I was noticing, Saturday, several drift boats fishing the Green River. I was talking to some of the neighbors who live on the Green and they were saying the drift boats were fishing for nates for a broodstock program.

Anyone know anything more about this "test" fishery?

Two chapters of Trout Unlimited for south King county, used to be Northwest Steelheaders Council had the broodstock capture program last weekend. For six boats they only found two fish in the upper river. The whole program needed fifty five fish for escapement and they only have nineteen.

I don't want to start the whole broodstock debate again...it's going on fine on its own thread...but...

What the hell are there boats doing within two miles of that river if the Green is going to be way below escapement again this year?

Fish on...

Todd

Not to mention for the average fisherman who knows the river is closed to all fishing right now and to see all the boat trailers at the take-out by Hwy 18. I am sure that creates a little confusion.

I am not the guy to ask when it comes to politics. I just have a buddy that participated in the capture. I am just providing some facts- don't shoot the messenger!
I agree that boat traffic would cause confusion though.

It is my understanding this program is to replentish plummeting hatchery stocks. Anyone know if this is true?

They have been Broodstocking for a long time. It usually include the Green River Steelhead club doing most of the fishing for it.

Tight lines

Kevin

I think if they've been doing it for a long time & it ain't working they should knock it off. Close fishing cuz the run is too low but let's go catch the few that make it??????????

In the past they would release nates and fry hatched at Ketta Creek above the dam, but that was'nt working to well so they stoped. Currently the Army Corp. are building a spillway at the dam so the smolt can get down in the spring. Once that is complete the city of Tacoma will start trapping nates at the dam and release them above the dam as well as the Tribe and WDFW will release fry above the lake. The current broodstock is for introducing the nate strain with the hatchery fish in hopes of getting a better return. I was told their goal was to get 12 hens for the program. Hey Easy Limits if you had just gone east a couple hundred feet I could have given you the skinny.

So wild fish are being used to enhance failing hatchery stocks. This on a system that is well below escapement for the umpteenth time in a row. I'm gonna do some *****in about this tommorow . I will post results

Skydriftn, the Green has met its escapement 7 out of the last 10 years. I also don't agree with the removal of nates from the river but this is something the tribe wants and is paying for and when it comes to the Green the tribe has the power.

Thanks Dave! I will remember that next time.

According to the numbers that the WDFW provided that the WSC put charts together with the Green has missed escapement the last 4 years in a row.

2000 1700 fish
2001 just under 1500
2002 just over a 1000 fish
2003 just over 1500 fish

And Escapement is set at 2000 fish. From 85-03 It has missed escapement 10 time according to the info I have.

Hopefully it is swinging back up as the prettiest winter fish I ever got was from that river.

JJ

As the graph shows, the Green River has missed or barely made escapement 19 out of the last 26 years (including this year, not on the graph)...and of those 19 that missed or barely made escapement, 7 would have either made escapement or been over escapement if there had been no sport harvest.

You're right that we have no control over the tribal harvest, but if that had been curtailed a few more of those 19 would have made escapement, too.

The population line (black line) shows that over those 26 years the population has fallen to the point where escapement and run size are almost identical...meaning that on an averge at this point, any harvest will put the run under escapement.

Fish on...

Todd

When I mentioned escapement goals, my info was second-hand and was, from my understanding, the goals for this capture program only. Like I said before- I am not the go to guy for statistics and politics!

Just trying to dodge any bullets here...

Todd, the 7out of 10 years was told to me yesterday by a wdfw employee. They also e-mailed me the escapement numbers from83 to present (probably the same info that you have) . I stand corrected. Thanks Dave

My buddy just got back from the Cedar River and said he saw three different guys carrying rods along the river?? What's that all about? :rolleyes:

BD

The must have been going their own "broodstock program".

Nah, you ALWAYS see people fishing the Cedar. I even remember a year or so ago on the news they showed 2 20 year olds climbing up out of the river after a fall by one of them. he got injured and his buddy was helping him. They said the guy fell in after trying to retrieve his lure from a tree. And the 3rd guy was a passing fisherman that helped out. Not once did they mention these three guys were poaching, or that the river had been closed for years.

As for the green. We saw those guys too going down, didn't know who they were and i was sure ready to drop the bomb on them at the launch but soon realized they were not the typical anglers. Hope they help things out.
This was a terribly slow year but about 2 weeks before the closure me and a buddy talked to 6 drift boats and 4 had limits at the take out and 2 that passed us, 1 had hooked and released 3 fish on spoons and the other hooked and released 4 and kept 2. All 7 released were nates. Sounds pretty good to me but who knows, just hope it gets better. The Green definately needs some attention. A good start would be a cleanup party like in the past. It's the least we could do.

I would be interested to know more about the program, can't say Im in favor at this point, although Im sure that TU is trying to do something they feel is good for the fish, the question begs, is it really good for the wild stocks? Might be just the thing to help the recovery of the Green, just need to know more.