Their article:

>From the October 25 Bellingham Herald:
FRESHWATER SALMON FISHING

. Nooksack River coho salmon fishery now expanded. From Mount Baker School District bus barn at Deming upstream to forks and North Fork to Maple Creek. Release all chinook and wild (non-fin clipped) coho. Closes Dec. 31.

. North Fork Nooksack coho fishery closes. Wednesday. From mouth to Maple Creek. Release all chinook and wild (non-fin clipped) coho.

(note that the two are mutually exclusive...the North Fork cannot be both open AND closed...)

I emailed the WDFW and received the following replies:

From Enforcement: "Actually, the Nooksack and the North Fork are listed under the regular rules on page 79 of the Sport Fishing in Washington pamphlet. It indicates that there are salmon seasons until December 31, with a wild Coho Salmon release (hatchery only). Please check out those regulations."

From Fish Program Management: "Forks to Maple Creek on the North Fork closes to Salmon on Oct. 31, as stated on page 79 of the 2001/2002 Fishing in Washington Sport Fishing Rules regulation pamphlet."

Enforcement thinks the North Fork is open until Dec. 31, Fish Program Management thinks it's closed. How many page 79's are there out there?

fishkisser99, i got the same thing! i was dumbfounded! you must have got the email yesterday, that's when i got mine. i have replied and told them that i have looked at the regs. on page 79, and it says it closes on the 31st of oct., so i asked them if it was a misprint, and to clarify if they had a different page 79 than i did! we'll see what happens! if i get another reply that says it's OPEN, i think i'll print it off and take it with me and go fish the North Fork. i'll keep you posted if i find out anything further.

Yeah I'd like to think we could fish over the chum in the N. Fork this year but we'll see. I don't keep them but like to find a pod and work 'em over with my fly rod...do you have last year's regs on you? I thought the season for salmon last year went until Dec 31, but the season for coho closed Oct. 31. Were all those guys dabbing shrimp oil on their green corkies and green yearn at the Mosquito Lake road bridge really pretending to fish for steelhead? lol

All this also makes me think perhaps the Bellingham Herald wasn't really mistaken after all--since it seems the WDFW themselves have deemed the North Fork both open and closed...

[ 11-02-2001: Message edited by: fishkisser99 ]

AHA! the North fork is closed...I quote from a reply from enforcement:

"That's correct. I thoroughly read your e-mail. Sorry for the confusion. Yes, the North Fork is now closed. But, it's open for salmon up to the confluence of the South and North Forks until December 31."

Hey you! Drop that green corkie, now! lol