Just received an email from Chris Bos about the coho count for last Saturday. Normally they get 250-300 coho in the creek for the year. On Saturday they counted 450 through the fence....in a single day!!! Congrats to the dedicated stream keepers. Keep up the great work.
Colquitz Creek Coho
- Thread starter profisher
- Start date
Rum Buddies
Well-Known Member
that is great news! Nice job guys, no small feart considering the sh*t that gets dumped in that creek
sammyslabber
Active Member
wow that's great news! I took a walk along the creek to the fence; then the other day along the Gorge, no jumpers, nothing in the counting fence, left me wondering. Was hoping for the best after impressive returns last year then tragedy strikes with the subsequent oil spills, Hydro's kerfuffle.The little stream that seemingly keeps chugging along in the face of adversity...Thanks to Chris and gang for keeping the faith - putting in the all the extra effort...
Last edited by a moderator:
Andrew P
Well-Known Member
Wow! what a weekend. The first thought that crossed my mind with the heavy rain hitting the roof was how happy the waiting coho were going to be. My cousin and I brought out 2 year olds down to get an introduction to salmon enhancement/conservation. It was great that we got to see the first batch of 10 or so into the system but even better when I heard what showed up throughout the day as the water rose and the fish smelled or felt it. Just amazing. Hope they keep coming but still a good total return nonetheless.
I can't say enough about the folks throughout the whole Colquitz watershed doing different parts to bring the ecosystem back to what it once was. I personally live in the Swan Lake Watershed, a tributary of and where a good amount of the coho entering colquitz are heading. There is a newly formed Friends of Swan Lake Watershed group that is going to be great to helping out the salmon. I was a bit surprised to that but buddy and I were the only ones at recent meetings from the fishing community.
Here are some pics of Chris and the guys installing the counting fence and then once the rain came, some happy kids and salmon.
Smiles all around with these little guys! At the creek Saturday and Sunday evening on Constance.
I can't say enough about the folks throughout the whole Colquitz watershed doing different parts to bring the ecosystem back to what it once was. I personally live in the Swan Lake Watershed, a tributary of and where a good amount of the coho entering colquitz are heading. There is a newly formed Friends of Swan Lake Watershed group that is going to be great to helping out the salmon. I was a bit surprised to that but buddy and I were the only ones at recent meetings from the fishing community.
Here are some pics of Chris and the guys installing the counting fence and then once the rain came, some happy kids and salmon.
Smiles all around with these little guys! At the creek Saturday and Sunday evening on Constance.
sammyslabber
Active Member
Andrew, thanks .... your pictures are worth a thousand... It's reassuring to see the younger generation involved in the stewardship of local waterways. Your many photos and follow up posts put things into perspective for all us fisherpersons; unselfish acts like yours go as a reminder to all of us...get involved in protecting our local streams for future generations.
Andrew P
Well-Known Member
Thanks Sammy, just doin my part. Cheers.
Awesome work guys. Andrew you do more then your part along with a few others. Thanks.
As an off topic aside its amusing to me that some guys get trashed for netting a fish they will not be keeping yet in the river a sport fishing dip net is what's used to transfer the fish over the counting fence.
Will this be going on again this weekend and is everyone welcome? Looks like a good hike for the daughter and I. If it is ongoing somebody PM me the info I'm not even sure where the fence is. We'll do some garbage duty on our walk to do what we can for the area. As they say every bit helps (although teaching a 3 yr old to pick up somebody else's garbage might prove to be a mistake).
As an off topic aside its amusing to me that some guys get trashed for netting a fish they will not be keeping yet in the river a sport fishing dip net is what's used to transfer the fish over the counting fence.
Will this be going on again this weekend and is everyone welcome? Looks like a good hike for the daughter and I. If it is ongoing somebody PM me the info I'm not even sure where the fence is. We'll do some garbage duty on our walk to do what we can for the area. As they say every bit helps (although teaching a 3 yr old to pick up somebody else's garbage might prove to be a mistake).
GDW: I think the regular routine is 10 AM and around 4 PM but if there was a good flush rain and the hos are hopping the stream keepers may be there a lot more often during the day. Fence is just behind the Montanas at Tillicum Mall.
Re the netting, there is a bit of a difference between the netting that occurs on fishing boats in the ocean and in the river. First of all, the stream keepers have a catch and release net and know what they are doing! Secondly and even more importantly, the physiology of the fish has dramatically changed by now that they are in the rivers: in the ocean, the scales are loose - in the river they are firm in the now leathery skin; in the ocean the fish have to survive several more weeks, months or even years, scale and slime layer injuries cause skin infections that can be fatal over time - in the rivers, fish only need to hang on a few more days to fulfill their duty, many have injuries from seals, bears, birds, other salmon and can still survive until spawned (time matters). That's why you cannot compare the two described scenarios.
Re the netting, there is a bit of a difference between the netting that occurs on fishing boats in the ocean and in the river. First of all, the stream keepers have a catch and release net and know what they are doing! Secondly and even more importantly, the physiology of the fish has dramatically changed by now that they are in the rivers: in the ocean, the scales are loose - in the river they are firm in the now leathery skin; in the ocean the fish have to survive several more weeks, months or even years, scale and slime layer injuries cause skin infections that can be fatal over time - in the rivers, fish only need to hang on a few more days to fulfill their duty, many have injuries from seals, bears, birds, other salmon and can still survive until spawned (time matters). That's why you cannot compare the two described scenarios.
sammyslabber
Active Member
...down at the fence today...looks like the count is getting close >>> 600...
Doug
Well-Known Member
Good Job Colquitz Creek guys, it is good to see you're getting a good return.
Upstream from Colquitz at the Craigflower Creek counting fence we are not getting the return we did last year (1300+).
In Late Sept, when the heavy rain came for that couple of days the Craigflower Creek fence received just over 60 chrome Coho in a two days period and since then only another 8 fish. I guess without our normal Oct/Nov rains the fish cannot make it up the falls or the creek or they are just not coming.
For once I'm hoping for heavy rain for a few days to saturate the forest and raise the creek water level. Hopefully more fish will come with the rain.
Upstream from Colquitz at the Craigflower Creek counting fence we are not getting the return we did last year (1300+).
In Late Sept, when the heavy rain came for that couple of days the Craigflower Creek fence received just over 60 chrome Coho in a two days period and since then only another 8 fish. I guess without our normal Oct/Nov rains the fish cannot make it up the falls or the creek or they are just not coming.
For once I'm hoping for heavy rain for a few days to saturate the forest and raise the creek water level. Hopefully more fish will come with the rain.
sammyslabber
Active Member
back from the creek...this time saw a few Coho -making their way past the counting fence...:>)
nice to run into gillreaper and family...also making their way back from their creek walk...
nice to run into gillreaper and family...also making their way back from their creek walk...
Last edited by a moderator:
http://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/editorial-salmon-come-back-strong-1.695693
Another good news success story on this.
Another good news success story on this.
sammyslabber
Active Member
...another related stream stewardship project.... http://www.vicnews.com/news/221536321.html
Similar threads
