if anybody cares to know or go, our goverment has reopened the Thompson river to catch n release steelhead. The run size is expected to be 1200 fish and the season will be open until the end of december.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.............

I talked to some fella's that were up last weekend and they did good. Good enough that they are returning today for a 5 day outing. And here I sit! Maybe I can talk NOFISH into going to the OP.

I heard today that the DFO has also decided to have an opening for chum salmon in the Fraser. This is really a bad idea! Even if the Thompson does have barely enough fish for a C&R season, there is no reason to kill God knows how many of those magnificent steelhead in a chum fishery. (This is prome time for the Thompson River steelhead to be in the area of the Fraser they will be netting for chums.)

Here is a copy of the E-mail I got on the subject.

lets get the e mails rolling on this one folks, there isnt much time
Chris

>From: "Fishrlady ~"
>To: ctompkins84@hotmail.com
>Subject: chum management
>Date: Wed, 03 Nov 2004 12:49:12 -0800
>
>Chris,
>
>Please check this out. You'll find more information at the bottom. Hits a
>soft spot when I think of the early December winter run ont he sky that has
>been extinct for many years now. Ok, it proves how old I am but
>still,,,lets help get people informed and hopefully active. fishrlady
>
>
>>Friends and Family
>>
>>I'm sending an E-mail to the Fraser River Managers voicing my concern
>>and protest for the opening of a chum net fishery on the lower Fraser
>>that will increase the chances of mortality of the famed Thompson River
>>Steelhead, and I ask your support by sending a simple (1) sentence
>>e-mail to these men in objection to this action.
>>
>>Paul McGillvary's e-mail is
>>macgillivrayp@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
>>Devona Adams e-mail is
>>adamsd@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
>>
>>The Thompson has been closed for fishing steelhead, even a catch &
>>release fishery, to help save this dwindling run of fish. By allowing
>>the netting of "Chum Salmon" starting tomorrow will further decimate
>>this run.
>>
>>If you are at all concerned about mis-management, then please take the
>>time to read below and send a short E-mail TODAY, to oppose opening a
>>Commercial Chum net fishery on the Fraser.
>>
>>This is a unique run of fish known for their strength and hard fighting
>>abilities and don't need to be taken "incidentally" by a special opening
>>chum fishery.
>>
>>Every voice matters, please write and tell others.
>>
>>
>>Thanks, Mike
>>_________________________________________________________________
>>
>>Here is a Press Release prepared for CTV
>>
>>Press Release,
>>
>>The greatest race of steelhead in the world is in mortal danger. The
>>most revered sport fish in western North America is BC's Thompson River
>>steelhead. It isn't just changing ocean and climatic conditions or
>>environmental issues that threaten, but Government mismanagement. Once
>>again Federal and Provincial governments are at odds and the ill-advised
>>wishes of the DFO are taking precedent. The cost is at the expense of
>>one of BC's priceless natural resources - the Thompson Steelhead.
>>
>>The Thompson River has a predicted return of fewer than 800 fish this
>>year - this is an abysmal state of affairs. The Provincial Fisheries
>>Branch MWLAP has ordered the river closed to fishing, as even the
>>minuscule mortality rate of a catch and release fishery has been deemed
>>unacceptable. As hard as it is to accept, the necessity of the closure
>>is brutally evident to the sport fishing community.
>>
>>The problem we have is with the actions of the DFO, in particular the
>>A/Area Management decision to allow a chum opening on the Lower Fraser
>>River on Wednesday October 20. All the available research shows that
>>this is the peak migration window through the Lower Fraser for Thompson
>>Steelhead. We find this outrageous and unbelievable. The DFO's own test
>>fishery has only caught 3 steelhead, which extrapolate into the second
>>worst return in 26 years. Yet DFO shows absolutely no concern and
>>provides a commercial opening for chum salmon
>>
>>If the return numbers of Thompson steelhead are so critically low that a
>>closure must be applied to the least effective sector of resource users
>>the sport fishers, how can it be remotely justifiable that any other
>>fishery - let alone a commercial one be allowed? Even the rationale for
>>Native ceremonial fish is superseded by conservation needs. The fact
>>that there is a surplus of chums, does not justify the endangerment of a
>>seriously threatened run of fish like the Thompson steelhead.
>>
>>When the DFO was concerned about Thompson Coho, the entire commercial
>>industry ground to a halt to enable their recovery. Yet, when a world
>>famous, irreplaceable steelhead resource is threatened in the very same
