any recent intel on Rocky Ford?

[krusty]

First Walter said the war in Vietnam was unwinnable...and now he's saying RF is unfishable.

Nattering nabobs of negativism!

 

[Cliff]

But you saw a rooster pheasant it sounds like? I’ve always wondered if the Ford woukd be a good place to hunt them. I’ve seen guys walking back down from the hill above with shotguns, but no birds in hand.

The plateau above the Ford is a natural for valley quail, and I've hunted it a bit in the past. But I've never seen more that one covey in there, or singles. I've struck out there often enough that I don't hunt it anymore.

 

[Buzzy]

The plateau above the Ford is a natural for valley quail, and I've hunted it a bit in the past. But I've never seen more that one covey in there, or singles. I've struck out there often enough that I don't hunt it anymore.

I used to hunt chukar just upstream of Wanapum on the right bank - Huntzinger Road - we jumped lots of coveys of quail up there (and more than a few chukar). Those partridge sure can run.

 

[Cliff]

Huntzinger Road

Thanks Buzzy, I've hunted those areas, too. Quail all over, but you can just as easily not see them. I hunt with English setters and I have a new pup this year that I need to get into birds, lots of birds.

 

[flybill]

Will let you know next week!

 

[Crawbugger]

According to @Crawbugger "it's the sun". Sure, weed growth occurs during the spring, summer and early fall but the sun has been shining in the Basin for more than the 37 years I've lived here so I don't understand his comment. I wonder about all the nutrients added to the head of this spring at Trout Lodge's hatchery and if their operation hasn't contributed to stream plant growth.

Different agencies have also affected volume of this spring (and others in the Basin) with supplemental flows into Crab Creek. Some years the upper hatchery grounds are flooded in places from all the water surfacing at Trout Lodge. Does that affect plant growth? No idea.

Changes in the Sun. I’ve worked outside my whole life. The evidence is everywhere if you look. We’re having problems in Oregon too. Common denominator is the Sun. Just my Opinion.

 

[tkww]

I wonder about all the nutrients added to the head of this spring at Trout Lodge's hatchery and if their operation hasn't contributed to stream plant growth.

Pumping a boatload fish poop into the water is absolutely going to impact plant growth. It is the precisely the concept/practice of aquaponic farming.

 

[Yardus]

From my perspective, RF will never be the fishery it was without the water flows it used to have. Spent an afternoon there earlier this year for the first time in a long while and picked up a dozen or so around 16-20". Not horrible, but just lamenting the Kick Ass fishery it used to be. Remembering catching huge numbers of fish up to 10# in the 80-90's. The place was absolutely ridiculous and worth many 3hrs trips a year. Seems to be in the sunset of it's life as a fishery these days.

 

[Buzzy]

Pumping a boatload fish poop into the water is absolutely going to impact plant growth. It is the precisely the concept/practice of aquaponic farming.Trout

Trout Lodge pumping a boatload of fish poop into the water isn't anything new - unless their production levels are way up? They have stopped selling fish to a private lake near Sprague whose been a customer for years so I don't know about production levels. Fish poop, feed changes, sunshine, water volume losses and increases, climate change?

 

[Stonedfish]

Trout Lodge pumping a boatload of fish poop into the water isn't anything new - unless their production levels are way up? They have stopped selling fish to a private lake near Sprague whose been a customer for years so I don't know about production levels. Fish poop, feed changes, sunshine, water volume losses and increases, climate change?

Pat,
It was my understanding that the state buys their triploids from Trout Lodge, or at least they used to. Do you know if that is still the case?
I’m with a lot of other folks when it comes to RF. I fished it a lot back in the 80’s, but my last trip there which has been quite awhile now left me disappointed. F Troop may have been deployed somewhere else but you could certainly tell they’d been there.
SF

 

[Buzzy]

Pat,
It was my understanding that the state buys their triploids from Trout Lodge, or at least they used to. Do you know if that is still the case?
I’m with a lot of other folks when it comes to RF. I fished it a lot back in the 80’s, but my last trip there which has been quite awhile now left me disappointed. F Troop may have been deployed somewhere else but you could certainly tell they’d been there.
SF

Hey, Brian -
I don't know who Trout Lodge deals with or if the Department buys triploids from Trout Lodge. During the early days of Covid I was fishing a small lake when a DFW hatchery rig pulled up and the worker scooped fry out of three different tanks (R, T, B).

It seemed odd to look down on the hatchery from the hill above and not see a single rig in any of the lots.

 

[Wade Rivers]

Walter was the reason LBJ didn't run for re-election in 68.

What does LBJ flush down his toilet?

....

wait for it

.....

Goldwater! Har!

 

[Stonedfish]

Hey, Brian -
I don't know who Trout Lodge deals with or if the Department buys triploids from Trout Lodge. During the early days of Covid I was fishing a small lake when a DFW hatchery rig pulled up and the worker scooped fry out of three different tanks (R, T, B).

It seemed odd to look down on the hatchery from the hill above and not see a single rig in any of the lots.

Pat,
I found this on their website, so apparently they still supply fish to WDFW. Seems odd WDFW is buying triploids considering the amount of hatchery complexes they run themselves. Maybe triploids are patented.
SF

Live Troutlodge fish - Troutlodge

All of our trout are produced from the same high-quality eggs that have made Troutlodge the world's leading supplier of Rainbow trout eggs. The fish are carefully selected for: Fast growth, High survivability, Attractive appearance

www.troutlodge.com

 

[Buzzy]

Pat,
I found this on their website, so apparently they still supply fish to WDFW. Seems odd WDFW is buying triploids considering the amount of hatchery complexes they run themselves. Maybe triploids are patented.
SF

Live Troutlodge fish - Troutlodge

All of our trout are produced from the same high-quality eggs that have made Troutlodge the world's leading supplier of Rainbow trout eggs. The fish are carefully selected for: Fast growth, High survivability, Attractive appearance

www.troutlodge.com

Triploids, your all time favorite fish, well, maybe pinks are higher up on your list! ;-)

 

[dep]

There was a Trout Lodge sign as you were heading east to Ephrata just past Frenchman wasteway, or Winchester wasteway (not sure which one it was). the sign went away about 3-4 years ago.
Buzzy: do you know what went on there?

 

[Buzzy]

There was a Trout Lodge sign as you were heading east to Ephrata just past Frenchman wasteway, or Winchester wasteway (not sure which one it was). the sign went away about 3-4 years ago.
Buzzy: do you know what went on there?

Dave - no idea about the sign, maybe it's on someone's wall as a trophy? Trout Lodge has a small hatchery on that little spring creek that drains into Winchester Wasteway on SR 283.

 

[Stonedfish]

Triploids, your all time favorite fish, well, maybe pinks are higher up on your list! ;-)

If only the state would discontinue the money wasting triploid program…..
SF

 

[Bob N]

If Trout Lodge is pumping poop into the creek they are in violation of their waste discharge permit (NPDES) issued by the state Dept. of Ecology.

 

[dep]

Dave - no idea about the sign, maybe it's on someone's wall as a trophy? Trout Lodge has a small hatchery on that little spring creek that drains into Winchester Wasteway on SR 283.

yep, that was it

 

[Cliff]

yep, that was it

I had a bird dog trainer who lived a few miles east of RF and tweekers stole his "Bird Dog Training" sign. The steel scrap yard owner in Moses Lake had been a client and noticed the sign. He called the owner and gave it back to him.