Okay, y'all. Just taking a little poll here. Not looking for secret spots or lures, just a little feedback...

I've fished the Tolt half a dozen times this winter, and I've yet to see or hear of a hatchery fish in this river. Caught one wild fish and heard of another, but that's it. I caught a nice, shiny brat at the Big T back in December, but that's still the Snoqualmie and who's to say the aforementioned fish had any mind to turn left and head up the Tolt.

So. Anyone know if there are or were any winter brats in the Tolt this season? It'd be great to know whether the WDFW even planted it with smolts, but the last time I checked, this info still wasn't available. Oh well.

Hope you guys are finding more fish than I am. Cheers.

According to wdfw for returns last year, the smolt plant was 30,900. The wdfw hasn't yet put plant info corresponding to this years returns(real helpful, hugh) I would expect that the plants are still at least 20 thousand. They usually don't completely stop planting a river all at once. But with the cutbacks, who knows. I would imagine there should be a few up the tolt. With this recent high water, some might have made it past the nets.--mike

you might try talking to the hatchery at tokul creek, they probably supply the plants for the tolt, and would know the number of smolts planted for this years return.

[This message has been edited by KORE (edited 01-07-2001).]

They stopped planting the Tolt several years ago. You have small native run and a brat that wanders up especially the summers. That's about it. There used to be a good hatchery run of about 15,000 I belive correct me if I'm wrong but some where in there. This was in addition to the 60,000 in the Snoqualime.

Kore and Ron Bob: Thanks for the feedback. As you said, Kore, they planted 30,900 smolts in the spring of 1998; these fish were expected to return last winter. If what you're saying is true, Ron Bob, then this was the last smolt planting they did. Being that you live right there in Carnation and are privy to the local news, I guess you would know if anyone would. When I think of the Tolt, I always think of those black-and-white pictures of good old Milt Keizer fishing the Tolt...

Pretty sad.

I think it is pretty sad that there is not enough money to keep up plants, with the amount of money they get from sportsmen every year. Every year plants are weaned down on rivers. The majority of the winter fish that do make it back, in the rivers I fish, are given to the tribes. (I would rather fish wild fish, but I feel the hatchery program has its place, if done properly.) I think sportsmen should not buy licenses for a year, to show the state how much we contribute, and to show that we have had enough with the treatment we are receiving. I am debating whether I am going to buy a fishing license in the spring, though not fishing for a year would cause permanent damage to myself. I am sick of sportsmen monies used for other purposes, and I am sick of buying fish for the tribes.
I caught a wild fish near some gill nets the other week, and while I was letting it go, I thought, "why bother, why not walk over and give it to the gill netters, they are going to get it anyway." I am past the point of frustration. GRRRRRRRRRRRR--mike