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For sale. One slightly used sockeye rod. Just kidding. If you followed
last week's column you would know the joke.
The Babine
We fished the Babine River for sockeye on Wednesday and fishing
has much improved since the efforts of opening day. The water is
still one and a half to two feet above last year, and wading and
finding a good location is difficult. The fish are there, the gates
are in and success is just a matter of the right line and proper
technique. Simple, right? Wrong. We have been spoiled by the past
years of abundance, and this year you will have to work harder for
your fish.
The high and fast water levels are cause for a number of dunkings,
and many anglers are enjoying a refreshing plunge into the purifying
waters. There were so many baptisms going on that we thought we
were in church until the 'dunkees' arose. The language was colorful
to say the least. Humiliation was only increased as fellow anglers
started calling out scores for each dive.
Grizzlies doing laps
There were a pair of grizzly bears doing laps up and down the river,
and whenever you saw a bunch of anglers on the bridge you knew the
bears were having some fun, and giving the fishermen and women a
welcome rest. Some anglers didn't appreciate the rest, but I think
if you can get a nice pair of fish to eat and see a grizzly, that
you have had a bonus day. Unfortunately, some anglers have been
feeding these bears, the bears are getting habituated and that is
not good. Can you imagine someone feeding a grizzly? It only goes
to prove that there is no lifeguard in the gene pool.
Fair share
Good news for those wishing to fish for Coho Salmon on the Bulkley
and Morice Rivers. Yesterday August 15 until September 30 you can
take four coho, hatchery or wild, per day, but only one can be over
50 cm. (20 inches). Coho are coming back and let's hope upstream
users will continue to get a fair share of the fishery.
(All previous issues are stored in the ARCHIVE
for your convenience)
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Anglers on the lower Skeena are having good success
with coho and steelhead and the early index shows better numbers
than last year. It is amazing that any fish get through the gauntlet
of nets they have to pass at the mouth of the Skeena.
The dollar return
About 20 years ago the Seattle Post- Intelligencer
newspaper did a survey comparing the effects of the commercial dollar
to the sport-fishing dollar. The results were not surprising. The
commercial caught fish was worth then, around $3 per pound to the
state. The sport caught fish was worth $24.50 per pound. The sport
fish was worth over eight times as much to the economy as the commercial
fish! In a province and economy that desperately needs the tourist
dollar it astounds me that the upstream user and the general public
settles for what is left. . Does the ocean community that can intercept
the fish first, deserve most of the fish? Does the upstream community
where the fish spawn and grow deserve a share? Should the fishery
be for any one select group or be there for everyone?
Whose fish?
Who has managed the decline of the great BC Salmon?
Should the upstream angler, motels, bed and breakfast, travel agent,
car rental, campgrounds, sport shops, gift stores, gas stations
etc. benefit from the fishery? Are incidental catches, gaffing acceptable
in proper management? Who owns the resource? Whose salmon are they,
a few that profit or the citizens? Why can't I buy wild coho, sockeye
or chinook at the food store instead of 'farmed' Atlantic salmon?
Why can't we get BC salmon in BC? Just wondering.
Today's Tip:
As we head into the end of August, the kokanee, which
form a large share of the big char and rainbow diet, start to turn
spawning red and green. The large predator fish key in on the red
colors, and any angler trolling for these fish should have some
red lures in their arsenal. Lyman lures make a plug with the red
body and green head, Apex makes a lure with the kokanee colors,
and red FST's will also produce. Check your tackle box and make
sure there are some of the above with you for your next trip.
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