Well, it finally happened. The gravel bar access a couple miles above black creek and just above Wynoochee Wildwood got roped off because of all the partying, loud music, hell-raising teenagers, broken bottles, diapers, empty beer cases, quad riders tearing up the gravel bar and all the other crap left down there. hard to imagine it would be from fire danger as there isn't much to catch on fire out on the gravel though I guess it would be unfair to rule that possibilty out completely.

Once again, the thoughtless come through with flying colors to force the simple fisherman into tighter and tighter spaces!

I made the comment to a fishing buddy a week ago that the area was the most pathetic I had ever seen it and to watch...........it was going to get closed. Well, it happened.

Unless something changes, looks like we all might be floating on down to black creek this winter instead of using that area as a put-in/takeout.

bummer

this has been in the works for the last couple years from what ive been told.. Knew it was going to happen sooner or later.. Cant blame the owner it was a mess last winter and with the nice weather this summer i bet it was pretty ugly...

Eric:

That's just another one, that I've seen closed to fisherpeople over the yrs. DWF really needs to get off its ass and do more to ensure, that other access points aren't lost. Tired of WDF hiding behind the "no monies" and then let sooooooooo many people off with just warnings.

I used to alway just float from "crossover bridge to Blk. CK. but then there wasn't 20 boats trying to make that float 18 yrs. ago.

Just another reason I have my small sled....

Sorry we have lost that access site, I know the mess that gets left in there......

"Worse day sport fishing still better than the best day working"

DrifterWA-

You made an interesting comment that you'd like to see WDFW get off it's tail and do something to ensure that no more access is closed. I'm curious as to what you expect them to do. We're talking about private property and the owner has every right to exclude the public from their land if they so choose. Writing more littering tickets isn't going to help and it's only going keep the linmited number of officers tied up in court testifying on littlerbug cases. If that's what folks want them working on, you need to realize they won't have as much time to bust snaggers and poachers. Believe it or not, WDFW does not have the money or the resources to do everyting for everyone. Sorry for the rant drifterWA, but you hit a sore nerve.

eric, maybe you need to teach these kids some respect for our resources as they come through your classroom there at the junior high(just playing)....i myself have used that gravel bar (aka mailbox) to fish, drink beer, and improve my chances at landing some hot tail(i've did very well over the years)..several times my buddies and i have taken out garbage bags and cleaned up the place just for the sake of access being resricted...anyone have any suggestions how this access can be utilized by the responsible, respectful people and weed out the "others"??????

Born to Fish:

Wynoochee access lost in last 20 yrs. because funds were not put in the budget for land purchases / and or 99 year agreements public access permits were not gotten...

1. Carter Creek
2. 3 Humps---large garvel bar across from active garvel pit, a few north past Wynoochee wildwood....west side of river.
3. Then the lastest.....old garvel pit right above, "Twin Bridges"

Oh, by the way.........wasn't talking about writting tickets for litter and junk, was talking about not writting tickets for violations......license not on person, fish not punched when they should be, but I sure agree that poaching and snagging needs a higher prioty, I see it all the time..........and other do also...........have called, but by the time you go thur the WA State Patrol, and it gets relayed, way to much time is lost.......need to have direct line to WDF personnel.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!!!!!

"Worse day sport fishing, still better than the best day working"

drifterWA-

I have to agree with you on the purchasing access areas and leases for access. I probably haven't fished the wynoochee as long as you, but I have been for close to 30 years. Access is definitely becoming a problem, but I'd like to see some of the fishing groups work on access issues as well. You'd be surprised (maybe not) how many landowners don't want anything to do with the state regardless of the purpose. I think if more fishing groups approached landowners in a non-threatening manner you'd get as much or more cooperation.

Sorry, but I assumed (wrongfully so) you were going down the road of wanting officers to write more litter tickets. On the issue of direct access to officers, the state patrol is direct access. State patrol radios officers of the call within minutes and in many cases seconds via state patrol radio. The hang up comes from officers being out of location or working higher priority calls. We only have a couple of officers that work this area and if they're on a higher priority such as public safety they won't respond immediately. I've called state patrol to report several snagging or poaching in progress situations and sometimes the officer is there in seconds and other times it takes hours. By the nature of their work they can't be everywhere at the same time.

There would be plenty of money if we didn't let the freaking state take all our money we give the wdfg out of the "general fund". They don't even get half of the money you put into the system.

