Subject: Cowichan River closure- a portion of the river

[Dave]

Hearing odd one..not arm burning by any means

Same with the Vedder, very poor early return.

 

[Whitebuck]

Now with the Vedder, the broodstocking will have begun a couple days ago. Tubing the very few wilds that are in the river. Pretty funny how nobody can figure out or want to talk about out why our early season gets worse and worse. The fact we are taking broodstock from a few other creeks in the LM to create kill fisheries on systems that are barely surviving is archaic and short sighted.

Hopefully this warm up next week will push some more fish in. As someone who is out multiple times and full days each week with near perfect water conditions it is pretty bleak returns so far.

IMO we are at a point with our steelhead fisheries that us as anglers need to take a hard look in the mirror and make some choices regarding taking wilds to support "kill fisheries".

Left out another factor that seems to be hush hush. The amount of seals residing year round now in the Fraser is also a contributing factor to the problems our steelhead face. There was 3 in the canal the last month and a bit....not to mention the other ones in Stave, Harrison and any other larger body of water that flows into the Fraser.
Lead intervention needs to happen asap.

 

[Dave]

2 good points Whitebuck. You know my feelings on the brood stock program, lol!

 

[onefish]

The island is full of rivers with no broodstock program. They have next to no fish and nobody fishing them anymore. Be careful what you wish for!

 

[wildmanyeah]

The island is full of rivers with no broodstock program. They have next to no fish and nobody fishing them anymore. Be careful what you wish for!

I don’t think they are asking for the end of hatcheries just the end of wild brood stock, you could use hatchery brood.

 

[onefish]

The hatchery brood option has long since sailed here on the vast majority of rivers here on the island. The stamp/somass still has a few, that is about it.

 

[Fins -n- Skins]

Any new reports anyone wants to share on the Cowichan ? I see the vedder has really picked up fish wise. Some really nice fish weighed in the Wally Hall derby.

 

[Derby]

In case anyone is looking for a top destination to go fishing



https://www.victoriabuzz.com/2024/0...-top-destination-for-fishing-trips-in-canada/

 

[eroyd]

"The Cowichan River won the number two spot for the best fishing spot of the year".

Perhaps the popularity is because it is the only stream left on the East side of the island that has any amount of fish, and that isn't saying much, Steelhead are down, the Rainbows for the most part are tiddlers and most of the good sized Brown trout have names. Still fishing though and a beautiful stream where one can stillfind a spot to themselves for at least a little while.

 

[Derby]

Subject: Adult steelhead returns could decline 30 per cent due to juvenile die-off on Cowichan River



https://www.sixmountains.ca/article/15c9e9ee-2efe-4aab-9075-65462099aaea

 

[wildmanyeah]

I think that was some people's argument for keeping the hatchery was to use it as a backstop incase of events like this.

hopefully bounces back, with decent ocean survival

 

[Derby]

it's my understanding that the habit is still pretty viable .....

 

[somewhereman]

They saved $75,000 to cut the program.

75 grand is the equivalent of one staffer's staffer's expenses for the year
not to get too political, but anybody who thinks the govt cares about anything but power and wealth is deluded

this is simply a 'look at us cutting costs' ledger item, no one cares for you or the fishies

 

[Fishwhistler]

Any new reports anyone wants to share on the Cowichan ? I see the vedder has really picked up fish wise. Some really nice fish weighed in the Wally Hall derby.

There around I fished for a hour this morning and got this beauty

 

[Hoffer]

Headed to the Cowichan next week for a guided day on the water, hoping to wet a line and explore some of the river the day before.
Any body willing to share insight/reports on the river
Cheers

 

[onefish]

The river is full of fish, just ask the guide.

 

[Fins -n- Skins]

Hearing mixed reports. Some good and some not so good. Some fish around and you have to be lucky. I haven’t been so lucky !!

 

[Fins -n- Skins]

Buddy left his anchor at Vimy pullout on March 14.. Hoping someone picked it up ? TIA

 

[jim morrow]

So it opens back up to angling on May 1st.
What's gonna be some good flies?
fry patterns, stoneflies, march brown mayflies???

 

[jim morrow]

I went to the river 3 times in the first week of May. Hooked 4 fish, one Brown trout, 3 rainbow, as far as I could tell.
2 on small black spinners, one on a small Kamlooper spoon, and One on a muddler type fly.
Sunbathers showed up Saturday as the weather was very sunny. Lots of flies hatching.