Fall chum coming into the streams now are not the same as summer chum, which arrive in August and September. Summer chum in Hood Canal, on the west side of the peninsula, are rare and have been listed as a threatened species. Careful observers can watch the miracle of nature without trespassing on private property or disturbing the salmon - if you know where and how to watch. Females dig nests, known as redds, while males compete for their attention. Coho may swim upstream into tiny tributaries no wider than two feet, while chum generally spawn in the lower portions of the streams.
Coho tend to hide, so it is advisable to look in pools and riffles and beneath exposed tree roots.
Coho are those salmon with uniformly dark sides tinged with red and featuring a black back. Chum don't seem as skittish this year, said Zischke, and they may be seen in groups up to a dozen in the larger streams. Look for dark stripes on the sides. With fish in many of the local streams, it is a good time to take a look, said Zischke. If you don't see anything, come back later, perhaps after a little rain.