Looking to take my dad on a trip for steelhead on the Quinault. Can I get a suggestion on when to go and with what guide?

Thanks.

For numbers now through Jan. For trophy fish Feb- April. Robbin Rhoades is tops.

I'm with Dave, Robbin is the best. He only has a few dates open in January. so don't miss out, I'm going!

Another endorsement for Robbin Rhoades.....

And yet another for Rhoades, but he can be pretty booked by this time of year. Hurry.

We have been throwing that idea around also. A bunch of desert folks that have fished for steelhead for way too many years and never been to the O.P- How much is the avg trip on the Quinault per person. I have been thinking about a march trip and then spend a couple of days with some other guides, maybe Bob himself if he is not booked up. Would be neat to see some of the places you guys are talking about. One of our crews dad has a place in Sequim (sp) Is that a realistic base of operations for this type of trip ???

You can check out Robbin's web site for all that info.

Quinault Guide Service

Robbin charges $150 per person for a day on the water.

Check out the photos on his site and you be the judge if it's worth it or not.

I second Rhoades,However let's hope the river clears up between now and February.I've got him booked for Feb 1st and Mar 7th.
Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

B-run
Sequim is ok but if there is a freeze, road conditions will bad before dawn, especially if you don't drive them much they seem much worse to me than the eastside hwys this time of year with all the moisture, tree shadows, ect.
Money does't grow on my trees either but consider staying closer if there's gonna be cold weather.

well if Robin is all booked up I would give Dean johnstone a call I have met that robin guy on the salmon and the lower Queets a couple of times I didn't care to much for him I have used dean 2 or 3 times a year for thr last 6 or 7 years and have never had a bad trip always lots of fish

Of course I will get flamed royally for this, but I say shame on any board members that complain about the unfair policies r/t tribal versus non-tribal fisheries, yet are willing to pay to fish that tribal-only river..... To me it is just the principle. Same with the Casino's.

But typical in this country is the attitude that "as long as I get what I want I don't care" and that is what this is, nothing more. Willingness to "sell out" for that 20+# steelhead is wrong no matter what justification is stated....... He may be the best guide in the world (and a good person to boot), but I refuse to support any tribal endeavor until they begin to give two shiots for non-tribal "citizens" and fairness.....

MC

MC.....I disagree. Robbin Rhoades is a hard working guide who opposes his own tribe's netting practices. I would fish with him any day of the week and be proud of it. I have spent many days on the river debating fishing issues with Robbin and respect him and what he does.

The other issue MC is that even though I may disagree with the Indian's netting, I can categorically state that the Quinault tribe produces the best Hatchery Steelhead in this State. And that's worth something too.

Happy New Year.

Robbin is a class act, educated in native american history, politically savvy, and one of the best guides in the northwest. I also disagree with the post critical of those who would fish with a tribal guide. I fish with Robbin because he is a friend of 21 years and the Quinalt system produces some great fish. We always have a great time up there.

MC: What Grandpa said in spades:

Robbin has worked long and hard to help his tribe see there is more benefit to them in guiding than in gill netting. He has made some progress, but it a tough sell. I think that if he and a few others show the gill netters that they are making a good living guiding - and promoting C&R as Robbin does - that's a good thing. We can boycott the good guys like Robbin and leave him and the others with NO way to make a buck except gill netting. That seems really counterproductive to me.

Dave...you are right about Robbin...He is frustrated that members of his own tribe don't want to work...We were discussing the opportunities tha tribe could have by promoting the Quinault as a destination fishing resort...Robbin listened and would like the idea himself but he says the tribal members just wouldn't be willing to work as hard as he does to make that idea a reality. Can you imagine a lodge at Amanda Park dedicated to fishing the Quinault , Salmon and Queets...all on the rez? Alot of the families that hold fishing sites on the river for netting do not even fish it themselves but sub it out. Most of them do not have the savvy and work ethic Robbin has and that is too bad.

I love to stay in Robbins rental house so I can walk across his front yard to the boat in the morning.

If he was not guiding on tribal controlled water you would most likely not even know his name. So he takes advantage of the system. I am a black and white person and in the case of fishing rights in the NW you are either an American citizen that has to play by the same rules as the rest of us or you are someone with special privledge.

And your point is? Sure he lives by the rules he was born with. Rules he had absolutly nothing to do with establishing. Wouldn't you in the same circumstances?

The point is he is working hard to STOP tribal neting. That makes him an ally as I see it.

Tribal Guides are alot better than tribal netts, no doubt about that

But one thing for sure I would never pay money to fish the Quinault, Queets, Salmon or Raft. Thats my choice and if you do I dont agree with you but thats your choice.