>>river - nothing happens. In fact, the Federal Department that is
>>supposed to be the steward of the resource further threatens it by
>>enabling more commercial openings. It is no wonder that the sport
>>fishing community shakes it head with resignation and disbelief when the
>>DFO steps in.
>>
>>In the case of Thompson River Steelhead the Province has championed the
>>needs of the fish. MWLAP biologists in Kamloops have done everything in
>>their power to protect the fish and promote the recovery of the flagship
>>of Beautiful BC's sport fishery - the Thompson Steelhead. Yet, it seems
>>at every turn the Federal Government's DFO has thwarted their efforts.
>>DFO deems the needs of an already heavily subsidized commercial fishery
>>take precedent over world famous natural resource.
>>
>>The steelhead community, which is local and international is outraged
>>and flabbergasted by this development. Furthermore, it appears that DFO
>>has delayed its public announcement of this opening so as to minimize
>>our ability to protest. This is unconscionable
>>
>>Yours sincerely,
>>
>>Tyler Kushnir
>>Director, Steelhead Society of British Columbia
>>__________________
>>It is absolutely unbelievable! In the face of the 2nd worst Thompson
>>Steelhead runs on record DFO has okayed a commercial chum salmon opening
>>for Wednesday Oct. 20th! This is squarely in the heart of the time that
>>all the best science indicates is the prime window of migration through
>>the lower Fraser.
>>
>>The Provincial Fisheries MWLAP have repeatedly stood agianst such
>>openings - their concern is steelhead, the Federal Fisheries - DFO has
>>jurisdiction over salmon - and they don't care about the steelhead.
>>
>>This is outrageous, sportfishermen are shut down as even a catch and
>>release fisherey is deemed too dangerous to the health of the run and
>>DFO schedules an opening. We are trying to rally the troops to register
>>our outrage, but with less than two days notice until the opening there
>>is not much time. This has not even been announced yet - this info is a
>>hot leak... It is clear they didn't want us to have time to organize.
>>The newspapers have been contacted and messages are out on bulletin
>>boards - we need some emrgency troops!
>>
>>Right now we must flood DFO's phone lines with protests ...the Dirctor
>>Generals office is 604 666-6098...(Paul McGillvary)...or any and every
>>other Lower Fraser manager...Devona Adams has often been very
>>helpful....but now seems to think its no big deal...604 666-6512.
>>
>>Paul McGillvary's e-mail is
>>macgillivrayp@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
>>Devona Adams e-mail is
>>adamsd@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
>>
>>
>>If you have fished the Thompson - or ever hope to fish it in the future
>>take some time and make the effort.
>>__________________
>>Tight lines - tyler.
>>
>>Thompson River Refugee
>>
>>I have heard that the DFO plans to open up the chum fishery knowing full
>>well that this fishery threatens what little is left of the Thompson
>>steelhead fishery. I also understand that the DFO has taken a very
>>short-sighted view of this problem, seeing it basically as an issue of
>>turf.
>>
>>The value of the Thompson River steelhead to British Columbia far
>>outweighs the benefit of the small chum commercial fishery or for that
>>matter, bureaucratic inconvenience.
>>
>>The chum fishery must be stopped before the last vestiges of the
>>Thompson River steelhead become extinct. As fisheries managers, you have
>>a responsibility not to harm fish stocks regardless of whether or not
>>they fall under your bureaucratic responsibilities. It will be too late
>>to blame others for the steelhead extirpation in an exercise of
>>bureaucratic blame shifting, once the steelhead are gone.
>>
>>Do the right thing rather than the bureaucratic blame game and buck
>>passing - stop the chum fishery immediately.
>>
>>Peter Charles
>>A Concerned Ontario Angler
>>_________________
>

I finally read the entire thread, Dave.

This is the kind of crap that really pisses me off.

The Thompson is the location of some of the most pleasant skunkings I have ever recieved. Its hard to imagine that this river only receives that many fish. We fished it a lot in the 80's and if I figured out the hours per fish it would be the least productive fishery I have ever spent a lot of time on... however.. on the other hand, it was worth it.

You said it yourself "it was worth it"

B Run:
I agree that it can be a very frustrating river. I have more days of skunks then not. But one glorious day we landed 14 for four of us. We had a double header on 20-pound fish.

I have seen the success diminish year after year. IMHO the C&R fishery should be limited to Oct. and NOV. To give the fish a rest once they get on or near the spawning area. But it’s hard to get folks behind that when their fisheries mismanagers allow massive chum netting in the Fraser while the steelhead are passing through.