Stilly is shut down again!

[Paige]

WDFW NEWS RELEASE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
1111 Washington St. SE, Olympia, WA 98501
wdfw.wa.gov

Sept. 30, 2022
Contact: Fish Program, 360-902-2700

Stillaguamish River and tributaries to close to all fishing beginning Oct. 1

OLYMPIA – With encounters of threatened Chinook salmon trending above expectations, the Stillaguamish River and tributaries will close to all fishing beginning Saturday, Oct. 1, fishery managers with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced today.

"The continued effort towards conservation and recovery of Stillaguamish Chinook is one of our highest priorities," said Edward Eleazer, WDFW Fish Program manager for the North Puget Sound region. "We want to ensure we're meeting our long-term conservation objectives for wild Chinook. This closure is necessary to ensure all our fisheries are staying within those objectives."

Preliminary monitoring data indicate that the Stillaguamish River sport fisheries are close to their allowable Chinook encounter limit and are in danger of exceeding the allowable total if fishing continues.

The Stillaguamish River closes to all fishing from Oct. 1 through Nov. 15, including sections from Marine Drive (south of Stanwood) to the forks; the North Fork from the mouth to North Fork Falls; and the South Fork from the mouth to Granite Falls Fishway. Tributaries closed include Boulder River from the mouth to Boulder Falls; Canyon Creek from the mouth to forks; Pilchuck Creek from the mouth to Pilchuck Falls; and Squire Creek, a tributary of the North Fork Stillaguamish River.

WDFW expects the majority of Chinook to no longer be present in the system by Nov. 15, and sport fisheries will resume under the rules listed in the 2022-23 Washington Sport Fishing Rules pamphlet.

Anglers should continue to check emergency regulations for new and changing seasons or sign up for email notifications at https://wdfw.wa.gov/about/lists.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife works to preserve, protect, and perpetuate fish, wildlife and ecosystems while providing sustainable fish and wildlife recreational and commercial opportunities.

 

[Paige]

"Preliminary monitoring data indicate that the Stillaguamish River sport fisheries are close to their allowable Chinook encounter limit and are in danger of exceeding the allowable total if fishing continues."

Is this in-river encounters from the 2 weeks its been open, or all marine and FW encounters since January?

 

[Dustin Chromers]

So poaching season is open. Sweet.

 

[Matt B]

I just can’t keep the kings off the size 8 orange spider fished on a floating line.

^facetiousness

 

[Billy]

WDFW figuring out seasons:

 

[Paige]

Heaven forget we actually enforce the curent rules!

 

[Stonedfish]

A checker or WDFW employee showed up. Spoke with some of his friends who were fishing.
One mentioned hearing about someone hooking a king.
Encounter quota met…..time to shut it down.

If you don’t think a scenario like this can’t happen these days, just look at the MA 13 closure debacle.
SF

 

[Salmo_g]

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife works to preserve, protect, and perpetuate fish, wildlife and ecosystems while providing sustainable fish and wildlife recreational and commercial opportunities.

Bull pucky! WDFW does whatever the Stillaguamish Tribe Chairman Shawn Yannity tells them to do! Lota' hazardous Chinook encounters while fly fishing for SRC with a floating line. DEFUND WDFW!

 

[Greg Armstrong]

This is BS….

I’ve never hooked a Chinook while fly fishing the NF for Searuns in nearly thirty years.
I’d bet few have.

WDFW doesn’t go to bat for us!

 

[DerekWhipple]

My tinfoil hat theory is that some people ("big picture" types) at WDFW and ODFW see the writing on the wall in terms of where fish stocks are eventually going, and have taken the position of "managing" the decline to decrease pressure through angler discouragement.

Having sport fishing fade away is not a bug, it's a feature. One less stakeholder to demand hatchery plants and other management.

Or maybe they decided that they don't have the ability to enforce a "no salmon angling" rule so they just want to shut the whole thing down. Even if that's true, I still believe my conspiracy theory.

 

[Paige]

To be honest, I'm 100% sure the state was told to shut it down.

