Community Articles
General News · 24th October 2024
Christine/FOCI Streamkeepers
Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds and... !
Well, not quite, but too many to count accurately.
A staggering and surprising number of chum are showing up at Basil Creek (Squirrel Cove).
The chum run was forecast to be poor earlier in the summer, but over 800 chum were counted on one day, October 21. It is a spectacular sight to see fish lined up side-by-side and nose-to-tail thick at the mouth of the creek with a mass hovering and finning in the immediate estuary and along the shoreline towards the Squirrel Cove store. In 2016 and 2020, there were sizable chum runs in Basil Creek but the total numbers counted over a period of two to four weeks in those years was less than one day of counting this past week.
Small numbers have begun to show up in Hansen, Whaletown and James Creeks in the past week.
Even low numbers are welcome after having no record of chum in these 3 creeks in 2023.
The other thrill and surprise is the health, strength and size of the chum that we are seeing. They are magnificent, with no sign of deterioration typically found when they enter creeks. For this reason, Klahoose and FOCI Streamkeepers successfully completed two ‘wild egg takes’ using brood stock from the creek without concern of affecting the natural spawn. The eggs are manually fertilized with milt and placed in the Klahoose Hatchery for incubation during the winter.
So, take your family over to the mouth of Basil Creek in the next few days to witness this spectacle. There is no way of knowing what lies ahead with this surprising run. As noted before, please be respectful of private property where you park and walk. Be aware of customer parking at the store. The landowners on either side of the creek have been extremely supportive of fish and streamkeeper monitoring, and their cooperation is needed to continue monitoring. Best viewing is on the store side of the creek below the beach logs and grassy area, and at a public viewing area just below the arch culvert with easy trail access.
Send the spawners a wish, as the school kids do, for this last all-consuming stage of their lives.
Well, not quite, but too many to count accurately.
A staggering and surprising number of chum are showing up at Basil Creek (Squirrel Cove).
The chum run was forecast to be poor earlier in the summer, but over 800 chum were counted on one day, October 21. It is a spectacular sight to see fish lined up side-by-side and nose-to-tail thick at the mouth of the creek with a mass hovering and finning in the immediate estuary and along the shoreline towards the Squirrel Cove store. In 2016 and 2020, there were sizable chum runs in Basil Creek but the total numbers counted over a period of two to four weeks in those years was less than one day of counting this past week.
Small numbers have begun to show up in Hansen, Whaletown and James Creeks in the past week.
Even low numbers are welcome after having no record of chum in these 3 creeks in 2023.
The other thrill and surprise is the health, strength and size of the chum that we are seeing. They are magnificent, with no sign of deterioration typically found when they enter creeks. For this reason, Klahoose and FOCI Streamkeepers successfully completed two ‘wild egg takes’ using brood stock from the creek without concern of affecting the natural spawn. The eggs are manually fertilized with milt and placed in the Klahoose Hatchery for incubation during the winter.
So, take your family over to the mouth of Basil Creek in the next few days to witness this spectacle. There is no way of knowing what lies ahead with this surprising run. As noted before, please be respectful of private property where you park and walk. Be aware of customer parking at the store. The landowners on either side of the creek have been extremely supportive of fish and streamkeeper monitoring, and their cooperation is needed to continue monitoring. Best viewing is on the store side of the creek below the beach logs and grassy area, and at a public viewing area just below the arch culvert with easy trail access.
Send the spawners a wish, as the school kids do, for this last all-consuming stage of their lives.