This is to inform all interested anglers about a North of Falcon meeting at the WDFW Mill Creek office @ 7pm on Thursday March 8. At this meeting the department will be presenting information and taking public comments regarding upcoming salmon fisheries.
One item of interest to local anglers is a possible chinook fishery in June and July on the Skykomish. If we get enough people to make some noise at this meeting we have a real shot at getting this fishery!
I hope that at least a few of you can make it.
See you there?

I don't know, think about how badly we really want this, considering the plight of the Chinook in Puget Sound rivers in recent years. My two cents is to keep up the protection. I keep thinking of the snaggers I saw up in the Sultan and Wallace Rivers pestering those lonely chinook last summer. It makes me want to give them a break.

Yo, Flyfisher. This fishery would be for hatchery chinook only. As it is now while we're summer-run fishing we have to release fin-clipped chinook. These are fish which are excess to the hatchery's needs. It's simply a better use of the resource that selling them for cat food. For the fishery to be approved it would run for only a short period of time to minimize impact on ESA-listed stocks.

Kreamer has alredy sent in his recomendation for a 7 week fishery on the Sky. June to July. Expecting 2000 to 2200 fish above the quota needed. He thinks there will not be a large number of fisherman targeting these fish. I disagree. What do you think? Good Fishin` but Save the Nates. Bob H.

As awsome as this sounds, just think about the crowds and the sleds buzzing back and forth. I think its great that we possibly have an oppurtunity to fish for these great fish, BUT i think when you calculate all the pressure, less fish will be caught.

If the Skagit, Main Stilly, and a couple other rivers where also open, than it would spread out the pressure and offer a great summer run/king fishery for everyone.

I dont see how this adds up guys. Turning the Sky into a Zoo during summer run time would just plain suck.

2000-2200 extra kings is an incredible increase from just a few years ago!! Hey, something is going right =)

- BW

P.S. What about a bank fishing only June/July, to keep the river from becoming a freeway. I can picture Cracker Bar now with 20-30 boats on a saturday lined up along the dike =/

Cascade Bob

It would be awesome to get a King fishery so close to home. You are right a ton would be excited about it and it would be a ZOO out there.

The question I have is will the Tulalips get a net fishery? If they do how many Wild Kings will be killed?

that would be crazy think of all the wild fish that would be mishandled in the process i know you dont want 6000 boats jettin up and down the river think about how fun it is just to release them would you want all the exta people just so you could knock a few of them out

This would be totally awsome. If it happens I would imagine that to minimize the impact on the wild fish the fishery will most likely be restricted to the area around the Wallace if not in the Wallace only. The Tulalips should'nt be to interested in this as they have their own hatchery fish to target. Also they haven't had a targeted chinook fishery in the Snohomish for almost two decades. They get all the fish they need at their hatchery. That is why we have the bubble targeting their surplus fish.

My question is, why give us this fishery now, when you`ve kept it away from us since 1987? Right after you take away our spring C&R? I will ask these Q`s on thurs. Bob H.

Why give us this fishery?
Why try to increase our opportunity?
Are not these the reasons many are miffed over the C&R closure?
I guess I don't understand where your coming from Bob.
It's a numbers game. there are enough surplus hatchery fish to support a directed fishery.
I'm suprised that the utilization of hatchery fish sparked such a debate.

I think this would be a great fishery. Doug Hatfield and the rest of the guys at the Wallace Hatchery have work hard at establishing this run of summer chinook. We haven’t been able to target them in the past because WDFW manages chinook in the Snohomish system as a combined run, both summer and fall fish and all three main rivers combined. Everyone knows the fall run is in trouble so in the past no fishery at all. Now hopefully WDFW is rethinking this strategy and opting for a limited selective fishery for the summer fish in the Skykomish only. I would love to see a fishery for these fish from the Wallace to the confluence of the Skykomish and Snoqualmie. I don’t know how many wild summer chinook are in the river at this time but if we educate ourselves on proper C&R techniques maybe we can have a chance at these beautiful fish.

I think this is a really bad idea. Keep the hordes on the Icicle. The Sky doesn't need an extra 100 sleds or more on it during the summer!

Why not just open the tidewater area instead for 7 weeks from I-5 down to the salt.

Keep your hooks sharp!

Bobber Down

I would love to see a summer King fishery cose to home. Don't know what you guys are talkin about as far as abuse that is goin to be any more harmfull that the lack of respect I see every year when guy fishin for pinks hook into a Kings. Its to bad a few bad apples can ruin it for all of us even in our own minds.

Tight lines

Kevin

Bobber Down, from what I have heard and read, hooking mortality increases significantly the closer to the estuary you get. The adults are very fragile when going through the change from salt water to fresh. Once they get up the river a ways and get acclimated to fresh water hooking mortality goes down. Plus the target fish are from the Wallace Hatchery, a trib of the Skykomish therefore the fishery should be in the Skykomish that way no Snoqualmie fish would be taken.

Beezer

Good points breezer, shot my comments off the hip, didn't think about the Snoqualmie interception.

Truthfully, I could see a strong attendence on the opener, if the Sky did open, but the meat fishermen would soon be discouraged because I'm sure the catch ratios wouldn't be all that great. In my opinion, the Sky, in the summer, is not exactly hot for kings (especially from the bank) and quite often they get lock jaw, thus all the snagging.

Keep your hooks sharp!

Bobber Down

I'm with Cascade Bob on this one! Sounds like a paltry appeasement, giving a handful of sled pilots an open fishery after stripping a handful of sportsmen of C&R fishing this spring. Smells fishy, and not in a good way either!