 

[Salmo_g]

My tinfoil hat theory is that some people ("big picture" types) at WDFW and ODFW see the writing on the wall in terms of where fish stocks are eventually going, and have taken the position of "managing" the decline to decrease pressure through angler discouragement.

Having sport fishing fade away is not a bug, it's a feature. One less stakeholder to demand hatchery plants and other management.

Or maybe they decided that they don't have the ability to enforce a "no salmon angling" rule so they just want to shut the whole thing down. Even if that's true, I still believe my conspiracy theory.

You're not completely wrong. WDFW Director Kelly Susewind envisions the agency being more of a fish and wildlife habitat managing agency, not terribly unlike DOE, where he came from. A wildlife "petting zoo" and having school kids watch chum salmon spawning at McClane Creek is close enough to hook and bullet management for Kelly. Program Manager Ed Eleazer knows and agreed with me previously that a gear restriction would be more than adequate to protect Chinook. But that isn't good enough for the Stilly Tribe; Yannity doesn't want any Honkies out there fly fishing for trout or steelhead, and Susewind, as head of the Department, will not advocate on behalf of recreational angling. DEFUND WDFW.

 

[Billy]

You're not completely wrong. WDFW Director Kelly Susewind envisions the agency being more of a fish and wildlife habitat managing agency, not terribly unlike DOE, where he came from. A wildlife "petting zoo" and having school kids watch chum salmon spawning at McClane Creek is close enough to hook and bullet management for Kelly. Program Manager Ed Eleazer knows and agreed with me previously that a gear restriction would be more than adequate to protect Chinook. But that isn't good enough for the Stilly Tribe; Yannity doesn't want any Honkies out there fly fishing for trout or steelhead, and Susewind, as head of the Department, will not advocate on behalf of recreational angling. DEFUND WDFW

Park in the designated spot. Put up your parking pass. Walk to trail. Get your trail pass out. Walk down trail. Take pictures. Don't forget to tag some pictures to the WDFW instagram...and don't step off the trail or you may get hurt. Camping is allowed in designated spots. You must reserve a spot several months in advance. Just 85 dollars a night with your camping pass displayed at all times.

#wildlandsofwashington

 

[Old Man]

Bend over and kiss the Indian's butt. This is just about the only river that they pick on. The best fishing in the S/F is above the fish ladder. Closing Canyon creek will just allow the poachers to fish with nobody to bother them. I always caught more fish above Pilchuck Falls.

Good old WDFW. Close down the skinny water and then raise the price of a license.

 

[Dustin Chromers]

Park in the designated spot. Put up your parking pass. Walk to trail. Get your trail pass out. Walk down trail. Take pictures. Don't forget to tag some pictures to the WDFW instagram...and don't step off the trail or you may get hurt. Camping is allowed in designated spots. You must reserve a spot several months in advance. Just 85 dollars a night with your camping pass displayed at all times.

#wildlandsofwashington

Jesus, you guys are sounding like a bunch of anti government goons. I love it. Welcome, we have cake and cookies. Make yourself comfortable.

 

[TicTokCroc]

Don't forget SUP and birdwatching permits.

 

[swimmy]

Jesus, you guys are sounding like a bunch of anti government goons. I love it. Welcome, we have cake and cookies. Make yourself comfortable.

Don't kid yourself. They'll keep pulling that lever for the same shit.

 

[Old Man]

Don't forget SUP and birdwatching permits.

I looked up SUP, but I don't think it stands for the same thing that you all are talking about. A Stand Up Paddle board.

 

[TicTokCroc]

I looked up SUP, but I don't think it stands for the same thing that you all are talking about. A Stand Up Paddle board.

Nope, that's what I meant, stand up paddle board, I find them insufferable... unless your fishing off one

 

[Old Man]

Nope, that's what I meant, stand up paddle board, I find them insufferable... unless your fishing off one

Well, wonders never seem to over whelm me. I also noticed that they come with a leaning bar and a place to put your ass at.