Regulation change for fly only water rivers only

[Rob Allen]

Salmo g -
I agree that "most of the perple follow most of the rules most of the time". However, with little fear of being cited for not following those rules their is little reason for them to continue to do so, especially if others are getting away with not playing the rule.

If WDFW were truly serious about achieving higher levels of compliance of the fishing rules and reducing the illegal impacts on ESA listed fish in my opinion is to raise their visibility that is to raise their flag by have regular patrols, checking the exit points, etc. An additionally developing relationships with those users want to see more compliance so that poaching is regularly reported. Finally, WDFW has failed in communicating with the public and resource users in a timely matter, highlighting the reasoning behind the regulation's changes, how basic management works and the basic biology of the fish being managed.

The enforcement patrol during the morning of the Edmonds coho derby underlines my point. According to their report on WDFW's enforcement facebook posting in the first 45 boats checked they issued 31 citations, confiscated 20 illegal salmon, and issued other warnings. This high level on non-compliance just is not acceptable.

I don't think we have to look no further than our highways. When patrols are not on the road regularly the speeds, HOV violations, etc. all increase. Put a patrol car along the side of the road and writing ticker or two a few tickets compliance increases.

Curt

Penalties for breaking laws have to be severe enough that people wouldn't dare break them.
Get caught snagging? You lose all your fishing and hunting gear permanently and you never get a license again I'm the state. Also states that wish to do so could also deny license privileges. +30 days in jail or 300 hours of community service to be done at the communities convenience not your.
That makes you lose your job? Tough cookies.

We have a whole American culture that says "laws don't matter" just look how we ALL drive.. none of us should have licenses.

 

[Creatch’r]

I’ve been on the river just about every day since the opener floating in my watermaster. I’d estimate I’ve seen about 20 different folks fishing spin tackle some of them more than once, with the access at 127th st being a hotspot for the after work crowd. I have yet to take out my boat there without at least 2 people fishing gear to greet me. And of course Cicero bridge pool, a timeless location for poaching. I’ve seen two guys filling coolers with slimey spawner pinks using trebles and lead at gauge hole above trafton. I haven’t seen any fly fishermen doing anything out of the ordinary and there has been plenty of them, but the ratio of gear to fly anglers is striking. I have submitted a detailed report of what I’ve witnessed to enforcement and asked they consider keeping an eye on those spots and especially for the snaggers filling coolers above trafton at the gauge hole. I did also let most everyone I saw fishing spin tackle that it is fly only CNR in the nicest way possible and directed them to the open water below town where you can retain pinks legally. Everyone always acts surprised or thankful, and then get straight back to fishing as if I had never existed. I’ve seen only 4 chinook, there is a pair building a redd at the big corner pool below grant creek near the log at the top. And I saw two moving around underneath the riffle at gauge hole. Likely getting ready to do the same thing. Hopefully the pair at gauge hole don’t end up in that pile of harvested pinks that I saw.

At any rate. I encourage everyone who sees something illegal to report it to enforcement. It’s really easy via email at the end of your fishing day when you get back to service. Even if nothing comes of it, you did your part and the email is the receipt.

 

[Creatch’r]

Also, the pinks are starting to move out of the pools and get serious about digging, pretty soon here if you are a walk in angler, it will take some creativity to cross the river without trampling redds so keep that in mind. It won’t be long before some flats are impossible to cross.

 

[speedbird]

I’ve been on the river just about every day since the opener floating in my watermaster. I’d estimate I’ve seen about 20 different folks fishing spin tackle some of them more than once, with the access at 127th st being a hotspot for the after work crowd. I have yet to take out my boat there without at least 2 people fishing gear to greet me. And of course Cicero bridge pool, a timeless location for poaching. I’ve seen two guys filling coolers with slimey spawner pinks using trebles and lead at gauge hole above trafton. I haven’t seen any fly fishermen doing anything out of the ordinary and there has been plenty of them, but the ratio of gear to fly anglers is striking. I have submitted a detailed report of what I’ve witnessed to enforcement and asked they consider keeping an eye on those spots and especially for the snaggers filling coolers above trafton at the gauge hole. I did also let most everyone I saw fishing spin tackle that it is fly only CNR in the nicest way possible and directed them to the open water below town where you can retain pinks legally. Everyone always acts surprised or thankful, and then get straight back to fishing as if I had never existed. I’ve seen only 4 chinook, there is a pair building a redd at the big corner pool below grant creek near the log at the top. And I saw two moving around underneath the riffle at gauge hole. Likely getting ready to do the same thing. Hopefully the pair at gauge hole don’t end up in that pile of harvested pinks that I saw.

At any rate. I encourage everyone who sees something illegal to report it to enforcement. It’s really easy via email at the end of your fishing day when you get back to service. Even if nothing comes of it, you did your part and the email is the receipt.

It kind of scares me that someone has actually eaten a spawner pink and decided they wanted to do it more than once.

I am pretty sure eating a bright pink that cut white *once* is why I crave salmon less than I used to

 

[DerekWhipple]

It kind of scares me that someone has actually eaten a spawner pink and decided they wanted to do it more than once.

I am pretty sure eating a bright pink that cut white *once* is why I crave salmon less than I used to

Don't ever look at fishbrain...

 

[Paige]

I have seen moldy chum taken from rivers after Thanksgiving were it was declared "it'll smoke up fine" as I through up in my mouth.

There is no reasoning with others taste!

