Canada March 2014 Part 4 - Fraser River Sturgeon Return to Snowboarding Home Page

Return to Part 1 - Travel

Return to Part 2 - Heli-Boarding

Return to Part 3 - Sun Peaks

Jump to Part 5 - Whistler

Jump to Part 6 - Vancouver

I've really wanted to see a sturgeon up close for many years and having watched a few TV programmes it seems that the Fraser River is an excellent place, so I booked a guide and hoped I might catch one - my expectations were exceeded!

My first ever sturgeon at 41 inches long and weighing about 20 lbs...

 

 

Merger of the murky Fraser and clear Harrison rivers...

 

 

Sharp scoots run down their flanks - hence the sturdy gloves...

 

A larger 5 foot 1.5 inch specimen, it weighs about 70 lbs...

Fantastic barbels...

 

 

 

 

 

My largest of the day...

6 and a half feet long and weighing 137 lbs...

The mouth is a large solid bony plate...

All the fish were released gently after being recorded for the Fraser River Sturgeon Conservation Society...

 

 

Snowy mountains in the distance...

Staying with another released fish a privileged experience...

Yves the guide...

Remains from last autumn's salmon run...

Last fish of the day at 80 lbs...

Chip scanner to record the fish identity to see if it's been caught before and the paper records of all 9 fish landed to pass to the Fraser River Sturgeon Conservation Society...

   

Yves driving the boat back on to the ramp - it turned out that the truck was stuck in the sand and couldn't pull the trailer out, so he had to land it again, but with me in the truck driving forward as the boat went on to the trailer and using that push to move the truck too - great fun!

 

Return to Part 1 - Travel

Return to Part 2 - Heli-Boarding

Return to Part 3 - Sun Peaks

Jump to Part 6 - Vancouver