WDFW NEWS RELEASE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife http://wdfw.wa.gov/
November 16, 2010
Contact: Bob Leland, (360) 902-2817
Wild steelhead retention on eight
Olympic Peninsula rivers opens Feb. 16
OLYMPIA - The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is
reminding anglers that they will not be allowed to catch and keep
wild steelhead on eight Olympic Peninsula rivers until mid-February.
Earlier this year, the annual opening date for wild steelhead
retention was changed from Dec. 1 to Feb. 16 on eight rivers with
fisheries for wild steelhead.
That change, adopted by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission
last February, applies to fisheries for wild steelhead on the
Bogachiel, Calawah, Clearwater, Dickey, Hoh, Quillayute, Quinault
and Sol Duc rivers. Those eight rivers are the only waters in
Washington where wild steelhead retention is allowed.
The change does not affect fisheries currently under way for
hatchery-reared steelhead - identifiable by their missing adipose or
ventral fin.
The commission, which sets policy for WDFW, changed the opening date
for wild steelhead retention to protect the early portion of the
run, said Bob Leland, WDFW's steelhead program manager. He noted,
however, that anglers will still have an opportunity to catch and
keep a wild fish during the peak of the return in late spring.
"Making this change will help to maintain the diversity of the run -
including a range of late and early returning fish - that is
important in preserving the wild steelhead population," Leland said.
As before, anglers will be allowed to retain one wild steelhead per
license year on one of the eight rivers. For more information on
season dates and fishing rules, check the Fishing in Washington
regulation pamphlet at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/ .
Leland said the change is consistent with WDFW's Statewide Steelhead
Management Plan, which was approved by the commission in 2008. The
statewide plan, available on WDFW's website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/fisheries/steelhead/
, sets out a variety of conservation policies to guide fisheries
management, hatchery operations and habitat-restoration programs.
Leland said anglers should be aware that the sportfishing rules
adopted by the commission earlier this year also include regulations
that prohibit the retention of wild steelhead on the Green
(Duwamish), Pysht and Hoko rivers. The change is designed to protect
wild steelhead on the three rivers, where wild runs have recently
been in decline.
CALL FOR PRICING
Olympic Peninsula fishing guides are able to bring you Salmon
and Steelhead and Sturgeon limits from this Columbia River fishing hotspot. The
action is non-stop for Salmon, Coho, and Silver Salmon and Chinook Salmon throughout
the year in the Pacific Northwest but the absolute best fishing is at Buoy10 and
during the best times local fishing guides can get limits in just a few hours.
South Sound/Olympic Peninsula
Fishing: Blackmouth fishing
is off to a strong start in Hood Canal, while steelhead anglers are
hoping for some rain on the northern peninsula. In the weeks ahead,
a three-day razor clam dig is proposed for late March.
Anglers fishing for blackmouth
salmon near Seabeck during President’s Day weekend made a good
choice for starting off the season, said Steve Thiesfeld, WDFW fish
biologist. "The weather was great and folks on Hood Canal did well
over the weekend," Thiesfeld said. A creel check of 53 boats showed
an average of one fish for every two poles.
Olympic Peninsula fishing guides is dedicated to promotion
of the outdoor opportunities of the northwest. Fishing and camping is better in
the Northwest than anywhere else in the world. Pick out a guide or resort and
start planning the outdoor adventure of a life time. Olympic Peninsula fishing reports.
Fishing was considerably slower in the Strait
of Juan de Fuca and southern Puget Sound. A creel check at John
Wayne Marina showed 186 anglers with 21 blackmouth, while 303
anglers checked at Port Townsend Boat Haven caught 40 fish. At Point
Defiance (Marine Area 11), the average was one fish for every 13
anglers.
The 33rd annual Discovery Bay Salmon Derby,
held Feb. 14-6, proved successful for Tom Casey of Sequim who won
the $5,000 first prize for his 18.85-pound blackmouth salmon.
Ninety-nine anglers submitted 102 fish during the state’s
longest-running derby.
Olympic Peninsula's finest rivers or the Sol-Duc River, Hoh River
are popular. The Bogachiel River, Calawah River, Quillayute River, Queets River
offer great wild Steelhead and Salmon as well as sea-run Cutthroat near Forks, WA.
in heated drift boats where lodging options are available.
Action: A portion of the
Chehalis River and its tributaries will be closed to ALL FISHING
for the remainder of the winter season.
Effective dates:
March 16, 2009 – April 30, 2009.
Species affected: Closed
to fishing for ALL SPECIES upstream from Porter Bridge. Closed
to fishing for ALL SPECIES — except white sturgeon — from the
mouth of the river to Porter Bridge.
