Environmental conservation works ... for some Fish

[dxqcanada]

So, I am on vacation and just got over a cold (I think somebody at work gave it to me just before I left) ... so I decided to take a walk around town. As I have mentioned before my backyard is a park and also has the East Humber river running by it ... so I thought I would wander down and up the river taking both sides.
I had not traveled more than 30m (100ft) from my house when I heard splashing in the river ... hmm, most likely Mallard Ducks ... yup a couple ... but there was also something else in the water with them ... hmmm.

On closer inspection I realized that there were some very large fish in the water ... ah, spawning Salmon (I think). The TRCA has been working on restoring our waterways over many many years ... and one of the things they do is restoring natural fish habitat and reintroduction of the species working with OFAH (yeah those anglers really like to fish).

Well, spawning Salmon ... where I am is about 30km (18 miles) upstream of Lake Ontario, where these Salmon came from ... the Humber River snakes through the City of Toronto to get to where I am. Lake Ontario once held the largest freshwater population of Atlantic Salmon ... by 1898 they were gone. Chinook Salmon were introduced to replace them to balance the food chain ... in 2008, the TRCA did not have record of Salmon in Woodbridge and now they have come back to where they started from.
This is actually the first time that I have actually seen fish spawning in a local river ... so I took a video (this is only the third time I've used video mode).
Long live the Earth.


salmon2 by Dennis, on Flickr

 

[Derrel]

Hey-cool! Interesting video footage you captured.

 

[dxqcanada]

Yeah, I spent a lot of time just staring at them ... I was so surprised to see them in the river, as I have never seen any fish here (though I have seen people trying to fish) ... and good thing I had my CPL filter with me.

 

[dxqcanada]

... ah, forgot to mention ... these Salmon I guesstimate about 24-30" in length.

 

[dxqcanada]

Soooo, today I decided to take walk upstream ... the river splits and there is a floodway on one branch of the river.


floodway by Dennis, on Flickr

It does not look that high ... unless you are a fish.

 

[RowdyRay]

Really cool. The TRCA might be interested in your footage.

 

[snowbear]

Oooo, baby! I loves me some salmon. I hope to take one on a fly rod, some day.

 

[dxqcanada]

Really cool. The TRCA might be interested in your footage.

I sent them a tweet.

Oooo, baby! I loves me some salmon. I hope to take one on a fly rod, some day.

Restrictive fishing in this part of the river ... it is designated a sanctuary so very time/species restrictive.

 

[dxqcanada]

Some tried to power swim up ...


swim by Dennis, on Flickr

 

[dxqcanada]

Some tried the great leap ...


leap by Dennis, on Flickr

 

[dxqcanada]

About six fish were swimming about in the pool below this barrier, and over the hour that I was observing them ... only one made it, and it used the power swim technique.

 

[Destin]

Great action shots!

I'm on the south side of Lake Ontario (between Rochester and Buffalo) and the salmon have been running here quite a bit as well. Local fishermen have been out in droves.

I've actually always had a nagging desire to go out on a foggy morning and photograph the fishermen doing their thing, I think it could make for some cool shots.

 

[dxqcanada]

Thanks, though my camera was not fast enough to be able to grab focus on the fish when they suddenly appear.

Hmm, fog + fishing ... would make some nice shots.

 

[snowbear]

I meant in general. I fully support restrictive waters and limits for conservation purposes.

Yes, fog might make a good shot.

 

[dxqcanada]

I tried fly fishing once ... I was about 12yrs old, with a spinning reel ... I don't have to say that it did not work out that well, especially when I had to get a barbed hook stuck on my jeans.