Let me first say that I do not want to offend anyone with this post. I am only speaking about what I saw and heard. I stopped at the Quil, yesterday, and the day before to give it a try. I have never in my 24 years of fishing in this state wet a line in that system. I went to 2-3 places to check out the fishing situation. Place number one was at the Rogers street spot? What I saw was many redneckish men, young and old fishing a stretch of water the size of my living room. Guys had hip waders,chest waders, and the water was about 2 feet deep and clear as gin. The bank, shore,parking lot., was littered with fish carcasses,some with half of the fish filleted, the other half intact, I saw fish that were in total spawn mode white fins,body decayed, dead fish all over the place. I saw guys with sturgeon rods, reels spooled with 40lb test, lead and 2 feet leaders with a hook and yarn. The place was filthy. I saw very few fish and most were chums that are under protection but it was no concern to these fellas as they booted them back in the water gills full of sand and dirt, tired from being snagged over and over.I saw guys target decayed fish to get a laugh when their flesh got ripped up.

Next to this honey hole was a roped of area of shoreline that was private property and the guy was selling permits to fish on this bank spot right above the other hole. I walked down below the rogers street spot to where it is closed to fishing and watched dads show their kids the art of snag fest mania. Here they come sun git yer line a ready when i say so,yank that pole as hard as ye can, make your momma proud boy. Right before dark i took a seat down stream and watched as at least 500 chrome silvers came up the river in pods of 50-60 fish. It was a sight to see the river was so low and these fish were just packed like a sardine can.

The next morning I went to the hatchery spot and only found a little bit better of a scene. Still old fish with a few nice ones,protected chums being snagged in the ass and booted back in the river. I saw meat rods and snag set ups. I am blown away that this is a fishery that folks on this board would even admit to participating in. Please tell me I was at the wrong river,wrong spot,wrong hole,but please do not tell me that this is the norm on this river. Again this was my first time at this place, and I only went to a couple of spots. I made a bee line to Sekiu and fished all day in an olsons rental and just had a blast on 7-12Lb silvers,fished with my steelie rod and reel,8lb test and 2 oz of lead, and a single 1o red Gammi, and a tiny cut plug or strip. Thats Fishing

Nope, you were at the right place.

We saw the samething last year when we stopped by and ran for the hills.

What you saw is what the Quill is. I'm sure there are some who fish it ethically, but most are slack jawed snagging yokels. IT SHOULD BE CLOSED!!!!

Oh yeah, it is. So what did you think? Pretty special, huh?

At least the Quilbillies concentrate in places that are easy to avoid. Really hate the idea of future snagger training grounds though. Also don't understand why the USFWS, who operates the Qulicene hatchery, persists in raising a stock of early returning coho that return at the same time as ESA listed summer chum - seems abnormally stupid when they could get ahold of some late stock eggs and release a fish that never returns before November. I mean, there is not any kind of native coho in that river now so what would be the problem? That way at least the river would be higher, the summer chum would be gone, and those fish that are already up the river would stay out in the ocean and straits longer for law-abiding fishermen to catch.

Spawnout,

Good point. Why are these coho being cultured at Quillcene? It seems that there would need to be some societal benefit that outweighs the Neanderthal fishery that was described. Situations like this feed right into Washington Trout's contention that hatchery practices are inconsistent with ESA recovery. I've heard that summer chum returns to the Quillcene have been very good recently. Looks like closing the river might be necessary to keep it that way.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

Spawnout you have seen the the WDFW summer chum return numbers for the Quill? They have easily far exceeded the critical threshold of I believe somewhere around 1250 spawners in the past 5 years and from the looks of it the run will be near 10,000 fish. The run has been increasing even with the presence of the early returning silver run produced by the hatchery and the fishery that goes along with it. In fact the recent years numbers pretty much match those prior to the run collapse in the early to mid 1990's. If it wasn't for the several rivers and streams on the Canal that continue to have miserable returns a case could be made to consider that portion of the stock recovered and ready for delisting.

SalmoG you might want inquire about the documented Skokomish tribal harvest from last year in which at least 1000 summer chum were allowed to be taken as bycatch if they died incidentally in their beach seining for silvers. Interesting how only hens(=eggs) died incidently in their beach seines. This was all passed onto NOAA Fisheries. This has been going on for several years now.....but NOAA Fisheries seems to ignore it.

Much of what is seen at the Rodgers Street access is Jamestown S'klallam tribal subsistence harvest....those fish go to their elders and families. Most of the rest of it are socalled sporties who only know how to snag and alot of them get a $500 present from the wardens.

