Video freeze frame to see a chum salmon making the jump. Often it takes several attempts.
The first chum salmon of the season were spotted in Hoy Creek over the long weekend on Oct. 10 as former hatchery manager, Rodney Lee led a spawner salmon survey in the afternoon and saw five within the hour. On Sunday, Oct 11 another member of the society spotted two salmon jumping the lip below the bridge beside Hoy Creek Hatchery.
After the rains off and on throughout the week, Saturday, Oct. 17 there was a steady show of chum salmon to the delight of volunteers, and those out walking their dogs or enjoying the colourful dry fall day.
Chum salmon are usually seen from early October to mid-November. They are easiest to spot. Coho usually return in late October into December and are harder to spot as they are better at hiding.
Rodney holds up a chum salmon at a previous Salmon Come Home event. No festival will be held this year due to the pandemic, however residents are encouraged to come out and witness the return.
Society volunteers will next work on getting chum broodstock and they’ll be raised from the egg to fry stage before being released back into Hoy Creek. The Society’s chum salmon program was reintroduced at the hatchery in 2016, thanks to a grant from the Pacific Salmon Foundation in 2015.
Learn more about the salmon we raise HERE.
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Salmon spotting on Oct. 17
Two chum salmon in Hoy Creek on Oct. 17