Nisqually River to Close to Sport Fishing

Actions: Closes the Nisqually River to all fishing.

Effective date: January 21, 2003 through May 31, 2003

Species affected: All

Location: Nisqually River

Reason for action: The run size for Nisqually River wild steelhead returning this winter (2002-2003) is expected to be extremely low. Although there is no sport fishery directed at steelhead, a closure of all sportfishing is necessary to minimize impacts on this depressed stock.


I hope they have enough sense to take the nets out as well... anyone know?

A crying shame.

Not so much that they are closing it, but rather because of what has happened to the run in recent years. It is tragic to see the demise of such a magnificent run of steelhead. Its not like it's been a river that gets pounded that much. Yes, nets are there, but thats been going on for years and alot of other rivers are doing OK in spite of them. The Cedar, another tragic example, has an urban area and a sealion problem to content with, but why has the Nasty fallen so far and so quick? I really haven't heard much explanation or background about the decisions to close these rivers or the prognosis on the future of these rivers either? Who has better insight on this situation and why aren't they sharing it?

In my opinion a river needs to have a hatchery to sustain the populations given the fishing pressures that usually exist on said rivers. For example, the Cowlitz has a steelhead fishery because of it's hatchery. Likewise, the Columbia, Snake, and Grande Rhonde Rivers also have a fishery because of the rather extensive hatchery system in place over there.

Many steelhead fishermen in Western Washington prefer natural fish and go as far as to actually despise hatchery fish. The state cannot afford to restore or naturally manage even one river in western Washington, let alone the dozens that are over here. The federal government is concerned only with salmon (for commercial and/or Indian harvest) and do not care a whit about steelhead. Mix all these factors together and you get what we have.

It used to be a great steelhead river . And then Hunting and Fishing news decided that more people needed to know about it. Did not take long after that.

Won't be long and there won't be any salmon fishing here either.
The tribe and the state have some agreement for the tribe to close it's hatchery and they want to get a "wild" run of salmon going.

There's all kinds of things that effected this river. I'll be down there talking to old timers and all they do is ***** about the nets being in. 5 minutes later all they can talk about is how many limits of native steelhead they took out of there. Not that they were wrong in doing so at the time, no one knew any better. It's just that they're head is so far buried in the sand that they can't look back and say "that probly wasn't such a good thing to do"

Some years they shut it down at the end of Dec and other years it is the end of Jan, so this is nothing new.
I know that the nets are only part of the problem, but when they start killing steelhead in Nov/Dec they need to shut it down. The problem is a very few people actually see the steelhead caught/kept, and the natives are not going to report the steelhead and shorten their chum season.

Hey sinker good point that is exactly why so many of these rivers are and have been on a downward spiral. To many people with the KILL KILL KILL syndrome .
I have a feeling the thought of killing wild fish has drastically decreased over the past 15 or so years.
Damn nets! Damn Indians! blah blah blah. Were going to have to quit wasting time pointing fingers and deal with what we have control over. Like bonking a wild fish or releasing a wild fish It's your choice.
Last year or two years ago we drove down there and there were signs everywhere saying
Closed waters to all sport and "tribal" fishing so I'm not sure the indians even get to net during the steelhead run.
I also have a litlle info I should'nt be posting;
I know a customer who lives on the upper Nisqually who CnR fishes during these closed times.
If his stories are factual believe me There isn't a shortage of wild fish in this river at all!


barenettm,
NO HATCHERY ON THE NISQUALLY!

Aaahh, the saga of the Nisqually; much too nice a river to ever use that ugly nickname people have been using as of late.

Remember, its been a long time since its been open for an steelhead fishing. My closest recollection; it was closed entirely or closed early for a couple years, then opened for a year. Fishing was pretty good. Now its been closed entirely for the last 9-10 years...?

Despite repeated attempts by myself and others to get a straight answer out of anybody at the WDFW the question remains... why...?
The official answer has always been,"We can't open it because estimates indicate returns lower than allowable for escapement."
There is more to it, and the picture is perhaps more complicted than I will ever know:

FACTORS FOR THE CONSPIRACY THEORISTS OUT THERE:
Other than the dam, which is aways up, the river flows through pretty good habitat by Puget Sound standards.

A few years before they first closed it sport pressure, and I'm sure harvest, was way up.

Informal observation leads many to believe that the tribe that fishes that river has a strong history of unregulated and illicite harvest.

