After sound predictions of an excellant return of winter steelhead to Washington and Oregon, I am a bit concerned about the meager return so far; with a few exceptions out there. Hope it gets going after the freshets drop into shape. Here is a copy of our thread about fishing yesterday (Sat.)....

RT:

The WDFG & ODFW bios predicted a good return of winter steelhead this season, due to the improved ocean feeding conditions that contributed to very good summer steelhead runs, and salmon in most places. I've been up to fish steelies in Wash. twice this winter season. On the trip to the Cowlitz R. on 12/14, with Oly Ifishers Jeff, Mike, and Dan, we saw very few fish caught. Although it was up close to 10,000 cfs due to dam releases; but a definite lack of expected fish numbers was the consensus opinion. ...
Today (Sat. 22nd) I fished with our member Joe Superfisky (Superfly moniker) up in N.W. Washington on one of his zipperlip rivers that muddies up slower yet clears faster. So unlike many others that were blown out up there and down here, we fished in 2+ ft. of visability, and at a good level. This river usually puts out good numbers of steelhead by this time and it was flatout empty of them. We don't know whether the run is late, or over predicted by fish bios, or even if Indians were netting down river. The latter is a possibility because we did get into some bright late silver jacks and some nice good sized searun cutts. When I fished the Hoh R. late last spring with Marty we didn't get a bite and neither did the few guides that ran it that day. It was found to have been net covered down lower in the river that day. It's hard to catch fish that aren't there. ...Or is the start of the N.W. steelie peak hatchery push just late as we near Christmas Day? ...

Had a fun day with Joe, and his friends Bill and Cary (who catarafted along with Joe's driftboat). Here is a suggestion, not a plug as it may sound; check out the new All-Star 'Elite' series rods when you see them marketed. I think one of the rod's designers used to do the same thing for GLoomis rods. The Elites have a graphite modulous that should fall between the GLoomis GL3 and IMX's. Until they get market saturation expect them to be bargain priced nearer to about a 1000 series Lamiglass or so? I tried a couple of them today and they feel really good. BTW, I'm sure you recall that Joe's company, Vision tackle, took some hits for lacking quality control on their larger hooks; from around 3/0 on up I seem to recall. I recall that most guys reported that the steelhead sizes 2, 1, 1/0, and 2/0 were of better quality. Joe gave me a large box of Vision size 1 steelhead hooks to look thru and they all looked good and very sharp. He acknowledged some probs with the larger hooks but says they have the sharpening process improved on those now. ...

We could all have paid a little more attention to where we were casting our floats with all those overhanging branches today ... eh Joe?
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Superfly:

Right on Steve, I had a blast except for when you and billy would make me back row over to the lastest tree that fell victim to an ill placed cast, oh well we know that when those cast fall in the right places along those tree lined banks it is usaully money, I could not believe that today, oh well That is why we have V for those kind of days, I will keep hitting it until they pile in there, will also call tribal office to find out net schedule, I am sure that had something to do with it. Why would we catch small fish and no big ones, small ones fit through the nets, big ones don't. Also I hope you enjoyed the stories of our devience, being newly divorced I have found out that there is allot of fantisies running around out there, you should have seen the look on your face when I was telling you about the two girls last week, it was worth a million bucks. Well I can't wait until we can do it again, take care and May heavy wiener rock on!!!!!
Peace Superfly

RT:

Oh geez Super . I should say that "Heavy Weiner" is the fantasy name of a 'rockers turned fishers' band idea that I have. I figure that it would fit right in with today's modern era band names? It had nothing to do with Joe's anatomy. I think that would be 'little Timmy' .... ah, jk. Hehe. . RT

I here you there on the low numbers so far. Where or where can the steelhead be? I've heard it has been even slow out on the Bogey and other Penninsula Rivers. All we can do is wait and hope for some serious rain that will push the fish into the system and passed all of the man made obstructions....."nets".

Actually the run on the Clawah and Bogie has been outstanding so far, but soon coming to an end. Only problem is the fish have'nt made it past the nets. Hear the Hoh brats are here one day and gone the next, without it ever getting better than good. Its to early to worry.

Every year guys talk about the fish being *late*... Every year they get later and later? no they are getting fewer and fewer.. Our reliance on hatcheries to produce our sport is really costing us big time.

