Hey guys,
I hear a drift boat went under at the inlet on the Wynooche on Monday. Just curious what in the hell they were doing on the river on Monday? The river has been out of shape for a while now. I am sure it wasn't fishable. For you of those that have never been down the Nooch, there is a spillway. The spillway isn't anything big or nasty but it is kinda tricky. You CANNOT go into this damn sideways. The back pressure is amazing! I hear they all made it out ok, just curious what happened to the boat, and or gear. Get out and walk around the spillway if you are a first timer on the oars.

Andy

I have not heard of any boat but at the flow the nooch was going on monday no boat let alone a drift boat need be on that river. I will never know why people keep thinking they are the master of a river. Nooch Kid.....


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Maybe they were plunkers

Actully it was sunday they lost it. Monday they pulled the boat out. I was fishing sunday and there was no way a driftboat should have been on the river that day especially people who didnt know what they where doing. Luckily everyone surrived. The people at the water intake station did another GREAT job in saveing them.Unfortunately they are getting alot of practice this year. So everyone please read the signs and stay left like it says and the possiblity of dumping your boat will be less.

Maybe They don't know how to read. It's hard to believe that someone was on the Nooch on Sunday let alone try to go over the spillway. We always walk the boat around. Better safe than sorry.
Fish hard or go home!

My brother and I pulled the boat out of the river and dewatered it on Monday. It was a Ft.Lewis rental boat. I was going to take it home, but we decided to just leave it at the Black Creek take-out. It was a beat up aluminum drift boat.

A lot of fresh brats in the river on Monday.



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Did they try to go over the dam or what?That is one of the easiest rivers in Wash. to drift.We drifted it sun. from the 7400 to the white bridge and the river was in good shape for the rain we had.I seen some other posts on how people shouldnt have been on the nooch on sun.but it was very productive for us.9 fish is a good day we had 1 nate 20 lbs.Oh well different strokes for different folks!

I'm with you Loomis Man. If you can't shoot across that spillway, you might as well give the oars up NOW. Keep the boat straight, and when you go across the spillway, give it 2 or 3 good hard pushes on the oars. It's really not that hard. I'm not sure the Nooch is the easiest in the state (Satsop comes to mind), but it's NOT difficult.

If you ask me, these guys simply weren't paying attention and hit the spillway sideways and got sucked backwards which ended their day. Just goes to show that when you're on the oars, you should keep your head in the daylight.

Fish on............

I talked to a guy who sank at the cable bridge on that river. He had 3 guys in the boat, 1 big guy was in the stern seating on a cooler. He ran up on a log which lowered the back end, and with the big guy back there, water poured in rapidly and sunk the boat in a hearbeat.

Loomis man, how is the drift from the 7400 road to the white bridge? Where do you put in? How many miles is it?

Spike,

The upper drift is a bit more of a challenge than the middle drift, but it's still pretty easy. You can drop in just below the bridge on the 7400 line. The bar just below the bridge is where most drop in. It's about 15 miles down to the old White bridge, so you'd better keep moving if you're doing this one in Jan., but you shouldn't have to hurry too much now that the days are getting a little longer. Nice water in this stretch. This drift gets a little skinny on water during summer flows, but you can usually still get down it during June, but by the end of the month, you'll be clanging rocks.

Hope this helps.......


Fish on......

Hey Dan, Is that the launch at schafer creek? I thought they closed that road ?fished that drift a few times over the years , it can be a very long day on that one thanks

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Tight Lines
FISH ON ------<*)>><
Men are like fish we get into trouble when we open our mouths to much!!

Steelheader Boy,

The upper put-in off the 7400 is above Schaeffer creek but not by much. It actually has a decent road down to the bar, and if you stay high up on the bar you can get in/out easily with a 2-wheel drive. I guess they did close the othe road, but you can still get down below the new bridge on the 7400. I like the water on the upper drift the most, but it seems the boat traffic is worse up there than on the middle river anymore. My buddy and I did get limits of chrome hatchery fish on Monday in the upper river. You still ahve a chance to catch a keeper if you can go in the next couple days........


Fish on........

Dan S., When do the summer brats reach the upper Nooch (7400 road to white bridge)?

spike,

There's usually a few summer-run in the Nooch from the June 1st opener on. The problem is that the water gets pretty skinny after the end of June, so you may have to clank your way down if you're in a boat. The upper river doesn't have tremendous bank access, so a boat will help you cover more good water. The Nooch usually has pretty good numbers of summer-runs, and they're pretty big on average. If you use some stealth tactics, late summer fishing can be good in the low, clear flows.

Maybe I'll see you out there....good luck.

Fish on......

Thanks Dan, a good friend of mine used to fish up there in Sept and Oct, but he got tired of the Cowlitz crouds. I just wanted to know when the fresh fish are in the upper stretch of the river. I do have a boat and I will only go to the Nooch on my Mondays off of work. Mybe I will see you out there.

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