Hey Beezer,
That's an interesting point you bring up regarding mortality and proximity to salt. It might make sense but I'm interested where you'd read or heard of it. Any science behind it or just anecdotal; just curious.

Sounds bad to me, I vote a NO on this one!

I can't believe that some of you guys aren't excited about having a decent king fishery so close to home. This may be a ploy by the State to sell some extra licenses, but who cares!!! It's a chance to go fishing!!! Who cares how many guys are out there. Sounds like the State is finaly giving something back. I for one am excited!!!

Keep the fishery closed?? Think about it, if this fishery is not opened to sporties, why keep the hatchery running. They've operated this hatchery for years, but have never had a fishery. The only beneficiaries are the intercept commercial and recreational fisheries in the sound or further out. This is in no way a trade for restricting the C&R fishery this year. Its about numbers of surplus hatchery fish that are finally 100 percent clipped.

If there is no recreational fishery in the Sky, then the hatchery should be shut down, used to raise other species (like steelhead?!!), or used to collect ESA chinook for brood stock to increase the wild fish numbers.

The place will be a zoo for the first week or so, until the fish get lockjawed, then the pressure will let up. Most of the pressure will be concentrated in the deep pooly water near the mouth of the Wallace, also down by the Sultan. Away from this area, there shouldn't be too much disruption to the summer steelhead fishery. I usually fish high during June and July, but will probably drop down to fish some of the deep pools between the Wallace and Sultan if they open it.

If they've achieved 100 percent clipped fins, they should open it for the surplus that the hatchery doesn't need. Enforcement should also put the area between the Wallace and Sultan on their radar scopes to make sure any non-clipped fish get put back and keep the snaggers at bay (sort of keep them at bay anyway). Last year, enforcement in this area, during this time period was actually pretty good.

Vic had good point about tribal nets. I'd always heard that one of the reasons it was never opened was because, if opened for sporties, there would have to be a 50 percent quota for the tribes, which would lead to unnacceptable interceptions of wild ESA fish. Anyone have a take on this issue?

If they want a terminal fishery for hatchery kings why not open the wallace and just leave the sky closed I guess this would be to easy!!!

I happened by the Wallace hatchery last year to watch the harvest of eggs. The fish were loaded by native Americans in a rider truck to be sold. The fish in my opinion were not fit for food but they told me they were still good. The surplus eggs were to be sold over seas. I feel the old kings should have been put back into the river system to feed the river for a healthier fry.

I agree with Bobber Down, we definetly dont need another Icicle boat parade. The summer runs seem to hold a bit longer in the cracker bar area and if it was open for Kings, it would totaly trash good fishing for summer runs in that area.

If they would ban motorized boats, i see no problems at all.

Why not open just the wallace, since they dont stock the wallace with summer runs, it would be a fishery targeting just hatchery kings and a few stray summer brats!? Very few, if any wild fish would be harmed, and enforcement would be a little easier.

As for opening the Sky..HELL NO!
Im not bringing my own rock to stand on.

- BW

That is a pretty selfish attitude.
Sounds like you really have it in for boaters.
It's too bad that you can't see that increased opportunity to fish is a good thing for all.

[This message has been edited by TJN (edited 03-06-2001).]

I can't believe how many people want to ***** about another opportunity to fish. If you guys are concerned about crowds then stay home or fish somewhere else. I think it is great after 4 or 5 years of losing great fishereis to finaly get one back.

Lets see? July in the Sky, hmm? How much water will there be? A midget could walk across Reiter without getting his nuts wet.

Probably wont be any water in the river this summer for the sleds and fish. Latest reports showing a definite trend in setting an all time low for water levels in Washington State by this summer. Thats 75 years of recorded water levels!

I'll be out on the sound! If its open.

Open, please!!! Just open the damn river so I can punish 'em!!!

Maybe some of you guys are right. It might be crowded, but more opportunity is a good thing. Wrapped K-14 would be deadly in mid june with the river running a slight shade of green. Hold on to your arm when you go through Taylor Hole. =)

- BW

There must be 15 or 20 miles of river on the Sky between the Wallace and the confluence with the Snoqualmie. Anyone who says there won't be any room to fish hasn't looked very hard. But if they want to stay home, good for them, I'll take their fish!

The meeting is tonight, Folks. I hope that some of the emotion on this board shows up in person @ 7:00pm at the Mill Creek office.

[This message has been edited by fishskagit.com (edited 03-08-2001).]

where in Mill Creek?? anyone have a address?

16018 Mill Creek Boulevard
Mill Creek, Washington 98012-1296
Telephone (425) 775-1311
Fax (425) 338-1066

i called when i couldn't find any info on their site. they said the meeting was @ 6pm

Thanks I will be there

I think Snapper is correct about the meeting starting at 6:00 PM instead of 7:00 PM as advertised in this mornings Herald and the orgin of this thread.

What about planting spring chinook? Have always thought they would be better suited to the Sky than fall chinook, in a normal water year. In a normal water year the flows are better in the spring any way. Having fished the Kalama, Cowlitz for springers, I think the Sky is better suited than the Kalama and Wind. But then it would be a zoo, so maybe not.

Its not when the fish enter the system, but when they spawn, which is during the fall for spring, summer, and fall varieties. So the springers would have to hang out in the river until then. Given the success that summer-run steelhead have in the sky, I would think, river temperature and flows would be suitable for springers.

However, studies have shown that specific genetic varieties of chinook are found in specific geographical areas; mixing varieties (i.e., wild and hatchery fish spawning together) reduce the fitness of the particular wild stock in the river. This is even moreso a detriment to chinook salmon than for steelhead.

Given we're already dealing with an ESA stock, mixing varieties is not a good idea.