It's still a bit early for Byrne Creek, however the recent rains and richly hued autumn colours have spawning salmon dancing in my head.
The spawners usually arrive closer to the end of October, but there's a new bounce to my step, and a heightened awareness of the sights and sounds of nature when I ramble down the ravine and along the creek these days.
I check the pools and peer into riffles, my nose twitching for the scent of decaying fish. That's how you find the hidden ones -- you smell them before you see them....
It may sound awful, but it's nature's cycle. Spawn, die, and fertilize the creek to prepare it for the next generation of fish.
Who knows when the first returning spawners will be spotted?
It's been a bad year so far for returning salmon on the Fraser River, but I have high hopes for our little urban creek.