2023 Skagit/Sauk season is a go
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kerrys
Ignored Member
Wolf situation seems to be under control. New cougar sightings suggest a significant increase in the big cats along the river. We also have unconfirmed sightings of grizzlies which may suggests reintroduction efforts are more successful then previously thought. Tweakers are an ever increasing problem.
Keep your head on a swivel when fishing the Skagit. I suggest always fishing in pairs and arm yourself or just stay home.
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The Skagit Tribes don't fish much upstream of the Baker River, so there is generally little chance of gear conflict. Some members of the Upper Skagit Tribe occasionally fish up to near Faber's Ferry. Personally I don't think WDFW should close sections of the river to recreational fishing just because one of the treaty tribes may be fishing on certain days. Anglers and treaty fishermen have worked around one another for decades without many issues. It ain't rocket science; treaty fishing has the right of way. Anglers who have a problem with that should fish elsewhere.
The river downstream of the Dalles used to close after March 15. It is not because lots of steelhead spawn in the middle or lower river in February and March. In fact, a very low percentage of the total spawning escapement spawns downstream of the Dalles bridge over the course of the entire spawning period. The Department used to justify keeping that river section closed during the March-April CNR season because of the low spawner density. The reasoning apparently being that, given time, that part of the run would increase in numbers to approximate the spawner density observed in the upper Skagit and in the Sauk River. I think it's safe to say by now that not all sections of a river are made of equal productivity. I think that's intuitively logical to any ecologist, but you never know. I think the case is that no one really gave the matter all that much thought.
In recent years since the CNR season reopened in 2018, the reason given for closing the middle river (Hwy 9 bridge to the Dalles) is that the budget would cover monitoring only for the section from the Dallles upstream, plus the expressed concern to provide additional protection for the Nookachamps steelhead, which are parsed out as genetically distinct, although that may be questionable.
The upshot is that the CNR season will be whatever WDFW and the treaty co-managers agree it will be. And by agreement, that sometimes means whatever the treaty co-mangers tells WDFW what it will be. That is how WDFW rolls these days to protect recreational fishing interests.
Not so on the Skagit. They close a portion of the river a few days a week so the tribes can net during coho season.
I've called in for air support when I fish.
HauntedByWaters
Life of the Party
Interesting history on this. I was more than a little upset when I realized I would not be able to fish around Birdsview during the new season in 2018. I really wish they would find a way to make that reach open to some steelhead fishing. It was always my favorite for fly fishing.
A bit more history, it was in 1980 that the game department proposed a CnR fishery on the Sauk during March and April downstream of Darrington. At the time the recreational season on the Sauk ended the end of February. The March through April season provided access to the wild steelhead prior to most of the spawning occurred. That proposal was accepted by the game commission and the first season when into effect March first of 1981. At first that fishery attracted little interest but as the word spread about quality of the fishery more and more anglers took part and many for the first time recognizing the differences between hatchery and wild steelhead. A couple years later based on the interest and success it was proposed that the fishery be expanded to a portion of the Skagit. At the time there still was a harvest fishery on the Skagit into March and beyond that was popular with many of the anglers. Those anglers were very interested in preserving that opportunity. The Skagit season as we know it was a compromise between completing interests. As with most compromises many were not happy with the decision.
At this point I'm not sure that the State can easily change the approved 10-year plan or would even want to post the idea for approval by the feds or their co-managers. Not saying it would be impossible (after all the current fishery was revived) but it would take more than bitching about the current season. Rather a well thought our proposal with supporting information would have to be put forward and would likely take multiple years of effort.
Curt
At this point I'm not sure that the State can easily change the approved 10-year plan or would even want to post the idea for approval by the feds or their co-managers. Not saying it would be impossible (after all the current fishery was revived) but it would take more than bitching about the current season. Rather a well thought our proposal with supporting information would have to be put forward and would likely take multiple years of effort.
Curt
I fish the Skykomish I’m sure I will be fine, Skykomish tweakers are built different
Hmm, do I drive 4 hours out to OP rivers to get blanked in my first attempt to catch a steelhead in 7 years or do I do the same, plus pay for a ferry ride and hit the Skagit? If I want to be a true steelheader, I guess I need to embrace my inner masochist. I suppose I should pay extra to humiliate myself.
Skagit it is….
Skagit it is….
What? When did the animals start adhering to the Prop 65 admendment on tweaker meat?
IMO it's more about the masochism than the humiliation. With closures of coastal rivers and the Skagit being the only PS river open after the end of February, anyone who wishes to fish for winter steelhead will be crowded into the fewer river miles open to fishing. There is little "good" in the outcome. But I have all this fine steelhead fishing equipment and a personal history of spending most of my fishing time fishing for steelhead, so it gives me an outlet to maintain my wading and casting muscle memory while occasionally catching a steelhead to remind me why I got into this arcane habit in the first place.
BriGuy
Life of the Party
The animals are smart enough to know that tweaker meat is bad. They don't need a state regulation to tell them so. They are a little smarter than us humans.
Smells bad = is bad.
JS
Mankie Old Chum
Solid rule to live by!
HauntedByWaters
Life of the Party
Not always true. My waders don’t leak.
Yea....but would you drink out of them?
Runs Through It
