The main problem on our rivers is an expanding population. Developements are everywere, and more and more people are interested in fishing for a lack of anything better to do probably. But, like DanS said, people use the internet and magazines as their "fishing highway". Hot spot reports will bring people outa the closet.

The thing that bugs me the most is the GARBAGE! i cant get over the idiots who leave beer cans and bait containers all over. The other thing is the corkers, the people who see someone land a fish and is imediatly in their back pocket when there is 20 miles of open water...
oh well, life goes on....

This is why I have never fished said zipperlip...too many peoples for ltlcleo.My choice.

I do not understand people that base there fishing experiances on hot reports on the internet or a local magazine.Its like a game of follow the leader but I am not sure who the leeader is.

i think the thing that went on in f&h and sts is "the nisqually effect"

they did the same thing in the 80s and look at the nisqually now, a river that used to have some of the best winter run steelhead fishing in the state, has no more fish

Dan, there are alot of people living in Seattle who grew up in other parts of the state, including Grays Harbor county. So, of course, there are people who drive down there to fish. Although I do agree with all that you stated about hot reports and articles bringing the crowds out to rivers that probably don't need the extra pressure. Satsop and Kalama to name a couple.

Regarding Paranoid's remark - When did people from Olympia become locals in Grays Harbor County?

for all you internet hot spot followers what I have learned is if your reading about a good report you have all ready missed the action so be like a few of us 10% and find your own hotspots and enjoy those times because the crowdless days are getting fewer and fewer!!! But just for instance my wife and I landed probably 30 kings on Sunday without a soul around but I guarentee you I would never post where.!!!PEACE

Stadle,

I guess I never considered that. If I had decided to settle in Seattle, I'd probably find my way down to the Satsop a few times a year.

And I don't live really close to any river besides the Nisqually, so I'm an out-of-towner wherever I go. I don't fish the Nisqually much.

Fastwater

If I had too share my water like you guys in seattle do I would quit fishin.I will never look down on another fishermen for being out of town.Hell I am over here in north kitsap with lots of home rivers right.Not.

I just have always had an unexplainable drive to go explore and find my own fishing spots that nobody else uses.It has driven me back way off the road and into the brush and canyons of the olympics.I do not always catch fish but I am alone with the chance and I get the satisfaction of knowing I have gone a step beyond the average fishermen.I get dissapointed when I see signs of somebody else.I actually freely talk about alot of these spots knowing damn well it is too much work for somebody to do to maybe catch a fish.I will not although post them on these forrums.I have never been one to talk about the fish I have caught.Telling people that I caught fish has nothing to do with why I fish.

I can honestly say that I have never "rushed" to a river based on a report given on this BB. I may ask for reports on a river that I plan on targeting but these "hot spot" reports mean nothing to me. I am confident that I will catch fish wherever I go. As for the Satsop, that river has been like Blue Creek for 10 years now, maybe even more. My usual Satsop fish hole was actually "less crowded" last year than it was a couple of years back in my opinion. I don't know.... I've been slammed for posting reports on this BB when I was a brand new member. I quickly learned not to post such reports. But the Satsop.... That's no zipper.....
Cuttie

Back to the topic of scum trashing accesses with their s**t, I'm surprised nobody's piped up about the gravel bar above cook creek getting gated. It was a good launch point for the boat with more "elbow room". Not the end of the world as I can still launch from the road immediately below the creek but it will be a comedy of errors at daylight with rigs and trailers jockeying in and out of that little slide.

Eric,

That's a very good point. I simply don't know the answer, at least a socially acceptable one. I pick up a bit from time to time, but it seems pretty hopeless. River trash keeps pace with the increasing number of anglers. I see fishermen who claim not to litter dropping stuff on gravel bars and trails. I mention it to them, pick it up, hand it to them, they mumble, and I know they'll do it again because it's their habit. I think it comes down to the human species not having the manners of a cat. Anglers are their own worst enemy. I often mention to friends that the problem with hunters and fishermen is that it's the 80% of clods that are making the remaining 20% look bad.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

I tell few people I hunt and fish anymore because of the slobs that that represent the majority of both sports. It used to be the vast minority were slobs and gentlemenly behavior ruled the rivers and woods. Try to teach a 4 year old respect for the resource with everyone around you snagging and keeping more than the limit and leaving litter everywhere. The foul language at the boat ramps, fist fights and threats over space and access etc. etc. etc.

