British Columbia's fishing regulations are clear 鈥� no fishing is allowed in 91原创's Salmon River upstream of 232 Street at all, and the entire river is off-limits between April 1 and June 30.
But that doesn't stop anglers from pulling fish out of the river, which is one of the Lower Mainland's most productive natural salmon streams, according to two local environmental advocates.
"It's one of the better coho streams in the province, and it's all wild coho, we haven't had to rely on hatchery fish," said Doug McFee of the Salmon River Enhancement Society (SRES).
The river's watershed covers much of north-central 91原创, reaching as far south as Fraser Highway and east into Abbotsford. The river flows into the Fraser River just west of the village of Fort 91原创.
Coho are protected from fishing at all times of the year, McFee said, but fishing for cutthroat trout and steelhead is allowed during parts of the year, in the lower reaches of the river.
But all fishing is banned during the spring.
That's because the cutthroat have just spawned and are physically depleted at that time of year, said Gerry Reist, another member of the SRES.
"Because they're so hungry, they're ravenous 鈥� they're very easy to catch," Reist said.
Unlike salmon, which spawn once and then die, cutthroat trout can survive and spawn multiple times over several years.
Despite the rules, McFee and Reist have spotted a number of people fishing along the length of the river.
"There were quite a few people fishing last year," McFee said.
Reist put up hand-made signs letting people know there was no fishing around popular spots along the river 鈥� a number of them were torn down and thrown away, he said.
He's also collected triple-barbed hooks along the river, where only single, unbarbed hooks are allowed under fishing regulations.
Part of the problem is that people aren't checking the regulations, McFee said.
"I think a lot of people just don't know," he said.
McFee recommended that people who see someone who is illegally fishing in the Salmon River this spring contact the Fisheries and Oceans Canada violation reporting line rather than confronting people directly. In the Lower Mainland, people can call 1-800-465-4336 or 604-607-4186.
