Anyone know when this fishery starts or has it already? Anyone fish the silvers in the salt and what techniques works best? I've been to the Quilcene river once and left with disgust at the snagging festival. I heard a guy whooping it up about a small silver he hooked in the butt and he was bragging to everyone that he "was gettin' em' on orange corkies". I didn't have the heart to tell him that the color doesn't matter when you're hooking fish in the arse! Brass

they do bite in the river

that is if you can floss a black purple yarn fly into a fishes mouth

gooose tells me all you need is polarized glasses. piece of dental floss (aka fishing line) about 8" long and a purple/black yarn fly

FS see ya there sport....try to learn this time

did you visit the river already this year? Although its rare you can get coho in the freshwater to bite. I know I'm not flossing them because I use a bobber with either eggs or a jig.

it's an early sept thing. the fish under go rapid change in the salt. for a few days after they arrive they are eager biters then they stop biting, just before they move into the river.

Don't know about the Quilcene, but silvers definitely bite in rivers. I remember a day on the Satsop 10 yrs. or so ago where fish were rolling all around, fishermen in the drift below and above, and no one catching. 7:15AM the alarm went off and for the next 3 hours it was crazed!!! And it was 7:15 for everyone, I looked upstream and downstream when I hooked up the first one and saw guys playing fish in both drifts. 10:15 the alarm went off again, fish stopped biting but were still there, could see them rolling and jumping. If you could figure out why they do it, and more importantly, forecast it - fishing could be called catching!!!!

I use a big treble hook with some yarn tied on the hook and a autolite sparkplug for weight and use polarized glasses and cast to fish that are swimming and always get my limit.

Don't know about the Quilcene, but I've found the bite to be good at first light when drift fishing. I've also done fair on plugs and spinners.

Fished the Quil last year in the open waters and on the river. Did excellent. Took home our limit every day for two weeks. Five people every time. Popular lure last year was a dark green buzz bomb. Drop to the bottom give two or three cranks and jig. Usually the bomb wont get a chance to get to the bottom. I have seen everything thrown at em and they hit. Trolled some for one day till I figured out what worked best. I trolled a green and black needle fish spoon on my down rigger in 12 feet of water and ran up and down the pilings. Caught 3 fish in 7 passes. The river is good times if you come prepared for combat. Definetly need polarized glasses. Bright chrome fish everywhere.
I used russian river fly any color with 14 inches leader and 3/8 to 1.2 ounce wieght. They will hit if pissed off. But I'm honest here. It's a controlled snag for lack of better terms. Gamies are under cover all over when its on. Stay legal and dont let anybody steer you otherwise. Make sure you record immediately and go barbless. Other than that, in the mouth is legal. Natives are legal and chums are big fines. As I remember from last year. I'll be there checkin it out really soon. Keep ya posted. We brought home almost 130 fish last year between all of us. Good Luck