Fins -n- Skins
Well-Known Member
Right now the biggest threat to the Cowichan is no rain and low flows and i,m sure that goes for alot of other rivers. Need sky water badly.
Those seals are trying to catch fish just like you are. Who does more damage to the future steelhead populations, seals, otters, mink, birds or you? If seals could talk they would blame you, otters, mink and birds. If birds could talk the would blame seals, otters mink and you...........and so on.No I did not take video. I went a trip for summer runs and saw the same seal in the same pool chasing fish for the entire 48 hours I was camped nearby. This was a small wild run in a lower tributary of a system that cannot handle that kind of targeted attack. These are fish that have survived the rigors of becoming an adult steelhead in 2018, to return to low, clear water and a seal who found a bounty of trapped steelhead surviving on body fat and waiting to spawn.
I don't blame them, its only smart tactics. Why would I chase a full grown salmon or steelhead in an open ocean when I can chase a salmon in a tight funnel?
@Fishmyster I don't disagree that other animals attack and eat salmon and steelhead in the river as I've witnessed otters on my home river attacking salmon in the hatchery intake pools, and I've seen them walking off with them. I've seen a Bobcat carrying off a sockeye as well. You'd have to be incredibly naïve to think these seals are in the river during peak migration ONLY, and are targeting BUT NOT catching these migrating fish.
So @Fishmyster , in your opinion, what are these seals doing so far up freshwater waterways?
My thoughts exactly.
Please tell me who causes more damage? Is it the two people who catch and release 100 fish and angle 5 days per week or is it the two people who fish five days per year to catch 10 steelhead which they take photos of??Personally I can tell you one of the biggest threats the Vedder is facing is the **** poor fish handling and losers getting pictures at any cost to the fish!
That’s a pretty good season, you must be on the water a lot. How many of those hundred were wild? Not trying to pry but would be interested to know. You don’t keep any hatchery ones to eat?Fact- Brought well over a 100 steelhead to hand on the Vedder this season between me and my friend, not one has had a FRESH wound on its body from predation....
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1864653340315808/?ref=shareThere are definitely harbour seals that enter several rivers following migrating salmon/steelhead. It is nothing new. I have read accounts of this being normal from nearly a century ago. What is perhaps new is the extreme ups and downs in water levels that we now experience and are to blame for. I do agree of a cull of those particular seals that have made targeting salmon made available due to our actions, whether it be low water or mass fry outputs by hatcheries. Seals are smart, and will teach these habit to their offspring.
I believe a tradition first nations hunt should be done in lieu of some of the non traditional hunts they now partake.
Why the government not pushing for putting 3or 4 pipes in the lake and go over the weir ,what the fish like is the cooler water from the bottom of the lake there is 20 miles of water ,if you raise the weir the water leavel the water will be in the trees around the lake and people would begetting there land flooded at the winter times