Well i can not blame the poor performance of my local river to the nets being in the water. except for a stray fixed net that got left in. I was plunking along in the clear blue water and got a couple of nibbles on my spin glow and eggs when out of no where a 400 lb sea lion swan up the far bank and turned around and swam back down on my side. He did this 4 times, picking up a fish on the last past down just below me.
Now with Hershel swimming in my local water, who in the heck needs to worry about the nets. Do any of you know how many fish a creature this size will eat, a whole h*ll of alot more than i have caught the last couple of years.
Now i seen and heard of alot of sea lions in the old Nasty chasing salmon and what else, but not further up north and a couple miles up river.
Folks i would love to blame someone, but it does no good to yell at mother nature, she just don't listen.

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elmtree (woody)

Don't forget the year of '97, the Washougal river had real low returns and wasn't expected to meet it's quota and then in march it had nearly 1500 winter fish return, no funny water conditions just late fish. But I have not noticed any problems in SW WA, we have had an exceptional year on these rivers here.
keith

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Two things, my $.02:
Thing 1: Concerning late fish. I'd have to say that the run timing seems normal here in SW WA and the couple rivers I have fished in NW OR. I agree with Sthdr1 that SW WA rivers might even be above the avg. of the last few winters or so, for hatchery fish. I have not landed or seen landed a single native fish yet this season. Chasin' fish early in the season, I fished Wshgl, Slmn Crk, EF & NF Lew, Kalama, Eloch, Grays and Nec and NF Neh. Finally settled in on EF, Eloch and Wshgl. Last couple seasons in Dec. I have landed at least 1 native out of one of the winter rivers I start lookin' for fish in. Odd.
This season I have noticed hit and miss (Hero one day, loser the next) since the first rains of 12/13/00. What I mean is I have fished a fav. river one day and every fish was mine. Fish everywhere - for me. Can't do anything wrong. Next day I try for a repeat and can't buy a fish. Same river, conditions, nearly same tides, nearly same competition, etc. Back to back days during the middle of the week. Has happened twice so far since 12/14/00. Too soon to form a conclusion. Other fish that act like this for me sometimes are hatchery silvers. Odd again.
Thing 2: Sea Lions/Seals. Greenpeace won't like me here..... but I have always said that whoever comes up with a good recipe for these things would be a hero and probably make a mint. Give the tribes the recipe and they'll go for the rights to harpoon/shoot the Sea Lions/Seals - for us. I read somewhere that these mammals pop. is up 800% from their 1972 pop. when they were ESA protected. Now ya see 'em everywhere. They could be to blame for the 2 "Hit & miss" fishing trips I described above.
A week ago, I saw 2 seals swim past me at Foster bridge hole on the Eloch. There were at least 2 going upriver from the high slack and I never saw them swim back down, though I'm sure they had to have later. This summer there was a pair hanging around the lower Wshgl. Fishing was still great but for a couple days everyone was talking about the seals in the slough/lwr rvr area.
A couple years ago in the spring there was one in the hole under Daybreak bridge on the EF Lewis. Yes, Daybreak bridge. It was early morning and we were launching the boat to go to La Center and this thing was crusin' around. Couple guys were on the bridge looking at the thing. We watched for a few minutes but decided to go on downriver and fish anyway. We get down to the next hole down (High Banks) and we heard 2 gun-shots. Later I heard that the seal went for a ride in the bed of a p-up....it got really car sick...
Anyway, yes, we probably need sea lions and seals too for something. Just gotta keep an eye on their pop.#s.
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The run so far has been poor. Even though we mixed in some red hot days in the multiple double-digits, overall things are down. If anybody else out here tries to say otherwise, they're full of it.

So, we don't have enough fish at the hatchery, the state says ocean survival is poor (Stilly/ Sky / Skagit closures) and the runs are poor. Have we seen any precautionary action on the part of the state to make sure that we get enough wild fish to spawn (or even hatchery fish for that matter at the moment). NO!!!!!!!! We're staring a lousy return right in the face and instead of erring on the side of caution and instituting some emergency restrictions ... things are going on as normal, at least in the coastal streams. The state of WA for ya

Things up here on the Sky have been SLOWWWW with a capital "S" this month. Two fish on, two fish lost for me, after all the long hrs. We've had no serious rain all month, so i have reason to believe they will show in mid-late january after we get some REAL rain. Does anyone know how much fish reiter has so far??

No worries...They'll come....

- BW

Uh, I got 2 hatchery winter fish today, in SW WA. Right places at the right times I guess. Fun stuff!
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