Yes. Personally, I don't think anything unusual is happening when I get skunked (repeatedly) while fishing for summer runs, and I don't see that (by itself) as an indication that I should be fishing elsewhere. When I'm hearing that the steelhead fishing sucks everywhere on the coast, I don't see any reason to spend gas money driving to another river to fish over an equally paltry number of fish in water I don't know as well. At least when I get skunked locally, it's while fishing water that I know does hold steelhead (when they're around), and I'm not out $40 on gas.

I'm not fishing every day like DrifterWA (I would if I could), but even though I don't expect great catching, I've been taking opportunities to wander down to the tidewater or drive up the valley a ways and wet a line as they arise. Just last night, I went down below the twin bridges to see if I could see anything coming up with the tide. I saw no fish, but I did spend some rare moments of complete solitude in the wilderness within 20 minutes of my house. Some of us see the ability to go fishing as it's own reward; catching fish is just a really (really) nice plus.

Mayne you should take a extra minutes added to that drive drifter..go check out some other holes..no boats and no people but pods of steelies and some blueback...they are turning their noses up to me but I'd like to see what you can do there.

pm'd ya

Swing:

Thanks for the information

Saturday July 12, 2014

4 fishermen....2 tippers.....again NO FISH, no take downs, no rollers, didn't see anything from the bridge.

1 boat went down river... 3 boat went up the valley, while I was there.

Hope the run is late ???????

7/12 Hit black creek, bobber fishing right above the bridge, went 2/3 in about 2.5 hours, looking over the bridge saw 4 or 5 decent pods of fish moving up...

Sunday July 13, 2014

2 fishermen, no boats went down river......only 1 boat went up the valley.

No fish for the 2 of us....fished daylight until 6:30.....when I left, there was no fish on up side of bridge or as far down in the flats as I could see.

FishinSinsation: Good for you, we must have just missed each other, cause your post was at 9:25. Must have been a phone post????? Did you take any pictures???

Down river at the "posted property", some of us can sit and watch the river....have not been seeing "pods of fish"....property owner looks many time during the day.....he was seen less than 5 fish this season.

Well maybe the run has started ????? I'll be there in the a.m.

Monday...July 14, 2014

2 fishermen, NO FISH, no take downs, no rollers......

No boats went down river, parking lot empty....

What a change in temperature, had to add a blanket during the night.

Tuesday.....July 15, 2014

5 fishermen, 3 tippers.....NO FISH, no take downs, no rollers......

No boats went down the river.....also NO boats went up the valley.

Westport salmon, Kings and Coho, seems to be plentiful......so doesn't seems to be a "ocean problem", unless it only affects steelhead. Maybe time to take a look at other factors ????????

So drifter I get that your trying to keep region 6 's ass to the proverbial fire here with the continued posts to negate their idea of ocean conditions being a major contributing factor, I won't pic sides cause I think it's a combo of several sh!tflurries causing this one big sh!tstorm..but your info on salmon vs steelhead life is wrong. ..it's right in the sense that they all go to the ocean and swim around up north but beyond that you are way off..they travels different routes, in different directions, in totally different levels of the water column, and eat a different diet. So the comparison just has no real relevance, it's gonna take actually looking at these fish to give a real idea as to what has happened to the majority of them..i would imagine even a read on a something as simple as a scale sample might give us some good info

Swing:

You are probably correct.......

I'm just the person doing the posting......lot's of daily summer run fishermen are seeing the very same or in some cases worse. Actually, this fine river, has been in a downward trend. I've been retired since 1997.....so fish the Wynoochee for steelhead, winter and summer. Plant numbers have been the same for a long time....wish I had access to punch card data, I don't, but believe it would show there are less being caught than a few years back......do I have answers ????? no, but are the people that should be seeking the answers.....doing their jobs?????

Drifter - Look at the link below, particularly session five. The people seeking the answers are doing their job even though their answers aren't always popular.

Steelhead Management

Wednesday...July 16, 2014

5 fisherpersons, slipped a lady into the group, result......still NO FISH.

1 boat went down river, just texted me, 7 hrs. and never saw a fish.

1 takeout rig....never saw them, long gone up the valley before I got there.


WN1A......thanks

I do remember killin it out there several years back with i think 40 or 50 caught outta that river for the season but that is also cause that year class had received a 140k+ or something smolt plant..these 60 plants don't always cut it when ocean survivability and other factors such as genetics, over harvest in other regions, and other environmental thing here to referred to as "[Bleeeeep!]" come into play. .
Granted they aren't always 60k but pretty close..and only one year of like 25k...we all remember that season..and the even i remember the posts on this board about how horrible it was..river was officially given over to the swimmers for 4 months.
But there are PLENTY of very, very hard working people out there gathering the needed data and trying their best to work with all of the parties trying to exploit the resource. .granted, most of their technical advice might not make it up the political chain that is wdfw...but that is not to say that it isn't gathered..cause it is and is right there in black and white for you the fishermen to utilize.. many of those guys should have some beers bought for them for their dedication to their jobs. .cause those jobs kinda suck

Thursday.....July 17, 2014

3 fishermen, 1 tipper.....NO FISH

1 boat went down the river...No boats went up the valley, while I was there.

Water is up, a little, increased flow from the dam.....

Not aware of any guides on the river.......another telling story. Guides COULD BE working the 7400 to White Bridge ????? I don't drive to White Bridge to see how many rigs are there......can't believe it would be many....water would be low in upper stretch of river, not my favorite when I used to be "on the sticks"....

I would try somewhere else.

fish4brains:

Thanks......my truck just drives to "the spot"......and I have fished other places....not seeing people, or fish......

Thanks.....

Don't make me come down there.... Lol.

Friday.....July 18, 2014

4 fishermen, 3 tippers and me......

1 boat went down river

2 boats went up the valley......thanks to the 2nd boat for honking to let me know they were passing......I liked it.....also tells me, that they have been reading my posts,

Was a fun morning.......... and , that's all I'm saying............

Drifter,
I have been away from home for a couple of weeks working on the fires on the east side. Every night before I go to bed, I check this thread to see how you have done. You made my evening tonight reading that!

Saturday....July 19, 2014


3 fishermen. 2 tippers and me......

2 boats went down river

2 boats went up the west side

3 boats went up the valley........horn honker went by, but he wasn't 1st..

and a

Now there could be more boats.....that go up the valley before I get there....I'm still not seeing fish off the bridges, I don't like that