[buzzcatcher]

I am not intending to open a can of worms here. But I was hoping someone could explain in simple terms to me what would be considered illegal when I fish for sockeye. Is there a leader length law or bait law etc.... Or is all just a gentlemens rule. We are to attempt sockeye for the first time this week and I am no way interested in doing it wrong or harming the species. I have been told to use a bouncing betty with a 3 foot leader?????? and varying colors of wool??? I have not fishet for it yet, so please don't bite me if I have said the wrong thing to do.

Also is flossing just using a very long leader???

Thanks in advance.

Cheers

 

[dundee_04]

if your going for sockeye, i would recommend bottom bouncing a corkie and a six to 10 foot leader. The only gear restriction is barbless hooks. So this is all legal. whats not legal is the two native guys on a boat towing a net down the river! :evil:

good luck

 

[stone]

if your going for sockeye, i would recommend bottom bouncing a corkie and a six to 10 foot leader. The only gear restriction is barbless hooks. So this is all legal. whats not legal is the two native guys on a boat towing a net down the river! :evil:

good luck

I would agree with this...but I have to point out that it is not always illegal for First Nations to be drift netting as they do have their openings as per the DFO. Whether you agree or disagree with them really fishing for food and ceremonial purposes or for commercial sales is a whole different story. And FWIW, I had the opportunity to hang out and fish for one afternoon with the Cheam band recently, and found them to be a very warm and welcoming group of people. I am not saying that I 100% agree with what they do, but hanging out with them for one afternoon made me realize that all these fishing issues had the effect of vilifying that group of people in my mind beyond what was the reality. When I was there, they had one person keep track of how many fish were being taken in, and they were talking about fishing hard because the DFO may close the river soon. Those are two things that I wouldn't expect to be discussed had they absolutely no regard for the law. And if someone were to say that they were just putting on a show because I was there...I am aboslutely nobody when it comes to fishing or politics so they had no reason to do this. Something to think about anyway.

And to answer the leader question...I haven't read anything that restricts leader length. I usually use somewhere between nine to fifteen or so feet when bottom bouncing for sockeye. I can't remember ever snagging one on the back or belly with this length of leader...but, flossing is flossing, and I am not saying that I call it fishing. It's a way for me to get my two socks and go home. When the coho start showing up, the drift rod will get put away for the year and I'll be flyfishing for them. Good luck out there...seems to be a rare good year for socks this year. Next panel review will be Tuesday...so socks will be open for retention until then.

 

[darmin]

Stone its good to hear some positive feed back about FN it seems alot of us just want to condemn them all when the reality is theres good and bad in all peoples

 

[bigjay]

With the limits DFO give us we are no better than the 'bad' native at least some of us. Many Band in BC are stuard and not the Cheam. They see salmon in river such as the Stuart as a thing to be conserved. And only fish in the Babine where other bands ahve let them.
I just throw em in to one gill netters of the fraser... or us at a bar.
Have fun, Jason