I find more respect for the environment and resource in downtown Seattle than I do in the small towns of the PNW.

Come on, we all know the problem is the bait fishermen. Restrict all the waters to flyfishing .

Papaslap,

I guess that would reduce the number of styrofoam bait containers left behind. It wouldn't eliminate it tho. The NF Stilly is flyfishing only in the summer, and I used to find bait containers there anyway. Not everyone follows the regulations.

Not to mention that your suggestion, which I suspect was t.i.c., would not set well with more than a few upstanding, non-flyfishing members here. And it won't appeal at all to the slovenly littering fishermen who are also among WDFW's constituents. Gets real complicated real fast, doesn't it?

Got another good idea?

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

All you have to do is sit in your car at a supermarket parking lot and watch people dump their shopping carts to see how lazy people are becoming.

ltl,

Sadly, you know that this is simply not the case for most fishermen. As long as fishing is only about the biggest, the best and the most, you won't stop hearing people boast or seeing posts on this board that only serve to draw attention to themselves and how many, how big and where they "sleyed" them. I guess it's because most people never seem to be satisfied. It's just not enough to be thankful for what they have received (nice fish, great day, good water, beautiful surroundings, a boat to fish from, friends to fish with and time to enjoy, to name a few). It seems we'd all rather grumble and complain or tell everyone how great we are than to share what limited knowlege and appreciation we have to the benefit of others. But I guess until our heart is changed nothing else will either. Just think, we have a whole new salmon steelhead season of bragging and zipperlipping to look forward to. Just a thought, but perhaps we'd all do well to follow Bob's example on this board instead of just using it as our own pee pot.

Thanks for sharing the message that fishing for you is more than just the fish or you. And thanks again for the knowledge and appreciation you have shared with me personally in the past. There's always a spot in my boat for you, even if you'd rather beat the brush.

Eric,

Thanks for the word on the gravel bar. I wasn't aware of it either. A real shame. It was a good take out from Schafer; pulling out at the lower Cook spot won't be as easy as I recall. What happened and what's the outlook for the future?

Once again I braved the inevitable and ventured back to the Satsop. As expected the number of fisherman has increased tenfold since last weekend and so has the carnage. I would like to respond to a couple of posts. First to Stadle: I do not consider myself a "local" on the Satsop, but it is my "home" river. I feel that after several years of working on the steelhead broodstock program and countless hours spent on cleanup and restoration projects has earned me the right to express my concerns. I have a personal stake in the future of this fishery and will meet head on with anyone who impacts it negatively. Eric: You write regarding the closure of the Cook Creek launch- "Not the end of the world as I can still launch from the road immediately below the creek but it will be a comedy of errors at daylight with rigs and trailers jockeying in and out of that little slide". You can't be serious. "Comedy of errors"? How about flat out dangerous. That is not a launch for the novice. You can bet that there will be a fatal accident on that corner one day soon because of "the comedy of errors" taking place in the dark and fog. That ramp would be closed. Soon there will be no public access to the east fork at all. Then what will you do? But more important to me...What will I do?

the access on cook creek...is that the one right by the big chum meathole at the mouth of the creek by the little bridge(where everybody parks now)? the place we used to get into to fish for chums(the big muddy road into the woods) got pretty much fenced off, now you have to get in a little down the road and walk down the creek

chum man

Sounds like you're talking about Schafer Cr. but I'm not positive from your descrption.
The Cook Cr. launch is right off the road halfway up the East Fork on the way up to Schafer Cr. It's literally right off the road. It's really more of a slide than a launch. Short but steep access drops into a tight brushy channel bounded by a long gravel bar (if it's still there). It can be a minor hassle dropping out of there on a launch, but it would be a major inconvenience if you missed the entry channel on the left side on a take out. Parking is a faagettabowdit! No turnaround room at all. Potentially a very dangerous spot under the right conditions. Guess it'll have to do in a pinch. Be careful and considerate out there.

anyone up for a drift on the satsop thursday or friday. 253-874-1931

Yer killing me griz. I'm stuck in the orifice till quarterlys are done.

I can't believe no one is jumping on your offer with all the talk about how many people are heading off to ruin the last zipper known to man. For me, it's just not that often I can find someone to take the sticks, so thanks for the generous invite. Maybe some other time, some other zipper. Best of luck.