Puntledge

[GLG]

Heard that DFO has been busy with people snagging springs out of the Puntledge River.[V] Throw the book at them I say. If you’re down there keep a lookout for poachers and report them. Can’t these knuckle heads get it through there heads that if it’s closed for fishing that means that those fish must be important to the river. GLG

 

[bee15]

any salmon that makes it back to its river should be prized above all else. especially these days

 

[Cuba Libre]

GLG-- just saw your post. To nmake things worse, the likelyhood is that its summer chinooks that are being targeted-- an endangered run.




20ft Alumaweld Intruder

 

[GLG]

CL heard that it was early fall run not the summers thank goodness.
Summer Runs end Aug 1. Hope someone told the fish.
GLG

 

[rico]

That pisses me off. I watched a bunch of clowns bonk a 30 pound chinook on the Campbell river over the weekend. I called it in, but i doubt they got caught.

 

[gallows]

Well the Puntledge opens Wednesday. It's been a disastrous year. There is apparently not much in the river right now and the hatchery hasn't got many fish. There were very few pinks in the river again this year, one wonders where they are, if it is a two year cycle what has happened to the gene pool for this river? Anyways if you intend to try fishing next week, DFO have already closed the river for Coho retention. In my view quite rightly. I have had my worst year ever for coho in the chuck along the beaches between Kitty Coleman and Lazo. It seems that coho are now as rare as rocking horse poo. There are a few chinook in the river and I only hope the chum arrive as usual.

 

[flail]

Gallows

Is there a closure posted on the DFO site? The only one I can find is from 2006. If you have inside knowledge could you state your source. I have friends arriving for fall fishing and would hate to be disappointed.

CHeers

 

[lazoman]

Hi, I was at the condensory bridge tonight, saw a few fish swim past. The water is quite high at the moment. As for the regulations, I spoke to DFO in comox on friday and they said its all a go for the 1st. At the river tonight however, was a new notice stapled to the tree stating no coho retention</u>, unless returns increase. One Chinook, 2 chum were allowed per day as in past years. I think they should close the river completely until the chums show up, that's hoping they do.....

 

[lazoman]

Good numbers of springs in the river, a few coho being caught/released as well. Saw one chum, bright chromer.

 

[eaglemaniac]

http://www-ops2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/x..._notice&lang=en&DOC_ID=112694&ID=recreational eman

It's all good

 

[lazoman]

Anyone care to share gong show stories? Inconsiderate fellow fishers, bonking of foul hooked fish, bonking dark fish? I saw one guy two days in a row, catch smaller springs, leave them on the bank for a while as he continued to fish, then take them home without even gutting them? I like to gut/bleed keepers asap?

 

[Cuba Libre]

Out on the boat I always bleed my fish.. but it is not so crucial when fishing a river for a short period of time. Recently I got a small bright spring, I immediately killed it and did NOT bleed it. Why?-- I didnt want the blood all over my vest and truck bed. And I certainly didnt want to risk mud, sand and shale contaminating the body cavity by gutting it when I was going to fillet the fish anyway.

I was home in less than an hour where I filleted the fish and gave the meat a good rinse down with the hose. It was vacumn packed and into the freezer immediately, other than the piece I left out for dinner. The head and frame was frozen for crab bait too. If you think that was a "gong show" ( your words) you are sadly mistaken.

In fact, the only valid point you make is killing of foul-hooked fish. Its illegal-- so what did you do about it as a responsible angler??

I realize my reply is a little sharp, but if its not illegal-- I dont care what the other guy does with his legally caught fish after he has killed it.

Not too many worries right now about fish being taken-- the river is high and running mud.

EDIT Hey Lazoman-- after re-reading my post it really is unnecessarily sharp-- sorry. But quite often , there is another side to the story.

Cheers
Cuba Libre



20ft Alumaweld Intruder

 

[Striper Sniper]

Stopped by the Puntledge for a couple of hours today and it was flowing high and fast. The water seemed to clear a bit during the time I was there however I only saw on fish caught, a 15 teenish spring that I thought was a little ripe however the person that caught it was quite content. No combat fishing today, every one was very congenial and respectful albeit they were the regulars that I met last year exhibiting the same behaviours. SS

 

[gallows]

One of the things that winds me up is the discarded fishing line and other rubbish left on the bank after anglers leave to go home. I am regularly cleaning up after inconsiderate anglers. Birds and other wildlife can easily get tangled up in discarded line and suffer a slow lingering death. Please take all your rubbish home with you.

 

[Cuba Libre]

Absolutely--- Last time out we picked up a bunch of plastic bags as well as about 50 yds of line. The braided stuff is especially nasty when discarded, so make a point of cleaning up.

Tnx.




20ft Alumaweld Intruder

 

[lazoman]

Hey CL, no worries, I still prefer to gut and bleed my fish as soon as I kill a keeper. I also remove the gills and bleed the meat as best I can from the cavity. To each his own. One of my peeves; what happened to the days when fishers used to rotate through a pool? Hook a fish, and move to the end of the line downstream to land it, allowing others a chance at the pool. Many stand their ground, tying up all others while they play their fish, not that I don't mind standing back and watching it all, but what happened to the rotation? I also pick up any garbage i find. What about cleaning your fish on the bank, right where you're fishing, and leaving all the scraps/eggs/gills etc, right on the bank where we're standing? Chuck it in the river..........

 

[goodoutroo]

Me and a buddy had the kids at the Puntledge yesterday but it was wicked water - fast and muddy!
Slow for fish, not like Wednesday at all.

Can anyone tell me how you find out what the flows are other than going there?
I recall that there is a river height website somewhere.

Thanks!

Roo.

 

[lazoman]

http://www.bchydro.com/about/our_system/reservoir_discharges/comox_dam.html

Here's a link to projected releases from the dam, but I've found them to be less than 100% reliable.... after all they're based on the weatherman's forecast....

 

[goodoutroo]

Thank you very much, Lazoman.

Roo.

 

[Cuba Libre]

Roo-- the wild card in Puntledge discharges is the Browns River. Its unregulated and is responsible for the slugs of mud that wash down anytime there is a storm in the mountains.




20ft Alumaweld Intruder