Salmon open on the fraser!!!

[walks with deer]

Will this ever happen again.

We need to get the nets out.. reading dfo page a lot of nets at the mouth right now,

[ryanonthevedder]

Saltwater guys out of Vancouver are enjoying some good fishing as well....

They wont open the fishery because every tom dick and chin come out from Vancounver and kill everything that hits the beach. A buddy of mine saw a guy give a Thomson steelhead a rock shampoo during a late sockeye opening a few years back. He made the guy release it but it was dead... the fella was convinced it was a nice chinook. Wouldn't you know it the same guy beached two more square tails in the same outing and although they weren't bonked they got a sleigh ride up the beach before they were ID'd.

The biggest problem with the Fraser fishery is the "non-selective" fishing technique that is used; aka bottom bouncing. Sockeye are the main target for conservation although the springs are falling off fast too. Regardless, they sont want any stress on the socks so no fishing period. Now I haven't caught a sockeye bar fishing but I know guys that have. With that said its more selective than flossing, and thats what they need to open to have a fraser fishery. Unfortunately the DFO seems to have some kind of Freudian block when it comes to saying no bottom bouncing. They can say "fly only", "bait ban" or "single barbless" without any trouble but a leader restriction or no flossing or no bottom bouncing seems to be out of their vocabulary.

It may also be a convenient scapegoat to keep the river closed.

I miss the days out on the bars. I also am saddened by the fact that my kids won't likely have the same experience that I did when I was growing up.

Its a damn shame what the Fraser has been reduced to.

[Rupert Retired]

Saltwater guys out of Vancouver are enjoying some good fishing as well....

They wont open the fishery because every tom dick and chin come out from Vancounver and kill everything that hits the beach. A buddy of mine saw a guy give a Thomson steelhead a rock shampoo during a late sockeye opening a few years back. He made the guy release it but it was dead... the fella was convinced it was a nice chinook. Wouldn't you know it the same guy beached two more square tails in the same outing and although they weren't bonked they got a sleigh ride up the beach before they were ID'd.

The biggest problem with the Fraser fishery is the "non-selective" fishing technique that is used; aka bottom bouncing. Sockeye are the main target for conservation although the springs are falling off fast too. Regardless, they sont want any stress on the socks so no fishing period. Now I haven't caught a sockeye bar fishing but I know guys that have. With that said its more selective than flossing, and thats what they need to open to have a fraser fishery. Unfortunately the DFO seems to have some kind of Freudian block when it comes to saying no bottom bouncing. They can say "fly only", "bait ban" or "single barbless" without any trouble but a leader restriction or no flossing or no bottom bouncing seems to be out of their vocabulary.

It may also be a convenient scapegoat to keep the river closed.

I miss the days out on the bars. I also am saddened by the fact that my kids won't likely have the same experience that I did when I was growing up.

Its a damn shame what the Fraser has been reduced to.

The problem with banning flossing or bottom bouncing is the enforcement of it. Flossing generally catches the fish in the mouth (why it is called that) and so, how is a Fishery Officer to know if this was "inducing the fish to take the lure in its mouth"? (which is the legal definition of sport fishing) Fishing techniques are notoriously hard to enforce. For instance, jigging (or snagging) is illegal, but if a fisherman is on the edge of a stream obviously jigging, he will simply say that this is his technique to induce the fish to take the bait in its mouth. It is almost impossible to get a conviction.

[Hublocker]

Will this ever happen again.

We need to get the nets out.. reading dfo page a lot of nets at the mouth right now,

What nets?

There is no commercial fishery. No sockeye TAC at this run size.

DFO web page says nothing about any net fishery, aboriginal or otherwise.

I was coming in on a boat a week ago and all I saw was a bunch of recreational vessels fishing right in the middle of the navigational channel at the light ship blissfully ignoring the fact that they were about to get run over until the last second.

[ryanonthevedder]

The problem with banning flossing or bottom bouncing is the enforcement of it. Flossing generally catches the fish in the mouth (why it is called that) and so, how is a Fishery Officer to know if this was "inducing the fish to take the lure in its mouth"? (which is the legal definition of sport fishing) Fishing techniques are notoriously hard to enforce. For instance, jigging (or snagging) is illegal, but if a fisherman is on the edge of a stream obviously jigging, he will simply say that this is his technique to induce the fish to take the bait in its mouth. It is almost impossible to get a conviction.

Not hard to enforce a leader restriction. 3 foot max length would be an enforceable regulation. What would you suggest?

[Rupert Retired]

ryanonthevedder - Yes I agree, gear restrictions are enforceable. Fishing techniques not so much. Best thing is to work through your local SFAB cmte, DFO does listen to them, since their recommendations have been discussed and voted on.

[tubby]

Hublocker.....FN nets have been on the Fraser almost daily. Its misinformed ppl like yourself that are turning a blind eye to the real problem that the Fraser is facing.
http://www-ops2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fr..._Previous.html

[tigrr]

Heard from a couple of people that the FN keep the sockeye and toss the chum and others that they don't eat. Hope that rumor isn't true. Another sad thing is people putting in orders for the fish they want to buy from the FN. It has to change while there is fish left.

[blackhawk19]

its so obvious whats happening to our fish.no its not the farm fish escaping or sports fishing.its the netting of the rivers.maybe someday the govt will stop it

[Wild one]

its so obvious whats happening to our fish.no its not the farm fish escaping or sports fishing.its the netting of the rivers.maybe someday the govt will stop it

Its a mix of many factors netting is one but there are more that can be added. Sport fishing is a factor but will not see enough change just targeting this issue