In Terry Rudnick's book on fishing in Washington (came out a couple of years ago, can't think of the title) the section on the Nisqually says something like "the once great steelheading on this river has been closed by the state due to illegal tribal netting" (paraphrased).

WDFW enforcement officer for that area told me they can't open even a catch & release season without the agreement with the tribe as far as their reciprocal allowable harvest. He said the state just doesn't want to go there...

Closed steelhead seasons pretty much occurred as hatchery salmon production began at Clear Creek and Kalama Creek hatcheries.

Chairman of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission is a well-known and somewhat controvertial Nisqually Tribe leader (lots of political clout there).

I've heard the same "rumors" about plenty of fish being there by "observers" who have gained access during late winter.

I'd like to know more about plans to close the hatchery. I'm looking at the fall 2002 NW Indian Fisheries News that has a pretty glowing report about the salmon hatchery's success. Didn't mention closing...

Question: If there were a season, and fishing was good, what kind of an extreme mob scene would there be? Twenty years ago it was hard to find 5 guys fishing it for chums, and now it looks like Blue Creek... Hate to see it closed, butmaybe its for the best... what is the story and the solution...?

there are two hatcheries on the nisqually...an old one at kalama creek and a 'new' and bigger one at clear creek....they may close the kalama creek one if they close any...

minibear, do you live near the nisqually? if so, do you see alot of netting during the closed sport seasons? i may jus have to get a fort lewis pass and bring a digicam down to where the public cant see, if there is any netting being done on the native steelhead then i can post some pics about what i see, if i do infact do it at all... so if you see anything, do drop me a email if you see any activity..

No I don't live near the nisqually. I live in Tacoma. I do know somebody who has property right on the river and I will ask him to let me know of any suspicuous activity.
I would love to catch them in the act.
I believe there is alot more night time netting going on then we think.

thanks for the reply, ya, i would be interested in knowing about any netting..the natives think they are above the law on everything, they even have a differant justice system if they kill or get caught in the act of a crime, and not to mention done have to check in with a parole officer from what i seen...

Who's gonna bustem????
It wasn't untill the past year or so that the tribe Police even had a Damn Sled to inforce the limited regs.....

my .02.......Os

Last I heard Thurston co. was the meth lab capital of the worldand Isn't the Nisqually fairly close? Here is what I have noticed on a handful of rivers, Last year on the Hoh during salmon season we were at the little store right before you cross the bridge on 101, when an ol beat up station wagon roles up opens the hatchback and sells 3 kings to the store worker for something like 15 dollars or so. These indians obviously had a drug problem. I concider my "neiborhood" here in Tacoma as drugy central we have a methlab 3 houses down so I know what these people act like and look like. It sure is a shame to see these "rights" being abused by some indians who just need a quick fix.
This reply isn't a quick poke at indians, but if their tribes want respect and they want to keep their native traditions, they better regulate the problems before the problems regulate them.

Three king salmon=15.00$ worth of drugs

One guy (tweeked out of his mind) asked, "where were you guys fishing today" I told him where, then he proceeded to ask me if I had seen any elk up there. I'm thinking to myself It's bad enough you are netting salmon and steelhead to support your drug habit, but as if that is not enough you want to go shoot some elk too.

For what it's worth...here's a post from General 'Zog from almost exactly one year ago today...

***

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.

***

Hmmm....

Fish on...

Todd.

Sounds like me and general Zog (leader of the pink fluffy rebellion) have the same thoughts.

i fished the nasty pretty consistent for chums over the past few weeks. while fishing i did not see one steelhead caught, let alone kept, although i did see some indians pulling up their nets with a couple of steelheads. they kept them. i am not sure whether the indians can keep them. if you watch them pull up their nets, they always try to have their backs towards you so that you cant see what they are pulling up. In conclusion, if sports anglers cant fish it any longer, the nets shouldnt be in either.

Sturgio,

I believe what ever an indian pulls up in there nets is fair game to them. I've seen sturgeon in the puyallup's fish bins before so I don't think they have a selective fishery.

I may be mistaken but the end of January means the end of tribal fishing on the nisqually.

thanks minibear, i wasnt sure what the indians regs were. now i am, thanks

Someone here said tha the tribes think they are above the law.........THEY ARE....They have their own "nation" a sovereign country within the USA..they go along with regulations but if they choose not to they do their own thing and screw you WDFW..Sue Us!! We win ever single time.

Until that changes to what I think the original intent was that we all fish "IN KIND" then the fisheries will continue to decline.

Selling fish and game out of the back of pick ups is absolute BULL****