 

[skyriver]

I’ve been on the river just about every day since the opener floating in my watermaster. I’d estimate I’ve seen about 20 different folks fishing spin tackle some of them more than once, with the access at 127th st being a hotspot for the after work crowd. I have yet to take out my boat there without at least 2 people fishing gear to greet me. And of course Cicero bridge pool, a timeless location for poaching. I’ve seen two guys filling coolers with slimey spawner pinks using trebles and lead at gauge hole above trafton. I haven’t seen any fly fishermen doing anything out of the ordinary and there has been plenty of them, but the ratio of gear to fly anglers is striking. I have submitted a detailed report of what I’ve witnessed to enforcement and asked they consider keeping an eye on those spots and especially for the snaggers filling coolers above trafton at the gauge hole. I did also let most everyone I saw fishing spin tackle that it is fly only CNR in the nicest way possible and directed them to the open water below town where you can retain pinks legally. Everyone always acts surprised or thankful, and then get straight back to fishing as if I had never existed. I’ve seen only 4 chinook, there is a pair building a redd at the big corner pool below grant creek near the log at the top. And I saw two moving around underneath the riffle at gauge hole. Likely getting ready to do the same thing. Hopefully the pair at gauge hole don’t end up in that pile of harvested pinks that I saw.

At any rate. I encourage everyone who sees something illegal to report it to enforcement. It’s really easy via email at the end of your fishing day when you get back to service. Even if nothing comes of it, you did your part and the email is the receipt.

But Cicero bridge pool is so remote. How would enforcement ever get there?

So you've been out there nearly every day. Have you seen a single enforcement officer? Or even a vehicle? I think I know the answer.

 

[Rob Allen]

There is no reasoning with others taste!

This is true, I mean people drink beer after all.

 

[skyrise]

We've had this discussion on here before. Some high-level folks don't want the hook and bullet crowd to have any influence, they want the eventual end of consumptive use and some sort of idealized human/nature glass wall separation. You can go out in nature and look at things (and pay multiple fees to get there!), but don't touch anything.

The decrease in license revenue due to lack of opportunity is not a bug, it's a feature. They will make it up many other places.

Exactly. Just look at who gets put on the fish & wildlife commission. The devil in the governor office only cares about keeping the extreme left happy and the legislature follows along not caring at all about sport fisheries . Commercial fishing yes because they contribute to reelection funds. And by not including gear fisherman in voice or pressure for change is not a group I want to be part of. Sport fishing needs both to be heard especially since there are more gear folks than fly folks and we ( fly fishermen) are in no way on some fictional higher level. and from what I have been reading and seeing on video Oregon and B.C are experiencing some of the same radical look but don’t touch anti hunting/ fishing garbage as Washington state. as in No spring bear hunt this year.

 

[johnnyboy]

Looks like WDFW just shut down the whole Stillaguamish system citing low chinook returns, effective Sept. 27.

https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulat...xL1aBUS4ZDJOPLMocMXDlMA2xt_-LYe8yRGBGNBSKoFMg

 

[wanderingrichard]

This is true, I mean people drink beer after all.

Or worse, kombucha

 

[Stonedfish]

Looks like WDFW just shut down the whole Stillaguamish system citing low chinook returns, effective Sept. 27.

https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulat...xL1aBUS4ZDJOPLMocMXDlMA2xt_-LYe8yRGBGNBSKoFMg

Just curious, how do they count or calculate chinook encounters on the river? Creel surveys?
SF

 

[Creatch’r]

But Cicero bridge pool is so remote. How would enforcement ever get there?

So you've been out there nearly every day. Have you seen a single enforcement officer? Or even a vehicle? I think I know the answer.

On opening day there was two Bio’s in watermasters floating, but they were not enforcement.

 

[skyriver]

On opening day there was two Bio’s in watermasters floating, but they were not enforcement.

Right. And now they closed it, but I doubt enforcement will increase. Seems to be the way things are going, not just in fishing. Going back to the wild west days it seems.

 

[Salmo_g]

Looks like WDFW just shut down the whole Stillaguamish system citing low chinook returns, effective Sept. 27.

https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulat...xL1aBUS4ZDJOPLMocMXDlMA2xt_-LYe8yRGBGNBSKoFMg

Well this goes to show just how supportive WDFW is of the recreational summer steelhead and sea run cutthroat fishery on the Stillaguamish River. What was the seaon, 11 days?

It's positively delusional to think that any Chinook conservation is being achieved by this action of closing the legitimate Stillaguamish recreational fishing seasons. Sustainable natural production of Stilly Chinook is doomed for the foreseeable future, and all the fishing closures in the world won't prevent it or make any measurable difference whatever. The only hope for survival - not to mention recovery - for Stilly Chinook is to continue to culture them artificially at more than one site, waiting for the day in the eventual future when the basin's habitat quality recovers to the point that it can sustain the natural reproduction of Chinook salmon. Closing the recreational trout fisheries under the pretext of Chinook conservation is nothing more than plucking the low hanging fruit attempting to look like the agency is actually doing something that conserves Chinook, while pissing off anglers who are otherwise supportive of genuine fish conservation measures.

 

[speedbird]

I have yet to be convinced that “far left wing politics” are to blame for our loss of fishing opportunities, but decisions like this make me strongly empathize with those who are.

Send in some photos of those lower Stillaguamish mainstem spawning Kings that I never knew existed!

Are the open north sound rivers any good for SRC? I was looking forward to dialing this fishery in but looks like that aint happening

 

[Salmo_g]

Are the open north sound rivers any good for SRC?

Yes they are, but the Nooksack is too turbid until cold nights stop the glacial melt, and the Skagit requires a boat to access most of the SRC water.

 

[Paige]

Dont forget that the Snoqualmie and Skykomish are closed until further notice. While not as productive as the stilly, they did have decent fisheries for SRC.

 

[Stonedfish]

Head to the Cowlitz if you end up down south and want to do some river SRC fishing.
SF

 

[RCF]

Head to the Cowlitz if you end up down south and want to do some river SRC fishing.

Sshhhhh....