I don't even know where to start on this one. I've been reading alot about this over the past week, but have stayed away from posting anything until today. There was a previous question to whether or not the tribes will still be netting the Chehalis after all of this? They are not only netting 5 days a week, they are netting 6. The nets go in Sunday at noon and are pulled out Friday at noon. So this leaves us only 1 whole day (Saturday) when the nets are not in the water. I understand that the nets are only in half days on Friday and Sunday but has anyone seen what kind of damage a net can do in half a day? Ecspecially if the tide is to their advantage. I imagine as along as nobody tells the river rapers to get their nets out, they will remain in the water. I've personally seen tribal gill nets in the lower Wishkah on an off day. So when they are not in the Chehalis look for them in the lower tribs. But even when you do come accross one, who do you call? What are they gonna do about it? On to some more information for you... I don't know how many of you are familiar with the Nooch fishery. I know lots of you fish it, but I don't know how well informed you are on it. Anyone one that has done the cross over to Black creek drift has been over the spillway. Right there is where water is taken from the Wynoochee and send underground to Lake Aberdeen. So in reality the water in Lake Aberdeen is really Wynoochee water. So down through the lake and down through the V. creek and into the Chehalis. The V. Creek runs right under the highway and right past the garbage dump. When you pass the garbage dump headed to Aberdeen you will go down into a big dip (Baily's dip) on the left hand side you will see an ugly looking slough. This is really V. Creek and is pretty much wynoochee water. Well that slough dumps into the mainstem Chehalis right by Lakeside. Next time you come into Aberdeen look down by the mouth of V. Creek and your guaranteed to see a tribal net choking off the mouth and above. The Lake Aberdeen hatchery is really your Wynoochee hatchery. All the hatchery steelhead in the Wynoochee come from Lake Aberdeen. The run is made up of half Wynoochee fish and half Vanwinkle stock. I am sure they are both Skamania stock to begin with though. I was talking with a good freind of mine that runs the Lake Aberdeen hatchery and we told me the the state is no longer planting V. creek because they get so many strays they don't need to plant it. So basically what I came up with is since the V. Creek is really Wynooche water a good majority of our hatchery Wynoochee fish are taking that left instead of the real Wynoochee. To make things worse is there is no real fishable water on V. Creek and the regs change year to year. I think it's open to summer run but not winter run or something like that. So the only people that get a shot at these fish are the tribes and the commercials. Unless of course you are fishing below Cosi for steelhead. I've seen it dont' though.
We need to find a huge meeting place and get all the boards and organizations together and get organized. I beleive with have the people, we've got the money, and we've got the tribes not exactly making them selves look good lately. Anyone know of anything like this taking place or in the proccess? I am down to help however, I might even be able to come up with a huge place to meet. (free) Anyways we've got to stick together on this one. we have to.

Harbor-Hog