Hello, thought I should speak up after lurking for about a month. I'v been trout fishing for years, but just started salmon/steelie fishing this fall. No brats yet, but I'm pretty much a cracker, what should I expect. I'm still trying out new fisheries just to figure out what river I like. Want to thank everyone for their helpful hints; even if I'm not catching fish, at least I feel like I might.

My questions: Does anyone know where there's access to the Pilchuck? (Is it even worth fishing). I tried to get over there last weekend, but the Snohomish Rec area is closed for construction. The reg book says the river's closed above the city of Snohomish diversion dam, where's the diversion dam? Thanks.

taoski

Ski, great to have you aboard. I believe the area that is closed is from the Dam to 500 feet below. The Pilchuck starts to get fish around the first of February. Happy fishing to ya.

Last couple years the pilchuck hasn't been producing real well, at least for me and the people I have talked to. I usually fish it 6-7 times a year. It used to be good for larger fish after the first of the year. Not sure where the dam is, as we have holes we hit below there. They are easy to find.

The dam they are talking about is above granite falls.(spelling?) There is some good fishing around doc & Anns tavren. This is the type of river that you need to get in and walk away from the parking spots. Had some great days and expect many more. My fav river. If this damm rain stops, you can walk almost the whole river. If you want to fish down that low.... you can park across from the gate, and walk down.

Good luck!

taoski,there are lots of places you can get access, once you know where to look ( bridge crossings for one). This is a wadeable river, actually a large stream mostly, it flows through a lot of private property so you'll want to stay in the river most of the time. We like to fish it after the first of the year. Usually take two vehicles so that we can wade down river and not have to walk back against the current, be cautious there can be some deep holes. In the past you could always expect to catch big nate's once in awhile, but it's not as good as it used to be. This is one river I'd like to see closed for about 3 years. Great fly river if you can roll-cast that is.

It was a good river! P, why don't you hold his hand and take eveyone of his friends and everyone they know down there to YOUR spot??? Got an idea. If you want to give directions about place to fish why don't you e-mail each other? I have lived in this area and fished this area for 20+ years and I sure as hell don't want to see what's happened to a lot of spots happen to the Pill. Why not just say, "It's okay, it's worth checkin' out"? Not to rant too much but c'mon. I have put in my time scoutin' and searchin'and I don't think that these people "new" to steele/salmon fishin' should have there hands held and told exactly where to go and what to do. I can't tell you how many hours I have put in to get my fish and earn my fish. That's the problem now a days is that half these people hear from someone about a spot to fish they tell people and so on and so on.......well they don't respect the area and soon destroy them. Let me repeat, if I see the Pill go the way of a lot of these places I am going to go postal... This guy Ski had a post awhile ago about him fishin the Pill in Oct. Well if he picked up the regs or knew anything about the area he would have known that that is a big no no. And that adds to my point of people needing their damn hands held, needing to be spoon feed and not puttin forth any effort of their own.



[ 12-06-2001: Message edited by: Pmartin ]

[ 12-06-2001: Message edited by: Pmartin ]

Pmartin,

Just an observation: Doesn't look to me like anyone in the post gave any real specific info on where to fish. "Bridge crossings" sounds pretty general to me.

However...as defensive as you were about "your river," I think you may have peaked a bunch of curiosity about that little river and make people wonder what you're hiding.

Besides, if you fish it often, you know that there are only a handful of guys that have the knowledge and time to learn how to be successful on that little stubborn river. The Pilchuck is a finicky wench!

K

I agree with PMartin. Specifics should be done via email, not on a board where anyone from Everett to Kathmandu can read them. Research, put in time, explore. You'll find good spots.

TV, I am not trying to beat up on anyone here or trying to get personal but if you have put in your time you would know that there are only a few crossing's. I did think about posting anything as not wanting to peak interest. The point is that I'd just hate to see more combat fishing in this little area. Since it is such a toughy having a bucn of new guys pounding it is not what it needs.

You a definitely right about it being a little wench which I think will frustrate most of the newbie's.

