Can anyone recommend a good guide for the lower Quinalt? I found one on the web @www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Rapids/3765/indexr.html
This guy looks like he kills anything that swims. Many pictures of dead adipose fins on his page.(Ralphie should sent him some mail!)I wouldn't pay him a wooden nickel.Would like to fish with someone that respects the resource.

If the guy "kils everything that swims", then why did you give the website address? Ulterior motives? (maybe you gave it so we wouldn't go to that site??????)......Sure.

Whatever you say AkBill! I'm not sure what my motives would be. Just thought people like Ralph Emerson might be interested that there are a lot greater evils in this world than the readers of this forum.
I'd still like to know of a good guide for the Quinalt. Thanks

Drifter, I tried to edit my reply so it wasn't so confrontational, I think I may have been partially wrong in what I said. Giving his web site set me off.

[This message has been edited by AkBill (edited 03-19-99).]

Drifter, I have fished with a couple of guides on the Lower Quinalt. Call the tribal office and ask for a list of the "licensed" guides (approx 20). I believe the phone number is in the Wa. St. fishing regs under Quinalt River, if not it must be on the web. Most of the guides don't practice c&r but releasing a fish is always your option. They have a very healthy fishery that is mass netted and sportfished but yet the returns are fantastic and the hatchery fish are huge and numerous. I was given a tour of the hatchery (very small by our states standards) by my guide on a rained out day and I was very impressed by the information presented and the employees themselves. No fish under 12lbs. were used as hatchery stock on the day I was there, and several HENS OVER 20LBS. were captured in the nets. They use gill nets to snare the returning fish at the hatchery, the nets are set and watched until a fish hits the nets and moves the floats, then the guys pull the nets and place the fish in the retention pond until time to spawn. I respect the fishery that these people have developed and most importantly they have not destroyed like some other rivers. snit

LD, The Quinault has to be the best fishery in the state hands down.I personally have hooked over 200+(lost track around then) in the Creek alone! since the 1st week in Dec. until I quit fishing the creek about 3 wks ago. With all the drama with Wa. Natives I have much respect for their fishery and the guys who manage it! I fish with a guy who I am glad to call my freind and works at the hatchery,who can not only fish better than any of my fishing partners(besides my father, who is fishing in a better place now! and myself of course, sorry Gray Wolf but remember the 30 fish day Besides planting the Quinault they plant 3 or 4 other rivers with thousands of smolts that most fisherman don't even know about and would be surprised if they knew. I know a couple of great guides on that river. Email me and I can point you in the right direction and remember its always your choice for C&R

Your right AkBill. I probably should not have posted that guide's page.After reading recent posts on commercially sold fish by the Quinalt tribe and how they don't clip their hatchery fish I feel pretty stupid anyway.
Thanks snit and Maverick for the good info.concerning the tribe's management of this system.

THE STATE SHOULD TAKE LESSONS FROM THEM!

Drifter, that makes two of us that feel stupid. I feel like an ass$&^% for the way I worded my reply, I was obviously wrong about your motive. Sometimes I have a bad habit of typing before thinking (especially after a few beers). I hope you catch a 20 pounder(or two)when you go. Bill

One of the best guides on the "Holy Water" is a guy by the name of Clay Butler. He can be contacted thru the Amanda Park store. They also have a list of guides and phone numbers for that river. The fact that the pictures of fish you saw did not have clipped fins does not mean that the fish were natives as the hatchery on Cook Creek doesn't clip fins or at least they didn't. Anyway you don't have to keep any fish if you don't want to, at least with Clay we didn't and we were out for the full day, sunup to sundown. Was the best day steelheading ever, 29 fish to the boat and several fish over #20 on. Best of luck.