2024-10-29: GRR Weekly Meeting, Minutes

[John Pierce]

Victoria Golden Rods and Reels Fishing and Social Club
held at Esquimalt Anglers 1101 Munro St
in Person and Zoom Meeting Minutes,
Dated October 29 2024

Place: Esquimalt Anglers and Zoom

Chaired By: Bill Thomas

Secretary: Bob Comerford

Called to Order: 10:00 AM

Attendees: Mike Galbraith, Ken Evans, Lee Takanagi, Barry Freeman, Lyle Freeman, Rick Greenhorn, Gerry Walsh, Pierre Mallo, Rick Cohen, Jens Kristensen, Jim Scott, Peter Laughren,, Ian Cameron, Tim Witoski, Dave Robinson, Ryan Arsenych, Bob Comerfordd, Dennis Gedney, John Kirby ,Florin Sabac, Bill Thomas, Eric Peters ( New Member) Ray Dykstra ( New Member)
Members Attending by Zoom:  Wendy  Gedney, Mick Collins, Wyn Brown

Motion to accept the minutes last two meetings: Jim and Pierre.

Items Arising from the Minutes: No report

Treasurer: No report.

Sunshine Wendy Gedney: No report

Social: Soup potluck at Goldstream Thursday November 21st. We need two more soup volunteers. Also firewood is needed. Let Mike Galbraith know what you are bringing so we do not get duplication on pot luck food. michaelbrentgaith@gmail.com

Membership: One new member

Fresh Water:
1) Sooke Pierre, most chum are have spawned.
2) Cowichan Fishing. Nymping with egg pattern. Spring pool. Cowichan camp grounds. 12,000 coho counted going up Cowichan River

Salt Water:
1) All quiet on the water. No  reports from Sooke;
2) Bob and Peter fished Constance Bank on a beautiful calm sunny day. Lots of fish on Fish Finder but they were not biting.
3) DFO wants to cancel treble hooks to help with release. There was a discussion about catch and release and mortality rates in fish being released. Future speaker idea.

FishOut: 28th November Langford Lake good launching off Leigh Road.

Fly Tying: This Saturday 9:00am Coffee and talk, 10:00am fly tying

Hatchery: Chum run is ongoing. 6,000 eggs were taken last year. 60,000 so far this year. Large holding area of Coho. 7,000 Coho counted going up to Shawnigan lake.Possible club outing to see how the salmon are transported to Shawnigan lake. Contact bill Thomas on how you can view the procedure. Stream to sea program: 97 schools get a fish tank with a cooler. 100 eyed eggs are put in aquariums. Coho or Chum eggs. Students get to watch them turn to fry and return them to local streams. All eggs are provided by Goldstram Hatchery. School tours with egg take milt from male into bowl with eggs. 14 egg takes. 30-50 kids.   

PSS: Lots of opportunities to  volunteer. $10.00 to join. Peninsular Streams Society. Go to  Website.

BCWF: No report

ACS: Amalgamated conservation society. All local conservation groups.

WFA:

Library:

Legacy Fund:   

Gillie Club:  .   
   
Speakers Program: 

Environment: Three meetings.
1/ The main agenda item at the recent Gorge Waterway Initiative (GWI ) meeting was the BC Hydro major upgrade including a new underwater line across the Gorge Waterway, parallel to the old line.  Impact studies are being conducted and an environmental monitor will be employed. Good communications are in place with the stewardship groups. The lead BC Hydro representative has previously spoken to our club about the Campbell River John Hart dam upgrade. See link below. https://majorprojects.ca/bc-hydro-releases-a-new-video-update-for-the-john-hart-dam-seismic-upgrade-project-copy/
2/ There was a good turnout October 26 Saturday to the South Vancouver Island Lakekeepers group meeting organized and  hosted by Swan Lake Nature House and the Beaver Elk Environmental Stewards (BEES). Local representatives included stewards from Maltby , Prospect and Durrance lakes. Rick Nordin , BC Lake Stewardship Society (BCLSS), presented and facilitated discussion on equipment and measurement protocols and Nell Libera  promoted use of Pacific DataStream currently being used by some groups including Peninsula Streams and Shorelines (PSS). There was a presentation on the fish kill at Somenos Lake caused by the collapse of a large algae bloom and the subsequent loss of oxygen. Some Coho were killed along with large numbers of pumpkin seed sunfish. The group will continue meeting every 6 months to exchange information and may work on a proposal to develop a knowledge hub for water quality monitoring, possibly to be located at Swan Lake Nature House.
3/ Mick and the BEES met online with CRD representatives on the Elk Lake Oxygenation Monitoring Program. The system has been operational for one year. The monitoring is in the deep spot at the end of the oxygenation line. Additional monitoring maybe established to confirm the dispersal of the oxygen over a large area in the low oxygen zone , when the lake stratifies .
Discussion included weed cutting and removal as the proliferation of milfoil is of great concern as well as current algae blooms. The BEES are supplementing the CRD monitoring program with data they are collecting regularly. Preliminary results indicate a reduction in Phosphorous due to the oxygenation . Further information will be available following the next meeting on November 25.
4/ Mick confirmed that CRD in cooperation with stewards are communicating to arrange toxicological analysis services with an expert for any more fish found to be possibly suffering from the effects of toxic tire compounds. This would be in addition to the monitoring program lead by BC Conservation Foundation (BCCF) and Vancouver Island University (VIU). Thanks to our club volunteers for counting the encouraging numbers of Coho returning to Craigflower Creek under higher water level conditions.
PS: Mick is away and offline until the November 26 meeting. Phone landline 250-598-3294

Website:

New Business:
1) Ian: GRR supplies most manpower for fish count at Craigflower creek. Over 500 Coho. some large. Healthy fish. 2 died from tire residue. 6ppd Quina, washes off road. Club outing to Craigflower creek. Fish come after rain. Takes 15 minutes.

Meeting Terminated: 11.00 am, Ian and Hornet.