My wife Yumi and I volunteer with the Byrne Creek Streamkeepers, and at this time of year when spawning salmon are returning to the creek, we check it carefully every Wednesday, while other volunteers take other days.
We are fortunate to run our own business, so we are able to get out for a couple of hours in the daytime as the days grow increasingly shorter.
We send an email out to our members when we're done, and here is today's report:
Oct. 20, 2004 Spawner Patrol
Paul and Yumi
From confluence of Byrne and John Mathews Creeks to ravine stairs (tag 521).
10:30 - 1:00. Overcast with sunny breaks.
Saw one live, listless chum just below the upstream side of Byrne Bridge. Disappeared under bridge before we could take a guess as to male or female, but it was on the large side.
Processed one dead chum 10m upstream of Byrne Bridge. Most of the head was eaten away, and there were raccoon tracks around. It was a fully spawned-out female, only a couple of eggs left inside. Eye-to-base of tail 58cm. Nose-to-fork estimated at 70cm. All fins intact.
No signs of fish or spawning activity in the habitat channel.
Saw one live chum in the sediment pond, possibly two or more, however accumulation of oily substance on surface and silt stirred up by the fish made it impossible to confirm more than one.
So today's total: 2 live chum (possibly 1 or 2 more) and 1 dead chum.
Saw nothing in the ravine, however there were a couple of mildly fishy smelling areas and loads of raccoon tracks in several places.