Pmartin,

No offense taken. I used to live right on the Pilchuck north of Lake Stevens. I know there are only a few bridge crossings..but my point is that anyone who is "checking out" the Pilchuck for the first time is going to fish those spots anyway because it's about the only places they'll find to fish when driving by the river (so it isn't any "secret.") Besides, if all the "newbies" fish the bridge crossings, you'll have lots of river to yourself. Especially after they give up. No newbie is going to steal your wench when the Sky is so close and MUCH, MUCH easier.

K

TV: Point gotten and taken

You are right about the SKY a lot more fish that hit on just about everything, including maggots!

I was just checking out your site and watching some vids (Slow at work now..)very cool hopefully I'll see ya out there some time.

Tight lines...as if you need it

[ 12-06-2001: Message edited by: Pmartin ]

PMartin I agree with your post about hand holding newbees and small rivers.

I've lived on the pilchuck for 22years now and I just wanted to say, I feel that river is not suited for a beginner. Your better off driving the roads of another river in the Snohomish system to find open areas to learn and hone your skills before you spend a day looking/hiking to see if there's a fishing hole around the next corner just to find out there's not one.

On a side note I've not been fishing the Pilchuck for 22 years (thats how I know its not suited for a beginner) and if any of you that have and are willing to write me about the history and what it use to be like feel free. I would like to learn more about it since I live next to it. It also happens to be were I learned the hard way but caught my first fish even if it was only 15 inches long.

Wah-Wah-Wah! what a bunch of cry babies! Since your post, Pmartin, came right after mine, I would like to know exactly what "specifics" you are speaking of? Or do you own the bridges now too?, you seem to think you own the river! I don't care whether you, centerpin or ocus like it or not, my post was very general in nature and frankly, like I said, I wish the Pil was closed to all fishing-including yours!
So get a life, gentlemen, there are no private rivers in this state! Take your elitest attitude and shove it. I know, why don't you "My private river" guys get the state to take them off the maps? And if your really so damn worried about the increased pressure on the river, then you quit fishin' it!

Man that didnt seem very specific to me at all, I mean "bridge crossings"?

I've been fishing this river off and on for about as long as all of you have. When I find the bridge crossings crowded I go to other places that I know of. It might be a small river but with a little searching you can find a lot of places on you own. As for fishing this river in Oct. Are you sure that he's not talking about Pilchuck Creek. It also has steelhead in it but not too many. Jim S.

My worthless 02 cents of a opinion.
People have problems when a small secret river is given out , they say to find it on your own like I did. Well the same people will ***** when you do stumble across a secret river that you happen to investigate and find. They say that this has been a great secret hole and now all these new people are showing up. It is a no win with some.
I have found a small river that the locals have been fishing for many years and I ran acrossed it one day just hiking around. Now I here comments like who told you and it must have been Fishing and huntings mag or the Seattle time etc....
Not, I was looking and hiking around and found this river now add 1 more to your secret hole.
And given time some one else will find it and so on and so on.
i will not post the secret river but i will not make some one who had found this river feel like I own it.

Waassuupp Taoski! Welcome to the zzooo crew! So O.K., finally posted a thread on this BB and got some BS. Don't take it personal. Lots of good insights and advice comes out of here and yes I did fish it back in the hey days when it great fishing, but it had since dwindled on the amount of fish seen. Keep up your great posts.

-----------------------

"DO THE WILD THANG"

You know, I do not want to sound like a punk but come on folks. If we put as much effort into into presevation, enhancement and fighting for our wild steelhead as we *****ing and moaning about somebody talking about someone else's secret river, so many rivers would be full of wild steelhead that we woulndn't need Zipperlip's to escape the crowds!!

I know that is being overly dramatic but I think you get the JIFF.

[ 12-07-2001: Message edited by: RPetzold ]

How many times have we seen this happen,

For someone's first post they drop the name of a small river..........then all hell breaks loose.

Come on Guys if you have been lurking for anytime at all,you should know better.

keep info and comments on smaller rivers to e-mails,

I guees it takes some of us a while to realize just how powerful the WWW is .........Os

Wow, never gave the Pil much thought, looking forward to checking it out now, thanks guys

Man, oh man, look what I've stirred up.

What's so significant about this little river? Its not a secret, its on the map and in the reg book. Why is it so taboo to ask where a river is closed and (vaguely worded) "is it worth it?" Or did the firestorm start when I said the word "access", which has the locals grabbing the pitchforks.

