Well, a few ouches in there (crazy early closure on the Queets, e.g.), but given the alternative, this looks a lot better than what we have had the past couple years. Interesting that the Clearwater will be open thru February... why not the Queets? Oh, well.

Happy Thanksgiving, all.

Sooooo will the Chehalis will be open for boat fishing or not?
Thanks

I haven't fished above the hatchery in many years, but I was a bit surprised at seeing that change. I did some digging around, and couldn't find any information on the "why" anywhere, or in any rule proposal. Yet another rule change that was probably bargained behind closed doors in exchanged for some more ocean impacts, I bet. I've often had thoughts of launching my little sled at the power plant and running downriver...

That river's fall fishery has been screwed up so badly by regulation changes and loss of access in the past 15 years that I barely fish it any more. We've lost most of the parking on the road, the "boat launch" at the handicap area, access to the campground's boat launch, and then no fishing 3 days a week. Having to work around the tides to get my boat up from the salt, and line up with open days and my work schedule is often more work than it's worth now, enough to make me just fish the salt most of the time.

Good to see that we might get to fish the Chehalis mainstem this year, but I'll believe it when it happens...

In regard to the Queets, in the spirit of co-management, I'm sure that the tribe will quit fishing the late wild fish (and quit killing the kelts). Gosh, what a concept, dead fish in a net, or catch and release.

“ I'm sure that the tribe will quit fishing the late wild fish (and quit killing the kelts). Gosh, what a concept, dead fish in a net, or catch and release.

That’s the same old song we sang load and clear from as far back as the 70’s.......

Boldt would roll over in his grave if he saw what the steelhead situation is now. He was strong on conservation, and even left the state with authority to pause, or close fisheries for conservation. BUT OUR "LEADERSHIP" HAS FAILED TO DO THEIR MANDATED DUTY.

Boldt was strong on conservation and would probably be nice to still have access to now. But, the loss of the ability to impose conservation and allocation closures goes right back to WDG on the Chehalis. The QIN was approaching steelhead allocations. WDG said they needed to close. QIN said they would close at Noon. WDG said they close at 9AM and set enforcement on them. QIN went to court, won, and the both state agencies lost the ability to close for conservation or allocation without Tribal agreement. Led to lots of FABs for a while, until we quit doing those, too.

CM and I are old and have a memory. In Grays Harbor it is seldom that the QIN throw the first punch that was WDG and WDF. With WDFW bit more even up but to be honest almost everthing the QIN do is rooted in history. Like everybody fishes or nobody fishes which leads to closures as a gillnet cannot be selective.