I've seen more than 1 person make this mistake.
There are 3 speices of Chums in our state,Summer,Fall and Winter.
They look different,a Nasty looks different than a satsop Chum and so on.
It's an honest mistake.......Os

I hate to think of myself as an old timer but I did get the privilege of fishing the Nisqually when it had some INCREDIBLE FISHING. The bad part about this is I’m still trying to find that kind of fishing but seldom can find it and when I do it is very short lived! I fished the Nisqually back in the early eighty’s and from late February till early April you never had a problem taking your two fish home. The limit started as one fish per day but I hounded the Game Department to allow a two fish limit and they finally raised it when they realized how many fish where actually in this river. I probably should have keep my mouth shut but I’m sure the word would have gotten out anyway. One thing that was really strange about this river is we seldom got any bucks, it was always lots of hens. I personally think the Indians weren’t the major problem on this river but it was the combination of the Indian fishery and the major sport fishing pressure that came in the late 1980’s thanks to the Game Department. Unfortunately this river went from a select few who fished it to almost like a Cowlitz River. When I first started fishing it I had the whole lower river to my self. From Muck Creek all the way down to Hill Side Creek which is where the Hatchery is located. You seldom saw any boats on the river except for the Indians. Once the Game Department figured out what they had I think they saw it as a great way to sell more licenses. They started a major campaign of getting the word out. It was written about in the Seattle, Tacoma and Olympia papers and Fishing and Hunting as the place to fish for native fish and the run was so “healthy” that they allowed a two fish limit right till the end of April. The fact that it was the only local river around that stayed open that late also added to all the pressure. It’s funny because at this point I was calling the Game Department saying they should have either a one fish limit or have it all C & R. Their answer at the time was “we’re not going to let anything hurt this run of fish and that it was a very health run”. I guess that’s really what it all boils down too, it WAS a very health run but just had way too much pressure on it. One memory I recall was when I fished this particular gravel bar. I made three consecutive casts and hooked and landed three Steelhead. One Chrome, one with a red strip and one spawned out fish. Those are the kind of memories I’ve got on the Nisqually!

Another sad story of a another state river biting the dust. Regardless of which group "caused" it ... there obviously was something wrong with "our" efforst to manage the fishery.

Funny thing is ... you hear this story ... and the folks in Montesano that oversee the OP fisheries are saying the very same things about the runs here right now. Only a matter of time if things don't change

I had the honor of taking four types of Salmon this year on the nisqually. had a ton of fun, got some chrome bright chums, just a great year all in all.question why couldn't they do a spring run of steelies.its already been proven this is a steelie friendly river.man you could fish just about the whole year. just dreaming. :p

I'll tell ya, folks, fishbreath is right on.

The Nisqually was the best fishing in the state in April. better than anywhre on teh OP, the Skagit, NO PLACE could touch the Nisko. True, we caught a unreal percentage of females. Rarely caught a buck, and not many trophy sized fish, but many days you could hook twenty steelhead floating from tank crossing to handicap. We used to fish an area we called Kahuna a few miles below Yelm. Magnificent. And yes, we killed a great number of natives...it was legal way back in the day.

What happened, and I know most of you don't want to hear this, but way too many female steelhead were killed (by sportsmen) when the river got very popular in the early 80's. You may thank Fishing and Hunting News...surprise..for making the Nisqually so f***ing popular and leading to the crash in native steelies. Sixty boats, every damed day killing their limits of hens. Do the math. Don't blame the Tribes, they rarely fished back in late March/April then.

I would give anything to fish the Nisqually again in April. Right, Woody?

Bill.

I'll tell ya, folks, fishbreath is right on.

The Nisqually was the best fishing in the state in April. Better than anywhere on the OP, the Skagit, NO PLACE could touch the Nisko. True, we caught a unreal percentage of females. Rarely caught a buck, and not many trophy sized fish, but many days you could hook twenty steelhead floating from tank crossing to handicap. We used to fish an area we called Kahuna a few miles below Yelm. Magnificent. And yes, we killed a great number of natives...it was legal way back in the day.

