 steelhead. Returns average 150,000 Chinooks, 100,000 coho and 10,000 steelhead. In addition, fertilization projects on Sproat and Great Central lakes pump over 16 million sockeye into the Somass system. As returns might vary from less than a half million to over one million fish annually, DFO adjusts the retention limits accordingly. Generally, on a typical year anglers can expect to keep four sockeye daily."

What gets me is the 150,000 average return of Chinooks down to 16-20k.

 

[Charter Tofino]

I don't buy the 150k "average" chinook return figure. It did have some wicked returns at its prime, with over over 100k but that was when the hatch was pumping them out. Historically, before the hatch the SSS had low Chinook numbers.

Simply put, funding cutbacks = less smolts output = less fish returning

Hatchery runs in general are significantly more straightforward than their wild counterparts. Ocean survival rates, commercial interception etc play a big but generally not deciding factor. The SSS has had issues with the later factor of interception. Local DFO has been known to allow overfishing which results in the hatchery struggling for even their reduced broodstock numbers.

 

[fishspoon]

I don't buy the 150k "average" chinook return figure. It did have some wicked returns at its prime, with over over 100k but that was when the hatch was pumping them out. Historically, before the hatch the SSS had low Chinook numbers.

Simply put, funding cutbacks = less smolts output = less fish returning

Hatchery runs in general are significantly more straightforward than their wild counterparts. Ocean survival rates, commercial interception etc play a big but generally not deciding factor. The SSS has had issues with the later factor of interception. Local DFO has been known to allow overfishing which results in the hatchery struggling for even their reduced broodstock numbers.

yes, I agree...I am surprised DFO from Ottawa is still keeping local DFO staff that allowed overfishing for several years that ruined or damaged stamp river fish stocks. Alberni Inlet is pretty quieter these days with growing fishing closures.

 

[Blackleech]

Good stuff FW!

http://www.islandfishermanmagazine.com/issue/august-2010

"In 1971, after mismanagement of the commercial sockeye fishery almost annihilated local Chinook, coho and steelhead stocks, an intensive rehabilitation program was initiated at the Robertson Creek Hatchery. Located where Great Central Lake drains into the Stamp River, a tributary of the Somass River, this federal hatchery has created what is now considered one of the most resounding success stories in the history of North American salmonid enhancement. The annual smolt output averages an impressive eight million Chinooks, one million coho, and 180,000 steelhead. Returns average 150,000 Chinooks, 100,000 coho and 10,000 steelhead. In addition, fertilization projects on Sproat and Great Central lakes pump over 16 million sockeye into the Somass system. As returns might vary from less than a half million to over one million fish annually, DFO adjusts the retention limits accordingly. Generally, on a typical year anglers can expect to keep four sockeye daily."

What gets me is the 150,000 average return of Chinooks down to 16-20k.

Hatcheries are a temporary solution. The wild salmon and steelhead runs were destroyed in the 60's. If the government ever decides to cut the hatchery program, which it will if we ever have a bad enough recession, the salmon and steelhead will be all but extinct within a decade. The genetic variation that is required to adapt to disease and changes in the environment has been permanently lost.

 

[soxy]

Simply put, funding cutbacks = less smolts output = less fish returning[/QUOTE

Do you have a link for that kelly or anyone? Specifically Robertson Creek hatchery.