Homathko silt.

[Olde School]

Hello, experts.

2 quite experienced fishermen up the Homathko river a couple of days ago.
It was virtually devoid of life.
We threw a lot of gear at the water and nada.
No critters, no fish (not even spawned out carcasses), no birds, few bugs.
Were told by hikers that the river had been 1 meter higher 2 days previous.

The water was so silty that you couldn't see a rock 4" below the surface!

Question: where do the fish go when the big systems get really silty?
Perhaps salmon don't spawn in the Homathko?
Surely the trout are hiding somewhere?

Thanks.

Smiley.

 

[Deewar25]

homathko I think is always silty - at least that was the norm when I used to work there about 6 years ago...couldn't see a thing - any depth. Must be spawners thou given the numbers of bears. Maybe just a timing thing?

 

[searun]

Fish the back channels where you have ground water influence. Main run of Chinook are in Aug. Most of them are way up the river near Scarr Ck.

 

[Olde School]

Good to hear that silt doesn't bother them.
We wondered about our timing but don't salmon run from June to December?
Our location was Scar Creek...

Smiley.

 

[searun]

No, the run is very time specific much like other rivers the good prime time is usually only 1 to 2 months max. Water clarity is a factor, but you can get around that by searching out side channels with ground water. It is a big system, so you have to search around. I would try back again in the spring.