What happened, and I know most of you don't want to hear this, but way too many female steelhead were killed (by sportsmen) when the river got very popular in the early 80's. You may thank Fishing and Hunting News...surprise..for making the Nisqually so f***ing popular and leading to the crash in native steelies. Sixty boats, every damned day killing their limits of hens. Do the math. Don't blame the Tribes, they rarely fished back in late March/April then.

I would give anything to fish the Nisqually again in April. Right, Woody?

Bill.

Right Bill,
The Kuhuna hole was a piece of heaven on earth. Got my first steelie there. I still have a bunch of those little red/white steelie spoons we hooked so many fish on......a time machine would sure be nice.

Lets NOT forget what happened about 12 years ago on the Nisqually. The Indians were caught netting 1200 winter run steelhead. When the WSDF found out they slapped an emergency closure which continues to this date. The problem was the Nisqually Indians asked the WSDF to deal with the the poachers with there laws. Like a bunch of dummies they agreed. Nothing ever happend. I also remember the Nisqually having a decent run of pink salmon. I stood on the bank with amazement that us Sportsfisherman could NOT keep them because they were a depleted resource but the Indian nets were full of them. Of course they didnt want them because they were after the Kings so they just threw them back into the river dead. I havent seen a pink in the Nisqually in about 8 years. I wonder what fines I would have to pay by our WSDF or the Nisqually Indians if it were I running off with 1200 Steelhead!

Hey Fishaddict,

I’m curious where you got your information. The allocation for sportsman and Indians were about 1,200 a piece when it was legal to fish for Steelhead. I find it a little hard to believe the Indians got caught with an additional 1,200 fish. There was always a problem with a few Indians that fished out side of the season but I would guess they caught another three or four hundred fish total for the out of season fishery. The last couple of years it was open the fishing really sucked, there just wasn’t any fish around for sportsman or Indians.

Another very little known fact about the Nisqually was before the dam went in there was a Spring Chinook Run. I found this out talking to the biologist that was in charge of the Nisqually. The Springers would go up in to the canyon water where the dam is now located. Once they put the dam in the deep swirly water that the Springers liked and needed was gone and so went the fish. One more screw up that the white man can take credit for.

It's too bad that the anglers back then did not have the forsight that majority of us have now, many of my favorite streams have slipped away as well. The WDFW believes there are 16 rivers currently deemed "healthy" Let's hope the commission takes a proactive approach and a good look at history and rules in favor of statewide wild steelhead release. We've seen what happens when we manage for maximum harvest rather than maximum recreation. Bill, would like to see you and others who support our mission join the WSC.

[ 01-22-2002: Message edited by: Double Haul ]

I for one have witnessed in the past,numerous times late at night 2 drift boats floating thru drifts with a net between them
This river's present conditions is a result of over fishing,by tribal and sportsman.
I remember the first time F&H news mapped and posted about the Nisqually,The crowds the next weekend were a joke.
It only got worse.
You would think after 11 plus years we would have a semi healthy run.
The State will not open this to C&R only,because the tribe will want their 50% no matter what...we are Dreaming.....Os

Hey fishaddict, i don't know where you fished this year, but the nisqually was full of pinks, you couldn,t get through them to get the kings. of course you had to release them, but there was a great run and had alot of fun. lookin forward to 2003.

I'll agree it's truly sad and sick.. The same things happened to the lower columbia tribs. I live on the EF of the Lewis and my father fished it hard through the late 70's and 80's and the stories are amazing. But the fact of it being overfished has ran the native run into the ground. The fact that they still net the lower columbia through february and march is sick, the few natives that are left being incidently caught. When will they figure it out...
Keith

Keith,

You can bet that they've "Got it figured out."

The really sick part is "They just don't care."

The demise of the Nisqually native Steelhead is a sad story indeed. It makes me sick thinking about it. I didn't know the history of the Nisqually fishery until this thread. I think it rivals the placement of Grand Coulee on the Columbia and the Dams on the Elwah. It seems it always comes down to money and to hell wth everything else