People fishing in spawning pools in Ruskin 2007 w/ PICTURES

[McRackin]

I've had this on my desktop for awhile and I thought I'd post it. Its a picture of several groups of people fishing in the spawning pools near the Ruskin Dam near the Maple Ridge/Mission border. There was about 8 people in the picture you see and another half dozen behind me when I took the photo from the wood bridge that crosses the spawning pool. It was September/October of 2007 when I took the picture and Pink Salmon were beginning to spawn for the first time in a 2 year cycle. After seeing this happen and witnessing a couple residents yelling at some of the people who were casting lures and bait into the spawning pool we called the wildlife protection hot line that was on the back of our licenses. Not sure what/if anything was done about it though.

It was an amazing thing to see (not the people, the fish). Turning over onto there sides and waving to create a good bed for their eggs on a spot of rocks under the water. You could clearly see some other species up to 20-25lbs speeding through the spawning pool between the spawning Pinks too because the water had a max depth of about 5-6 feet. This really pissed me off to see this happen here.

http://members.shaw.ca/mcrackin/ruskin1.jpg

http://members.shaw.ca/mcrackin/ruskins2.jpg

[Eichelherr]

eww, who would want to eat salmon at thir spawning grounds, they'd be all dark and moldy.
________
volcano digital vaporizer (http://vaporizer.org/reviews/volcano)

[c.r.hunter]

Not that it isn't pathetic to fish for spawners,but unless they have changed the regs, that channel is open to fishing. Once it flows under the boat launch, it goes into a slough that winds it's way back into the main river about a K down river. The slough used to be good for cutthroat in the spring. Before I moved out of the lower mainland anyways.....

[BlacktailStalker]

No reason to remove this, its an event that happened and hopefully people see it as something sportsman won't do, fish in spawning channels. If its legal then w/e but its the silent code of ethics some follow, some dont.
Personally, I feel they've made it through enough and deteriorate so quickly and should be left alone.
The fact that its asians could have been left out but is not even remotely racist.
Would it be if they were white ?
I hope they at least smoked them lol, ugh, mushy fish.
On the flip side, these fish "x" kms downstream in the estuary on the fly 2 hours before high slack and one after, can be great fun and decent eating if you like pinks.

[McRackin]

Not that it isn't pathetic to fish for spawners,but unless they have changed the regs, that channel is open to fishing. Once it flows under the boat launch, it goes into a slough that winds it's way back into the main river about a K down river. The slough used to be good for cutthroat in the spring. Before I moved out of the lower mainland anyways.....

that slough is open year round... except when theres spawning fish. i dont know the history about spawning fish in that slough, but pinks came back in record lows in many places this year so maybe thats why. there were signs up saying there was to be no fishing in that area and they were ignoring it

[Steeleco]

I've fished there a few time, always light gear and NEVER taken a fish home. They're mostly Chum. I understand your sentiment, but how is this river any different than say the Vedder, or the Mamquam. Lets not even talk about the limit hole at Slesse creek!!

[Browningmirage]

I dont understand how asians would be racist...we have a group of them up on the NI that go out, catch rockfish (8 people in a 16 foot boat, they just keep hauling them in). They keep them live, and when confronted about it, they say they "no speak engrish". Not all asians are like this, but there are enough to have gotten a name for themselves.

Now why would you need to keep live rockfish? Sport caught? The only reason i can see is to sell them, and that is illegal.

Steeleco...if this river is indeed seeing lower than normal returns, that in itself will set it apart from other rivers. I work on a river on the NI, and seriously if i caught someone fishing there, i would immediately call it in...not because im an ass, but because with the lower returns, some rivers cannot support a fishery at all.

[tomahawk]

eww, who would want to eat salmon at thir spawning grounds, they'd be all dark and moldy.


Your right some of them will be dark, but there also is fish that come in daily when they return and they can be in good condition. Almost all the salmon that are caught every year in BC from June onward are spawners whether in the ocean or rivers, just the later it is the less you'll find one in good shape.

[NEEHAMA]

they look already smoked....

[Dirty]

The problem is lack of enforcement. There isn't enough man power to get around to everything. Another problem is ignorance. A lot of people have no concept of salmon or conservation and just think they will always be there and they should take as much as they can. I would be happy to see fishing require the completion of a core like course to certify that you have ethics and know fish identification. Why should hunting be any different than fishing. If they started a program like this then there would be lots of money generated from the tests even if the tests only costed $20 or something.

[Big7]

Unless something was edited, I don't see anything about these people being asians?

[rock]

That channel where their fishing was put in a few years back to put water into the slough as you call it, that didn't exist years ago, that slough went up and down with the water table, so they added this waterway to help maintain the level in there as well help bird habitat, the benefit for the fish is fresh running water which is ideal, but thats changed due to the fishing pressure, some of these fish I wouldn't even smoke let alone eat them.
But it can produce fish you just have to find the old river channel runs on the backside of the slough cuthroat, dolleys, are good in. As for birds eagles are common there and you can see many at a time with the odd golden, its a nice area but you have to wait tell the salmon run is over then it quits down a little for traffick.

[steel_ram]

Pretty common in many rivers. If there's a surplus of fish, why not allow those who can't afford boats for the saltchuck to harvest a few.

No worse than all the driftboats dragging anchors over Salmon/Steelhead beds.

[NaStY]

While i agree for the most part about the fact that they shouldn't be fishing there. Why not spend the time and educate them rather than complain about it ? I have spent many hrs on many rivers doing my best to educate people on proper edicate and selective fishing, rather than standing there yelling at them. Although that can be fun too........

[Johnnybear]

Leave them alone (the fish that is) when there that high up in the spawning grounds. We want to catch the next generation.

[lip_ripper00]

I have spent many hrs on many rivers doing my best to educate people on proper edicate and selective fishing, rather than standing there yelling at them. Although that can be fun too........
:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin: LMO I have seen you educate.....

[BlacktailStalker]

It originally said they were asians.
It was edited and thats good taste by himself.
Good point on educating.

[McRackin]

i dont know for sure if its illegal fishing for spawning salmon.....during the moment they are spawning. but it just seems wrong. i should have took video to show some of the guys getting pissed right off yelling at some of the people pulling fish out of the water with nets while they were making their spawning beds. sad really...

[rishu_pepper]

Being an Asian myself, I'm sometimes ashamed to see the lack of sportsmanship/ethics displayed by Asian anglers. :icon_frow One time at Harrison, my friend and I were trying out luck, minding our own business, when a middle-aged Asian started fishing in our area. Okay fine the river's wide enough for the 3 of us :roll: He then continued to "wack" fish and reeled them in, hook on body of cohos. He already had his quota before he came to our area (who knows how he caught them), so he asked us if we wanted it. We politely refused and went on our way to a different spot (which he managed to follow us once more). Geez... some people...:mad:

[NaStY]

:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin: LMO I have seen you educate.....


I stopped using my filet knife a couple years ago:biggrin: