[theweev]

Well went for a bit of wet rip on the x/c bike up to the hatchery w/ a bud yesterday. 1st off, most of the water in the river is run-off and not from the dam. pretty small flow coming into the hatchery pool .what gives. Did see a few coho slashing about and one good kerplunk from a spring. Our timing was perfect and had a chance to talk to one of the boys up there just before shutting down for the day. Seems as though the returns( Coho and Spring) are better than last year. thank god!!!!! Cuz last year was BRUTAL. the pinks that ran this year are from ,I believe he said Agazzi stock, could have been Chilliwack. They were no longer using Indian river stock. They were hoping for a stronger strain to help replenish stocks. He said that there were some pinks that spawned way down low below the parkway and a few made it up to the dam. woo hoo! After a few other bits of small talk he warned us about the mum and cubs hanging about the hatchery. we figured as much and had been yelling the whole way up the Old Growth trail.Told him black bears don't really worry me too much as I've grown up around them and that i was far more frightened of the Grizz. to which he smiled and said....well.... there have been unconfirmed reports of a LARGE BROWN bear in the upper reaches of the LSCR. . these were sightings from people that know bears apparently. WOW!! the possibility of a grizz 12 km from the end of riverside?? Interesting to say the least. on another note did c/r a small wild jack spring @ 88 a couple of days ago. that was the only action over 3hrs, apart from watching the odd doggy spring break the surface. very few chum too. most depressing.