Today I received a News Letter from a Local Tackle shop in Skagit County (which I do every week). But this one was a little different then most, they talk about the Chum fishery in the Skagit which is not open for Chum fishing!

There was too columns of fishing reports; on the fishery telling how good it is. And how to fish for them, HMMMMMMMM!

Is there any thing wrong with promoting a fishery that’s closed?

In my book there is!!!

Here is a sample from the news letter:

“The popular Spud Bar above the forks continues to be productive for chum while occasionally yielding some large silvers.”

“A couple of customers reported doing well on chums this past Monday fishing the Gardner Bar area with metallic Spin N Glows sizes 4 to 6 tipped with sand shrimp. Aside from the bountiful chum fishing they did manage to catch a bright 7 pound silver.”

“Perhaps the most consistent section of river has been the Hamilton-Lyman stretch. “I have removed the name of the guide” and clients fished this area and did very well this past Thursday catching over twenty chum ranging from 12 pounds to well over 20 pounds along with a couple of silvers. The fish were taken on a variety of Dick Nites and Blue Fox Vibrax spinners. "Name removed" and clients returned to the scene of the action Saturday and while chum fishing had slowed somewhat, they boated three mint bright silvers that tipped the scales at 6.5 pounds to 12 pounds.”


FLAME ON!

Homer I get te same e-mail newsletter and in defense of the guide mentioned in it, who I consider a friend, you cannot help but catch Chums in the lower Skagit right now...They're everywhere!!!

We've been fishing all the traditional silver water & gear and have been getting loads of Chum. I've even pinched all my barbs on my silver gear the because Chums have been so numerous. They've been hitting everything from Vibrax's & Dick Nites to the usual plugs we do best on Silvers with.

I do feel a bit guilty when hooking into one knowing the season is not yet open for them but it seriously cannot be helped.

Yesterday we hooked 10 plus Chum to 7 Silvers. Today was more Silvers than Chum fishing the same water.

Skagit chums are such a tradition for many people that it just seems natural to fish them. And with the number of chums that are usually visible in the river most people would never imagine a closure. When I first noticed it in the regs I thought it may have been an error, but it's the real deal.
I hear rumors that staff at the tackle shop near my house are telling customers to fish the Skagit for chums. One employee from the same shop openly talks about fishing for Skagit kings in the summer. That employee also ran into my buddy on the NF Stilly this last summer and was admittedly fishing for kings there. :rolleyes:

Hey Johnny I agree you cant help but catch them. They are everywhere on the skagit right now went Monday and they were every where hooked about 10 chums some of the brightest chum I have ever seen.

With all the chums in the skagit, can anyone tell me the reason for not having a season? when I first read it I thought it was a misprint.

Chum Forecast this Fall for the Skagit.

Nooksack/Samish 78,484
Skagit 120,711
Stillaguamish 128,979

You can see that the Stillaguamish has a BIGGER forecast run (fry based) of Chums then the Skagit! And look at the size of the river!

One more thing to add, why did the Tackle shop say how to catch Chum in there news letter? And not say the Chum fishery was closed? HMMMMMM!

“…chums this past Monday fishing the Gardner Bar area with metallic Spin N Glows sizes 4 to 6 tipped with sand shrimp”

Time to head and watch the chum line at Swift Creek

Since when has someone's own perception of a "large run" been justification for poaching? This is a blatant example of fishing where and when you want to fish just because you feel like it. If a river is closed to a species then targeting it is illegal and immoral. I've got neighbors with this mentality and it just boils down to selfish greed. Of course there are always a lot of excuses to justify a behavior.

A thread earlier in the season mentioned that the Skagit isn't open for chum retention this year. The question was addressed by Smalma when he said the preseason forecast is less than the spawning escapement goal. Therefore, there are no harvestabe chum salmon even though there may be a lot of them in the river. I don't recall what the even year escapement goal is, but it's a pretty big number.

Maybe there will be a runsize update. If there is, and the run is larger than previously predicted, then WDFW could open it.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

And a well known fly guide is offering November classes in Skagit chum fly fishing.

You're got to be jokeing, he wasn't here it is!

******** winter Flyfishing for Steelhead, Dolly Varden and Chum Salmon Schools
Now Booking for 2004
Nov. 19, 20, 21 or 22
Don’t put that rod away yet! ****** and **** are now offering a crash course in flyfishing on some of the Skagit Rivers’ finest.

Isn't Dennis special!

I noticed the chum class too. Sounds like his humpy trips on the upper river last year before the upper section was open for them.

Why delete thier names? Why are you protecting them?

Poachers suck...

I just want everyone to know that I was fishing for silvers when I caught my Chum it just happens to be that the chums hit everything I threw !!!!!!!

Here's why we can't fish them:

http://www.piscatorialpursuits.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=017720#000030

LT,
Thanks for the link to that thread from last spring.....answered a lot of my questions.

After reading all of it I still don't understand (or agree with, at least until educated) why the escapement goals are so high for chums (118,000) vs winter steelhead (6000).
It is hard to believe that a run of 100,000 plus can not safely support a catch and release season, but we have allowed a kill fishery on steelhead through Feb. in previous years. This makes no sense.

Rat:
It is ridiculous to call Dickson a poacher. I have been a gear fisherman for 30+ years but took one of his schools a few years ago to learn how to flyfish for steelhead and have been a client several times a year since. His practices are the most conservative of any guide I have seen. Strictly barbless CR, hooks no bigger than 2, no nets or fish removed from the water. Mentioning Chums in his school ad is simply recognizing that they will be caught by accident (as many have reported) while flyfishing for other species. You're attacking the wrong guy!

Hey Jam what they are saying is that since you cannot retain any chums that it is immoral to target chum. I am with everyone here that says you shouldnt target chums because they are not keepable. Now if you are fishing for silvers and happen to hook into chum all the power to you but it is immorally wrong to target them.

Stlhd,
I understand that point but don't completely agree with it. How do you justify fishing for wild steelhead with this reasoning? CR allows the maximum recreational opportunity with the minimum impact and is our best bet to be able to keep fishing. I think runs of 100,000+ can support a CR fishery, without significant impact. It is clear that this is technically not legal, but you are splitting hairs to say targetting them is immoral because you are going to catch them anyway when targeting the other species.

I understand your reasoning about about wild stealhead I dont want to get into that again I believe there is a thread that goes on for days. I just have to ask the question should they close the Skagit because the chums are in there . A escapement goal of over a 100,000 fish is quite a bit and should be able to sustain a meat fishery.
I dont know about how others feel but I am with a lot of other people CHUM YUCKY.
Also in regards if they are not open to retention why target them . I have been fishing the Skagit religously and I know it cannot be helped but why should a guide give a clinic on how to catch them on a river they are closed for maybe he should go to the Sky and give his clinic where they are open just my .02

I don't understand what you guys are so self righteous about. Dickson is teaching flyfishing on the Skagit. Most flyfishing techniques you use to catch steelhead or dollies will also catch chums, cause there is 100,000 of them in the river and they are aggressive fish! I guess it is not politically correct to point that out. If you think this is a big deal, you should stop using all methods for silvers that might also catch a chum or I will accuse you of targetting them too.
Save your attacks for the snaggers!