I can't argue with that globall. The numbers change each fiscal year, but WDFW is generally funded about 50% general funds and 50% dedicated funds. Dedicated funds being things like Pittman-Robertson Act monies, federal contracts, grants, etc.

I'll never understand why our elected officials make such bass ackward decisions. One minute they'll give big business a huge tax break to create jobs, but they don't give a dime for sportfishing enhancements that already brings millions to the state.

Sorry for dragging this off topic, but I've been a biologist for some time now and our elected representatives don't give sqat for our natural resources. I'd really like to see them dedicate a pot of money to buy back tidelands and fishing and hunting access rights. I know I'll never see that happen, but I can always hope.

I'm starting to sound way to pessimistic. Time to go fishing and try out my new fly rod

Bill,

I immediately thought of the public access issue too in so far as WDFW isn't doing jacks--t to obtain sites for us.........and this being one of the most popular rivers in the state! I would be curious to know exactly where the vehicle access sticker money is being applied........county and statewide as it is supposedly 100% dedicated to WDFW access.

Maybe there's not enough $$ collected to acheive real results (though I highly doubt that!). Hell, I'm still waiting for them to run a grader over the missle testing site.............my synical name for the white bridge gravel road access with the 2 foot deep pot holes that send you through the roof of your pickup when you go faster than 1 mph. If they can't even do that once or twice yearly, I certainly don't anticipate land aquisition.

I don't blame the private landowner one bit for closing the "mailbox" gravel bar access. I wouldn't have lasted as long as he did if I were in his shoes. What's ugly is the thought of the puget sound masses all cramming into the crossover bridge and white bridge even more this winter. Last season was a new low as far as overcrowding.........it ought to be a real hoot this winter.

This suck's,but I saw it comming with all the trash.I know it was mostly local kids partyin.Most the fisherman and woman didn't do much of the littering.But we should have all got together and had a clean up on this one.Oh well,looks like I'll have to bust out the sled now.Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

I've been fishing the Nooch for well over 25 years easily. My Dad over 40 years) My Dad has had a lot on the river at WWP for about as many years as I've fished it. So we homebase there alot (or plunk from the lot ). I will say this. It's not JUST the partyers doing the damage. I've seen more DB'ers and fisherman leaving just as much crap during the fishing season as the partyers did during the summer (which is bad too). I usually carry a garbage bag and clean that area up when I float through. Luckily, I can drop in just upstream from the gravel bar. I can also drop in from my Dad's place if I want to float directly to Black Creek. I'm surprised it hasn't been closed sooner. People have trashed that place for years. Gets worse and worse yearly (I picked up over 30 shrimp containers and tonds of misc bundles used line and tackle containers for spinners EACH float). Luckily, I know the owner of the "private" water area just below crossover launch and also can walk most of the river from my Dad's place during the summer. But sucks for everyone else. It's bound to happen though. Enough people become slobs, the more access that gets stripped away. Only problem, one group will leave more garbage then 40 anglers!!!!!

And the list of closed access grows.

First , Charlie, the old man who owns the large bar below the Wishkah bridge stopped letting people drive down to his bar. Too much crap left behind, he said.

Then the access to the bar directly below the 7400 line was shut down. Now you have to just chuck your boat over the bank. I'll bet the road down to the second bar below the 7400 will get ditched next.

Then the goat-ropers who keep parking in the farmer's field below Carter creek are going to get it posted No Trespassing if it isn't already.

It's not JUST partiers.......but when's the last time an angler left three dozen bottles and some dirty diapers behind?

Get used to it..........I can only see it getting worse on the old Wynoochee.

it's getting to be that way on the deschutes up above pioneer park. i know it's nowhere near as popular as the nooch(at least the wynoochie gets more than 6 steelhead back to the hatchery) but it's some great trout fishing. partiers leave all kinds of junk on the gravel bars, throw their bottles and cans in the river, break glass all over and do all the typical white trash behavior. this year the county plastered no parking signs all over the road where people typically park, and the land owners tried gating off the area, to no avail.

it's just depressing to see access being lost to probably never return and never any new opportunities

My biggest fear about this access closing is the problem of crossing the diversion dam, as it has claimed a few people recently. It's really sad to think that someone could be losing life, limb, or property over the crap that the slobs leave behind.

I certainly don't blame the property owner or WDFW.....the former seems to have done their fair share with river access to the point practicable.