Cowichan River

[Football]

Hey guys, im wondering I anyone knows what the Cowichan is looking like? Ive seen 1.4m but have been told its way higher. Im looking to head up in the morning but if I can save myself a drive up if I cant get near the water. Thanks in advance.

 

[fshnfnatic]

It's borderline right now for bank fishing.Just starting to get that "steelhead green" color to it with about 2 ft. visability.
Calling for another whack of rain in the next few days and that won't help the cause.This has been one wet few months
we've had,and I'm starting to get real tired of it.Wish it would stay cold enough to snow and put some white stuff on
the hills instead of rain and another blown out river.

 

[eroyd]

Was out today, walking mid, bottom half. Water has cleared up and is "that green", I like to see. Thought the level was OK regardless of what the gauge report. I would have been better of with my float rod but was still able to get my fly hung up on the bottom on some fishy pieces. No SH for me, just a 12" Rainbow.
The recent high water has definitely moved some gravel around, unfortunately including much of which I saw salmon spawning on a month ago. A few new logs in the river. None that I saw pose a threat to boats in the few km I covered but I wouldn't be surprised if there was a problem somewhere. No boats this morning?

 

[Lipripper]

No boats this morning?

Really?? I guess they were all there yesterday. Cowie 500

 

[fshnfnatic]

A drift boat swamped sometime on Friday with two guys in it.Not sure what section or what caused it. One guy made it
to shore,and the other guy got swept downstream.Search and rescue found him ok a little later.Both guys were wearing
lifejackets,so good on them.Could've played out a lot worse.

 

[Lipripper]

Word on the street(take that for what it is worth)....is that it was a guide bote...

 

[onefish]

This is a relatively easy river to drift yet each year people have their problems. Hard to figure.
Glad nobody was hurt.

 

[Lipripper]

Yup, the split boat is replaceable. Kinda sucks about the whole S&R gas issue... Lowlifes

 

[fshnfnatic]

I think there may be a few extra obstacles to deal with after that huge windstorm the valley had back in Nov.If it was
a guide boat,you'd think someone in that circle would have given them a heads up.

 

[Lipripper]

If it was a guide boat,you'd think someone in that circle would have given them a heads up.

Every time you float down a river, and you're on the oars. You pay attention.

Sometimes poop occurs.

 

[onefish]

Every time you float down a river, and you're on the oars. You pay attention.

X2

As the oarsman your primary job is to get your buddy/client home without incident. Your secondary job is to catch fish.
Always, always, always keep a keen eye as far downriver as possible. Sweepers are not your friend.
If you are in doubt, put down the anchor and walk down and get a clear picture of the line you want to take.
If you can't see around a corner, scout it out first, especially if the river has been high, or if it is your first time on a certain stretch of water.
And if you do drift and encounter an obstacle, post it on a site such as this so nobody gets unnecessarily hurt.

Here is a big rowing hint that will save you some grief, Never, never, never row downriver to get past on obstacle. If the coast is clear, rowing down river is fine but never around an obstacle or tight situation. Point the bow at what you are trying to avoid and row upstream, that will keep you out of trouble 99.9% of the time.

 

[Dennis.t]

Every time you float down a river, and you're on the oars. You pay attention.

X2

As the oarsman your primary job is to get your buddy/client home without incident. Your secondary job is to catch fish.
Always, always, always keep a keen eye as far downriver as possible. Sweepers are not your friend.
If you are in doubt, put down the anchor and walk down and get a clear picture of the line you want to take.
If you can't see around a corner, scout it out first, especially if the river has been high, or if it is your first time on a certain stretch of water.
And if you do drift and encounter an obstacle, post it on a site such as this so nobody gets unnecessarily hurt.

Here is a big rowing hint that will save you some grief, Never, never, never row downriver to get past on obstacle. If the coast is clear, rowing down river is fine but never around an obstacle or tight situation. Point the bow at what you are trying to avoid and row upstream, that will keep you out of trouble 99.9% of the time.

Good advise. Back in the day when I lived on the island and rowed a drift boat down the lower Stamp, on occasion I would venture down to the Cowie and row from Stolz pool down to Vimmy rd. This one time, when I was at band camp,(just kidding) lol, the river was on the higher side and not being that familiar with the flow on different water levels, I took a line that was too far into the center of the river instead of the edge when approaching Hole in the Wall and had to row like a mother ducker to keep from being swept into that nasty whirl pool and probable death. Never forget that day. Another spot that gave me trouble was that big back eddy, whirl pool where the river narrows, forget the name of it now. The one time we got caught in it and the boat did a couple of spinaramas before we got spit out. Probally should of gotten out before it and walked the boat down past. Ah the good ole days...fishing the island flows...

 

[eroyd]

Lots of new logs hung up on bars on Sunday that could easily pick up and move to more hazardous spots with a touch of high water. Was the latest accident to do with the infamous Skutz Falls pullout (again)?

 

[SpringVelocity]

It's like everything else no one means to get in car crash, get in boat accident..People can make a mistakes and no one's perfect, and things happen... The biggest take away is no one lost there life and they were prepared with life jackets on... I know more than 1/2 of anglers don't even have one from what I have seen on that river system. Even bank fishing you shoudl have one on...One step and you fall and you could be gone...

That river is beautiful but like the ocean can be dangerous. Any river has its hazardous unless you have x-ray vision and dive it daily to know each and every hazard that exists.. Any one of us are your going to run into something sooner than later... None of us were there anyway to form any opinion on what was right/wrong..That is just my 2cents.

 

[fshnfnatic]

Lots of new logs hung up on bars on Sunday that could easily pick up and move to more hazardous spots with a touch of high water. Was the latest accident to do with the infamous Skutz Falls pullout (again)?

I had heard it was in fact just above that pullout.Seems to be a trouble spot.Haven't fished that section of river in years.What seems to be the issue up there?

 

[Derby]

hmmmm...thinking the nets are back in the river again...

 

[Fins -n- Skins]

You would begin to wonder as fishing reports are fishing is slooow..

 

[WaterRats]

Is it even worth going out for a try? Wouldn't know where to start.

 

[eroyd]

Is it even worth going out for a try? Wouldn't know where to start.

Of course it is worth it. You'll find some info on the web. There's even a rough Cowichan map in the fishing regs. Drive roads, find access's, try somewhere different every outing. Before you know it, you'll have you'll have it figured out. People generally aren't that tight lipped about the Cowichan, especially when you meet them on the river.

 

[OldShoreFisherman]

Of course it is worth it. You'll find some info on the web. There's even a rough Cowichan map in the fishing regs. Drive roads, find access's, try somewhere different every outing. Before you know it, you'll have you'll have it figured out. People generally aren't that tight lipped about the Cowichan, especially when you meet them on the river.

Agreed. Perhaps most importantly, some personal effort and time has to be put into discovering the river. You can often find a pointer or two in these forums, but nobody is going to lay it all out for every passerby to find here or on any other public forum. As eroyd suggests, however, anglers are generally more forthcoming if you happen to meet them somewhere along the river.