As to the snaggers being a bunch of rednecked Quillabillies...yah quite a few are but for the most part they are like the dad and 3 kids who showed up tonite to fish next to me. They were obviously middle income urban cowboy types who had not a clue...packing freshly purchased white deep sea gear and rigged for snagging...which they were miserable at. After I had quickly taken the one fish I wanted....hooked well inside the mouth with a small black and purple yarn fly the dad came over and asked how I did that. I nailed another again deep in the mouth and since it wasn't bleeding and I had what I wanted already I released it. Showed them how to advoid the chums pretty much. Tied them up some yarn fly leaders and told them what to do and left. It's all fine and well for some to come off as high and mighty regarding this fishery...but I choose to be present, harvest ethically what I want, and spend as much time as possible educating people that there is a better way. Sorry but closing a fishery is really a poor precedent.....as the same logic could be applied to nearly 100% of our fall salmon fisheries.

RIGHT ON GOOSE!

Give me a break!

I know that the strain of Coho in the Quil are good biters under the right conditions from my own experience. But the right conditions are not the conditions they are under. With all those people harassing the fish I would bet that none of them are willingly taking anything. I would think they are afraid for their lives trying escape to safety with no where to go, trapped only to be snagged, (either in the back with trebble hook or in the mouth with a yarn fly), it really makes no diference, and yarded to the bank.

All who participate in the Quil meat fest are crackers. NO EXCEPTIONS!!!!!!!!

Yes I bow down to your almighty snoot in the air holier than thou opinion and knowledge RichG. Sorry but Not. Nor ever.

Uhhhhhhhhhhh...........really? No exceptions?

You gonna come out of the closet or what Dan?

I knew that would piss some people off

I can see the salt water fishery out in Quil bay but when those fish hit the river or tide water it should be done. It is just friggin bull. They should have never even planted all those Coho in the first place.

Hey, I've been there......but I choose my days more carefully since the word has gotten out to everyone. I'm not as patient as you are goose, so I just don't go in the low-water conditions when the pressure is heavy.

Now after a big blast of rain with some flow and color in the water........I've been know to feel a little sick at work and go get into some chromer action on the Quil.

I feel really bad that Rich knows I'm a cracker and all now..........although I'm pretty sure we haven't met. Maybe it's best that way.

Dan pay the 10 bucks to walk thru the lower private property....theres near a mile of river with no one fishing it.

Rich you didn't piss me off.....zealots and preachers are what they are.....and if I'm flossing I wonder why I don't get the same results with green, orange, pink or red yarn flies as I've been getting for 3 years running using black or black and purple yarn flies tied very small on a #1 or 2 hook? Bout 20 to 50 hookups inside the mouth for the latter compared maybe 10 to 20 using all the former colors in 2 hours of fishing I get every evening after work. I continue to try those other colors as a check on my theories and have only foung lime green to perform as well if used under low light conditions and only if tied very small. But whom am I to preach to such higher beings in the sport fishing world?

Now Dan Before you posted I was thinking that if it had to be open there should be a minimum flow level so there is at least some sort of fair chase.

Take it how you will but that place is obsene and it gives all fishers a bad name.

Its like opening the feeder creek below the Sol Duc hatchery to the river for salmon or the the creeks at the ponds on the Bogie and Clawah for steelies.

I dont really care if I offend anyone Im just trying to prove a point. Shoot the way it is they may as well make it legal for snaggin or gaffin. Get your fish and get the hell out.

Its like last year on the Quileute and lower Hoh last year during the low flow. Sure there were some people out there playing it fair but most people are just taking advantage of the low flows and kegged up fish so they could line and snag. Should have been closed from the time the fish started running untill we got rain. Instead it was open for a month and it was a huge snag fest and gill nett rape.

The Quil is the same thing.

You know,,,,,

nevermind it isnt worth it and it does no good.

I have never said I was better or knew more than anyone else.

I gues I have a different picture in my mind of how it is and how things should be. Then agian that was the picture here a couple years ago.

I should learn my lesson and not even bother and realize I am the minority.

Dan S.<---------- Finds himself agreeing with most of what Rich just said.

If 10 bucks keeps out the riff raff, I might have to check it out. The holes I like best are upstream a ways from Rogers St. anyway.

You are definitely the exception out there, goose. From my experience on any given day there are about 2-3 guys fishing it legit........and the rest come from all over western Wa. to act like goons.

Rich in many ways I agree with you....I just choose to be a presence on this particular river to try and convert as many poor snagger souls as I can to a better way. I've felt that over the years I have done some good....sheesh I've had snaggers give up and come to me for info on how the heck I'm hooking fish legally and ethically...and I go out of my way to do so. But I am only one and the multitude of sinners are great in number....I've chosen my path to seek change as a fisher and you've chosen yours. Don't cast stones my way and I won't cast stones your way. As it is I grow more wearisome yearly on my chosen path.

Go forth and fish my friends. Dang I'm preachen now too!

Lift your hands and feel the vibrations.............let goose redeem your souls !

Preach it, brother goose!