Sorry for the trouble I've caused. I doubt this thread will lead to serious combat fishing, although maybe a few more people this weekend. Combat fishing will only occur when a river can support it with enough fish. I doubt the pil has that many fish (if it does, man did I blow it, sorry guys). Also, I think there's been enough "fish here, fish there" posts that anyone who goes by these posts is backlogged at least a few weeks.

Thanks to everyone holding my hand(although my mom lets me cross the street by myself), its good to know there's people willing to help out. To the landowners and locals whose river I'll be visiting soon, I'll leave your fish in the river(although that might not be my choice). In the future I'll try to look down wind before I piss. Tight lines to everyone this weekend.

-taoski

Wow, look at all the turmoil. I too agree that alot of pressure on a small stream can ruin one's quality of a trip. But, everyone has the same chance to find water. I for one love exploring new fisheries. Here's what you do---Hold on to you're hat's, it real tough. Get the reg's, get a map, and get in you're rig and drive. If you really want to get tricky, Go to the WDFW page and look at the numbers of smolt planted two years ago. This isn't rocket science guys. It doesn't take too long to figure out which streams are going to have the masses. If a river gets 400,000 smolts planted in 1999, gee... It's gonna have a crowd associated with it. If you see Creek "X" gets 40,000 smolt planted, and you've never heard of creek "X" on this site or in F-H Lies, then it's probably a good idea to keep it to yourself. This is for brat fishing, nates are another story. You can find fish, and few people if you put forth the effort.

Have fun, I'll be fishing Creek "X" this weekend.

Aaron

Taoski has hit a nerve on this one with some of us that have been born and raised or have lived in this state for some time. His question was a valid one, he's heard about the P.. and want's some info about it. The answers given were general and I agree if he want's more info than that and one of you is willing to e-mail it to him so be it, that's your choice. I'm one who get's more satisfaction out of putting time in researching about a new area be it AK,CAN,ORE, or a small stream in my back yard. The problem is there are too many people in this area now, it's not like it was back in the 60's & 70's when you pretty much had the river to yourself and fish were more abundant. Three weeks ago I was on the Sky and it looked like the Cowlitz, sleds every where up and down every ten minutes. The point is do your homework put in the time, that fish you hook will be more satisfing. All of you that think you have a secret spot or a zipperlip river, do you really? I think not, you have a spot where you have to work to get to and not evry one has that passion and ambition to get there more than you do. Tight lines to all and to all a good day.

If you have quesions about a river, the only way to figure it out is to go fish. Too many people looking for the easy way out. Go to reiter and put your time in and you'll catch fish. THere you can talk about techniques and all that b.s with the guy next to you.

shame on SOME of you....

Being the elitist that I am, I wont resort to hiding behind a PC and name-calling. Apparently someone has their panties in a bundle and needs to take a chill pill. Get over it!
I did not mean to imply that it was "my river" and I have read it over to see where you came up with that. I did say that I have fished this area for 20+ years. Heavens knows I could mean N. America right papa? I sure as hell don't want to get to specific. My point, I guess needing to be more specific, was just that if you have a spot that hasn't been overrun yet great, if you want to keep it that way keep your F***king mouth shut. Got it?

Considering how much this post of mine pissed you off i.e.. Your other posts (don't want to get specific), better track them down yourself. Seems to me you are doing the most crying and whining. Kind of hypocritical? Is it time for someone's Depends to be changed? Opps, fell off that elitist wagon, happens to the best of us.

Wow,,,, look what I have missed! No one walks more than 10' from their car, so the "bridges" will look just like it has for the last ten years.

He got his information in the first few posts. Now with all this ranting and raving, we have caused this to be on the "Front Page" instead of dying a quick death.

We can have it both ways! Try to be nice kids.

Pmartin,
You won't resort to hiding behind a PC and name calling?

And I was amazed at how much piss my lab Whitedog could piss in a day? Gawd talk about some soaking pant legs!

Gooose

I mentioned Canyon Creek one time on another site and you would have thought that I gave out the most secret spot in this State. I thought that my life was in danger if they only knew where I lived. Why is it when somebody finds a new place to fish they think that they own it. Heck I find a lot of places on my own. That's the fun of fishing. Jim S. :p