October 10, 2010 – Today we went to the Horsefly River. I had heard about this run of sockeye for years so it was thrilling to see it. Right behind the general store the river becomes visible as it pours around a bend. There were horses drinking from the shore
and small black bear eating carcasses.
The shoreline was a carpet of yellow cottonwood leaves. The water was bone-chilling cold, probably around 7 degrees Celsius. The local people told us the peak of the run was about three weeks ago.
The spawning channel current was much slower and the carcasses were piled deep on the edges. I wondered how the eggs would be oxygenated under the leaves and carcasses. Spawning channels harm wild salmon genetics less than hatcheries but they still have an affect. Salmon tune themselves to their river with each generation. The rushing water and clean gravel of wild rivers both challenge and nourish wild salmon. Spawning channels remove the challenge and they have to be maintained by humans.
A woman happened by and told us that there were thousands of Kokanee spawning in the Little Horsefly and so we headed up there and found them in crystal clear water.
These little fish are perfect replicas of sockeye salmon. Their colour might make it easier for them to mingle among the spawning sockeye, taking advantage of the vigorous digging that the much larger sockeye can do. They were about 9 inches long. The water was quite a bit warmer at about 9 degrees Celsius.
In the ocean wild salmon are elusive, barely glimpsed and more myth than reality. So it is astonishing how they accept the close confines of the rivers, bright light and the bustling activity around them. This precious spawning grounds is right in the middle of town, along the edge of a farmer's field.
Wild salmon live with us, right among us. This adds to the remarkable nature of this fish who feeds us and survives us.