Location:Chehalis
River (from mouth to high bridge on Weyerhaeuser 1000 line
approximately 400 yards downstream of Roger Creek upstream
including all forks and tributaries and the Chehalis River,
South Fork from the mouth to Hwy bridge at Boistfort School) and
its tributaries; Cloquallum Creek (from the mouth to Hwy. 8
Bridge to the 2nd bridge on Cloquallum Rd), Newaukum
River (South, Middle and North Forks), Satsop River and East
Fork (from the mouth to bridge at Schafer State Park),
Skookumchuck River (from the mouth to 400’ below outlet of
PP&L/WDFW steelhead rearing pond located at the base of
Skookumchuck Dam), Wishkah River (from the mouth to 200’ below
the weir at the Wishkah Rearing Ponds), and Wynoochee River
(from the mouth to above mouth of Schafer Creek upstream).
Reasons for action:
Early indications are that
both hatchery and natural steelhead returning to the Chehalis
River basin are well below pre-season projections. Available
data indicate escapement goals will not be met. Many
independent tributaries have not achieved their spawner
escapement goals in recent years; the entire Chehalis River
system has not met minimum conservation goals for the last two
years. To minimize overall impact to the natural spawning
population and to ensure hatchery egg-take needs are achieved,
the sport fishery will be closed.
Other
information: Quinault Indian
Nation has also closed their commercial fishery in the lower
Chehalis River for the remainder of the winter steelhead season.
Information
Contact:
Kirt Hughes or Barbara McClellan, Region 6 Montesano, (360)
249-4628
Fishers must
have a current Washington fishing license. Check the current
WDFW “Fishing in Washington” rules pamphlet or the Fishing
section of the WDFW webpage at wdfw.wa.gov for details on
fishing seasons and regulations. Fishing regulations are subject
to change. Check the WDFW Fishing
hotline for the latest rule information at (360) 902-2500; press
2 for recreational rules; call the Shellfish Rule Change
hotline, (360) 796-3215, or toll free 1 (866) 880-5431.
ad
placement is subject to
availability of space or
prior sale
I am asking for your help … to
restore the Wynoochee River back to its original condition.
For the past 3 years, thousands of pieces of white plastic have been
left hanging along the Wynoochee riverbanks. Fisherman, boaters, and
local landowners have been complaining about this ugly mess. So you
may have seen the various blogs on fisherman's websites regarding
this eyesore. For this once beautiful river has now been transformed
into a river lined with plastic that looks like toilet paper.
And it is only going to get worse as this plastic continues to break
down into more pieces and distributes further downstream after each
high-water event.
Approximately 90 feet of white plastic is used to wrap each hay
bale. And thousands of pieces of plastic are in the lower 14 miles
of the Wynoochee River. This plastic has also been reported in the
Chehalis River and the coastal beaches.
I am organizing another clean-up event because it will not go away
by just talking or complaining about the plastic mess. It will not
go away on it’s own. It takes concerned folks like you and I and
others to take action and clean up this mess. There is no funds or
agencies going to do the work. We’re thankful that The Dept. of Fish
and Wildlife has volunteered over 100 hours of staff time and boats
to clean up this plastic to provide a positive fishing experience
for river fishers.
To date, over 250 man-hours have been volunteered to clean up this
litter. We’ve have cleaned up about 5 miles of river. We are
planning another organized clean-up event this weekend.
May 2nd Saturday 8:00 am
Black Creek boat launch
May 3rd Sunday 8:00 am
Black Creek boat launch
We are in need of workers with
either a drift boat or jet sled. Others can clean-up gravel bars via
local landowners access points. I am organizing this effort...
providing maps and access points...
We're trying to get all of this plastic cleaned up by early May
before
most of it disappears/hidden from the new foliage... otherwise, by
next fall salmon season, the plastic will re-appear after the leaves
drop off.
I am sure that your clients would prefer a scenic experience with
their guided Wynoochee fishing trip as compared to the rivers
current condition.
So again, I am asking for your help…
Please contact me if you have any questions... and call ahead if
you’re interested
Please forward this message to any and all that could give us a
hand...
Thank you for you time…
Curt Holt
360-249-1212 work - WDFW
Olympic Peninsula fishing guides:
Scott's Fishing Guide Service
Salmon, Steelhead, Sturgeon fully guided fishing trips. Specializing
in the Chehalis, Wynoochee, Satsop, Humptulips, Cowlitz, NF Lewis,
Columbia river and Olympic Peninsula. Jetsled and Drift Boat trips
available.
Tightlines Sportsfishing Charter & Guide Service Trophy
Northwest Salmon & Steelhead. I spend the winter and late fall
on the pristine rivers of the Olympic Peninsula for fall Salmon &
Northwest Steelhead Fishing. Spring, summer and early fall are the
time for Ocean & Bay Salmon.
fishing guides and
resorts in
Washington,
Oregon, Idaho and Alaska