The way I see It why should I have to pay for to fish for hatchery fish that I already paid for with my tax dollars. I paid for them but someone else has exclusive rights to them, it makes no sense to me at all.

Come on now....You pay any guide don't you? All about the same price? You catch hatchery fish that your tax money pays for and you pay the white guide but you won't pay the indian guide??? Sour grapes me thinks. I have a few fishing buddies who think the same way and I respect that. I also respect any honest hard working guide who knows how to show me a quality day of fishing. I like the Quinault because it is pristine and quiet and has no houses or people on it...I have seen maybe 5-10 people total on a trip down that river. To me that is worth every cent.

Another endorsement in the form of a story:

Last fall (2002) I took an important client for two days of fishing with Robbin on the Quinault. We stayed in his rental house. On the first day he drove from his house which is right next to the bridge on 101 at Amanda Park up river to the lake which is not very far at all. We tossed spinners near the pilings. I figured ..oh well..Robbin is going to make out on this trip as he is right next to his house. After fishing for an hour or so he said let's go...he walked over to his house and got his truck and trailer and pulled the boat out of the water. We followed him on a really long drive through logging roads and eventually came out at a backwater on the river where we launched the boat. We proceeded to get into tons of Kings and silvers and had a ball. We came back to the house at dark after spending all day fishing. The next day he did it again. My customer and I had a blast and really appreciated how Robbin put out 110% when he really didn't have to so we could have a great experience.

That my boy is why I fish on the Quinault with Robbin Rhoades. Not because he is an indian but because he is a good guy and a pro.

I also appreciate his side of the story concerning tribal fishing rights. He knows the heritage he comes from well and can express himself well too. He doesn't seem to hold it against me that I am disappointed with most of what the tribes do when it comes to fishing. I guess the lesson is to listen to both sides. Make your beliefs known and stand up for them with all you've got. I know I am going to have to work with the tribes and look forward to trying. Refusing to talk to them is not the answer just as much as caving in them when they are wrong.

Grandpa,

I have nothing agianst any of the Quinault Guides as individuals. I just wont suppot or agree with the fact they have exclusive rights to the river and the hatchery fish that are paid for by our federal and state tax dollars that they have no contribution to. If they want to use federal monnies to make the hatchery fish everyone should have the right to fish for them without paying if the desire no matter if its on the reservation or not.

This all might be moot anyhow 'cuz looking at the river (we went over night before last), it may be a VERY long time time before it produces any quality fishing of any kind without use of a gill net.

B-RUN ... For our schedule, if you decide you'd like to do something, here's how we're looking:
Jan - Full
Feb - open 11, 17
March - Full
April - open 4-8, 11, 13-15

WOW.i thought this guy was just lookin for some info on a guide??? not you political preference. :p

Inky or Tandy Charley. Steve let us down with a late arrival.

Fished with Tandy last year. Wasn't that impressed. Very short day for the money. Heard that Inky was a lot more fun. The Duck

NO kidding, me too.

Well he was, and sorry for steering this thread off in another direction..... but....

I am sure that Robyn (and others) are great people and it is wonderful that he is trying to stop tribal gillnetting. My disgust with that system and support of that tribal fishery is nothing more than the point, that on non-tribal rivers (rivers off the res) they do not have to pay to fish, but on THEIR river we can only fish if we pay. What about the 50/50 deal? If we have to pay to have the pleasure of fishing a river on their reservation, then the Sovereign Nation when off of its border should have to pay equally. Hell, they do not even have to pay launching fee's like we all do. Just plain unfair, and I will not support their interests and/or fisheries until I feel they will support mine... Simple as that... But to you that feel different, no problem. I respect your opinions and I know if Dave and Grandpa like this guy then he must be a great guy....

Regards!

MC

NO one would like to see real equality more than I would. I wonder what the world would be like if we didn't have all the programs, laws and treaties trying to engineer humanity. Probably alot better. Indians would probably not be in the shape they're in, blacks would probably have assimilated into society just fine decades ago, welfare would be unknown and unnecessary. BUT....The feel good social engineers have had a field day for the last 50 or so years and the result has been a gigantic mess. A mess so bad that we may never be able to right the wrongs. SO in the meantime I will continue to fight against the tribes "super-citizen" status but I won't hold it against the law abiding individuals.

I hope to make contact with tribal leaders this year and atleast see if there is any hope of working together. Fishermen are tough nuts to crack when it comes to softening hatreds....I was at a meeting not long ago where one person said he would rather spit on the indians that work with them....To that another member of the group said something like this: Many of us would consider that to be a waste of spit........

So you can see with feelings like that we may have to wait along time for things to get better. In the mean time I may visit
Robbin from time to time and listen to his side of the story once more.