Recent content by Smalma

The coastal cutthroat on the north Sound rivers that adapt the sea-run life history are typically fish of small, low gradient streams. Thus, they typically spawn and do their early juvenile rearing in those smaller tributaries in the broad lower river valleys. Once the tributaries become steep...

This thread has drove home how staggering the loss of sea-run cutthroat opportunities on North Sound "S" rivers has been. As one that enjoyed those fisheries since the mid 1960s, I have had my days enjoy this marvelous resource. In many ways the status of the resource is greater today than it...

Without a look at the gum lines its eye also says kokanee. I have seen a few kokanee with spots on the tail. But the more interesting aspect of the fish is its condition. Clearly, it is an immature fish (any adult this time of year would be well into its spawning colors). Any of its buddies...

JayB In both the Lake Washington and Green river, the wild coho are considered to be secondary and the hatchery coho primary stocks. That means that as long as the primary hatchery stocks are going to make escapement needs the status of the wild coho will not limit the fishery for the hatchery...

All summer long I and several others have been receiving WDFW coho catch updates for MA 8-2, MA 9 and MA 10 (result of asking for such info during NOF). Once those areas opened up the catch was consistently above expected levels. The latest update was titled "in-season estimates of effort...

I less concern about whether there will be a re-opening and more concern that given the great catches in the salt (the number of unmarked coho estimated to have been caught in MA 8-2 is more than 250% of the expected catch) will limit the Snohomish wild coho to levels below that which would...

I agree! I have caught freshwater coho on swung flies and even October caddis skated on the surface (great takes) but when it comes to target coho my choice (more than 90% of the time) will be a small (1 inch or less in total length) buggy/shrimpy pattern in variety of colors. In regard to the...

As I reread this thread I was taken back to my early days of chasing steelhead with a fly. My buddies and I were constantly in search for that magic fly that would lead to increased success. Whenever we saw or heard of a fly caught fish our immediate response would be what did you caught it...

Additional information - "Anglers were observed targeting salmon during the North Fork fly fishing season in early September contributing to the necessity for the fishing closure." ouch

To the question of where the trout go as the temperatures drop? As the stream temperature drops to mid-40s the small "trout" (less than 8 inches) they begin seeking over-wintering habitats. Those habitats include root wads, log jams, boulder piles, etc. where the small fish burrow into that...

The Snoqualmie Chinook maybe the last spawning Chinook in Puget Sound. It is not uncommon to see significant spawning in November, and I have seen active spawning Chinook in the upper Snoqualmie as late as Xmas. To put that late timing spawning in perspective in the Snohomish wild coho...

Spawn timing of Summer Chinook in both the Skagit and NF Stillaguamish currently takes place from early September through October with the spawn timing in the NF confused by significant numbers of out of basin strays spawning in the system. For example a decade ago roughly 100 Skagit...

Most of the Chinooks spawning is the forks which begins in late August and continues through October and at least some years in early November. Curt

While this closure is depressing it hardly a surprise. Lots of talk during NOF about the lack of funds for monitoring Chinook impacts in various fisheries is the freshwater seasons in the "S" rivers highlighted. Is this a budget decision or as the announcement suggest a response to in river...

WDFW has announced a Closure in Lake Washington due to fewer than expect counts at the Locks. Find that decision interesting. During the NOF process told that those Ballard counts were not adequate for in-season Chinook updates but seems to be useful for coho . WDFW coho retention estimates...