Spawning Creek

[Finished Business]

After a few brief posts with GLG I thought I would share some pictures of the Chum that just arrived in the creek that runs through my property.
I will try to take a few pics and update as this creek progresses through the season.

As of the 1st week of October, there were quite a few chum and coho fry milling about the spawning pool, with a few 5" rainbow trout in the group. Once this weeks rains hit, it seems the small fry have moved to the larger river (I assume) as they are no longer in the creek that I can see. In the last week the water levels have grown drastically, and as a result a push of Chum Salmon have entered the tributary. Here's a couple shots to start this pictorial thread off...enjoy!!

 

[trendsetter]

That's pretty cool! I wonder if any coho will show up. Were there coho spawners in the creek 3-4 years ago?

 

[Finished Business]

No, we have yet to see coho in the creek. Only Chum and Steelhead. But this past summer, Fisheries deposited 5000 coho fry into the creek in June. As GLG explained to me, we should hopefully see some red fish in 3 years, fingers crossed! The main river doesn't see to much pressure, only minor sport fishing pressure, so unless these fish are caught in the chuck, we should see some return methinks.

 

[Finished Business]

Had some family down at the creek and they shot this pretty cool video of the Chum swimming around in the pool behind the house...the camera focuses on what I think is a pair of mating salmon (35 seconds in). They have been occupying this single square foot of water for over 24 hours now. The buck occasionally slips downstream a few feet but pulls up next to his lovely lady each time.

Really neat video, Im heading down to the creek today to check things out for myself. Apparently the last few days the fish keep coming and coming. Pretty exciting!

Please check the link!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MX0-nJCUFU&feature=youtu.be

 

[trendsetter]

Very cool. Looks like they are spawning in the end of that video for sure. Soon they will die so I'd keep an eye out for bears once that happens! The scent will draw them in.

 

[GLG]

Your a lucky man, there FB, to have fish spawning in the creek by your house.
Fate has now elected you to be a guardian of the resource.
Should you accept it, get yourself a notebook and mark down the dates of your observations.
Get a thermometer for the river and a rain gauge and enter your data weekly.
It's nice to have records that you can refer to in the future.
When you see the chum spawn you can calculate when the eggs will hatch.
After they hatch they will spend some time in the gravel to button up.
After buttoning up they will then go out to sea sometime in April or May.
Unlike coho, that spend 18 months in the river, chum spend little time in the fresh.
They like to school up and leave all at once and stay close all their lives.
The chum should return in 4 years time.

The coho fry that DFO out-planted last July should be going out to sea as smolts this May 2013.
They should return as adults in October or November 2014. (2 years from now)
Best check with DFO to confirm.
You may have a history for your creek and the DFO hatchery manager can point you in the right direction.

I'm not a fish biologist, only trying to share what I think I know.
Keep us posted and thanks for the video.
GLG

 

[Finished Business]

I'm slowly becoming more forum saavy, with posting images and videos (it only took a year and near 800 posts haha)...so I will do my best to catalogue my meager observations in this thread. Might as well start now before it becomes lost in the memory banks...

Stat: Mid June, fisheries deposits 5000 coho fry in the creek. (1st coho to be introduced to this creek)
Stat: Mid to late Sept., creek levels very low due to extended dry period (July 27 - Oct 12 2012)
-chum and newly placed coho fry growing rapidly, approx. 3-4" in size, with a few 6" rainbow trout spotted as well
Stat: Oct. 1-7 Due to extremely low water, salmon fry are grouped into the few deeper pools remaining. Numbers are very thick.
Stat: October 12, First rain in over 2 months
Stat: The first mature spawning chum enter the creek system Oct.13 2012.
Stat: October 16 - Water levels have risen considerably due to a few days of hard rain.
-No salmon fry remain in the pools or visible anywhere in the creek.
-Chum are seen in increasing numbers as each day passes.

 

[Kildonan]

That's good stuff. Thanks for posting it.

 

[Finished Business]

A quick report on this most productive creek....the water levels have continued to rise with the heavy rains. I went down to the water yesterday (oct30) and saw fish in good numbers still. The water was flowing and visibility was still good. The same couldn't be said for no more than 16 hours later. The creek spiked and the water turned a muddy brown. The flow increased to 3 to 4x the flow of the previous day, with no fish visible any longer. I am curious to see if the rains subside and the water clears up, if there are any fish remaining, or did they get pushed back down river to the main flow (with little chance to make it back up)???

Here's a some shots of the increased flow now that the creek has blown out. Best of luck to all the spawners and eggs hanging in there!!

 

[Lipripper]

Hopefully when it goes down you'll a see few spawning YoYos in there..

 

[Finished Business]

Hey guys...the water levels in this creek have dropped and now it is littered with small fish ! reminds me of when I was young, there was an abundance.

here is a picture of one of the fry. Given my inexperience, can someone identify this little guy??



There is also several bigger, darker fish. The one pictured above has many friends (100's) in the pools, but there is a handful (they are fast and like to hide) bigger fish, up to 4 or 5". I am unable to get one of them for a photo as I don't want to stress the pool trying to wrangle one of a few fish. The one I pictured pretty much swam in the bucket, had his picture taken, and was sent on his way, a happy fish.

So what kind of fish is this little guy? And what could the larger, darker colored fish be (they look a dark grey in the water with not much color variation. They are dark fish. The little guys have good color, red tails...thoughts please!

On another note, a neighbor on the creek saw a red fish in the creek over the spawning period of the chums, he showed up late when the river had picked up considerably. The picture is not great, but would anyone care to guess this guy? (Im thinking a lone Coho scout?)



Thanks!

 

[trendsetter]

I think that both pics are of coho. Thanks for posting.

http://fisheries.btc.ctc.edu/Handout/Juvenile Salmon.pdf

 

[Cuba Libre]

Yes-- coho. Which creek are we talking about?

 

[Finished Business]

After little more than a year since I started this thread, I'm happy to post an update for this season.
It seems to be a another great year for this little creek, measuring a mere 10' at its widest during spawning season.
The chum returned once again in greater numbers than last year, and in much greater size! There are some big boys in this years return which is of course, always a welcome sign! Aside from the Chums, they had some company in the form of 2 returning Coho's They look very healthy and are a pleasure to watch as their behavior in the creek varies greatly from that of the Chum, though it may be because of the ratio of Chum to Coho.

I am including a video of the same section of creek where the pictures and videos were taken last year. I am looking forward to the next 4 years on this creek as it seems to be heading in all the right directions! (the coho is hiding under the brush, the chums push him out but only for a brief period)

Cheers, FB

[2J3ZLs_NGsM] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2J3ZLs_NGsM

 

[Finished Business]

Yes-- coho. Which creek are we talking about?

Sorry I missed this Cuba, with respect to the fish and the creek (since it is so small, yet so productive) I've decided to keep the location of this tributary to myself.

I am hoping to spend some time at the creek this weekend with my SLR camera and GoPro. Should make for great material....stay tuned

Here's some more great footage of returning salmon to the creek (ditch) that saw a return last year in Vancouver.

http://www.vancouversun.com/videos/recommended/video.html?embedCode=45M2V3ZzrPAIDTPjSPBzGbmrjB__GPqE

 

[baddogg]

Great video FB, thanks.

 

[Old Blue]

Sorry I missed this Cuba, with respect to the fish and the creek (since it is so small, yet so productive) I've decided to keep the location of this tributary to myself.