Stillie gamefish opportunities.

[Denwor54]

Hey, I thought I would get this going as it’s not to late to send comments to the NOF in support of gamefish opportunities on the Stillie. I would suggest sending a note on the Wdfw site supporting your suggestions to fish cutts and steelhead. I personally screwed up my not going to the NOF meeting as I thought it was only on saltwater regulations and opportunities. It’s important to let them know we exist and we’re not looking to fish for salmon. In a prior thread I had proposed some changes that would in my opinion have our impacts down to minimal. I’m not computer savvy to share links but from talking to the bio last year he seemed open to changes as long as it shows effort to not target salmon. I love to fish cutthroat and there are many here that also have the same passion so please send an email to the NOF comments and contact the bio at Mill Creek to show your support for a gamefish opportunity. The Stillie has a rich history of flyfishing and I feel if we speak up we won’t lose it, but to not comment or show support there’s no need to complain when it’s gone. At the recent meeting at NOF the were 2 comments for fishing the main stem for salmon and one for gamefish fishing and that was Smalma. Tight lines Dennis

 

[Creatch’r]

Can someone please post a link or an email to direct comments to?

I’m assuming this is it but want to be sure:

Public input

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is seeking public comment on proposed rules for this year’s recreational and commercial salmon fishing seasons. For more information, visit the current rule-making activity webpage.

wdfw.wa.gov

 

[Smalma]

Creatch'r -
You got it!

 

[Brian Miller]

Hey, I thought I would get this going as it’s not to late to send comments to the NOF in support of gamefish opportunities on the Stillie. I would suggest sending a note on the Wdfw site supporting your suggestions to fish cutts and steelhead. I personally screwed up my not going to the NOF meeting as I thought it was only on saltwater regulations and opportunities. It’s important to let them know we exist and we’re not looking to fish for salmon. In a prior thread I had proposed some changes that would in my opinion have our impacts down to minimal. I’m not computer savvy to share links but from talking to the bio last year he seemed open to changes as long as it shows effort to not target salmon. I love to fish cutthroat and there are many here that also have the same passion so please send an email to the NOF comments and contact the bio at Mill Creek to show your support for a gamefish opportunity. The Stillie has a rich history of flyfishing and I feel if we speak up we won’t lose it, but to not comment or show support there’s no need to complain when it’s gone. At the recent meeting at NOF the were 2 comments for fishing the main stem for salmon and one for gamefish fishing and that was Smalma. Tight lines Dennis

Thanks! Done
"Open up streams currently closed due to Salmon recovery for C&R resident and SRC trout fishing with any appropriate combination of Selective Gear (no bait, barbless), Whitefish Gear (small hooks), and-or Fly Fishing Only rules to minimize salmon encounters and incidental mortality, setting the seasons after outward migration until inward migration. Thank You for your consideration."

 

[Creatch’r]

I sent my comments by email asking them to consider hook size restriction, excluding indicators or bobbers as well as weighted flies so we can enjoy our steelhead and SRC fishery without possibly encountering chinook.

Whatever it takes. I’ll miss fishing my bead head rolled muddlers and dropping a perdigon nymph off the back of a chubby. But at this point, I’ll concede about anything to legally fish in my backyard.

 

[Denwor54]

Sorry for my lack of linking skills and thanks for posting up the link Creatch’r and your comments are important. We definitely need to change the regs and behaviors for us to have an opportunity. And thanks again Smalma for making us aware how important it is be involved in fisheries management. Again if we are not heard we don’t exist and let the biologist know your thoughts also. Tight lines

 

[Creatch’r]

Glad to see more comments being posted and I hope those who enjoy the fishery will take the two minutes to add theirs if they haven’t done so already. At the end of the day there isn’t a good reason to keep the NF closed. It’s already illegal to target salmon and the FF only regs do a good job of keeping chinook by catch encounters low as written, so law abiding ethical anglers aren’t the issue. If the department wants more concessions I’d give it to them if it meant fishing trout and steelhead again. My comments regarding indicators, weighted flies and maximum hook gap I think reflect that and could help to lower chinook encounters further or at least appear on paper to have that intent. I’ve never hooked or caught one on the stilly anyway, so who am I say?

All I know is it’s a special place and living so close it really hurts to drive over closed waters every day, knowing that if I was fishing it, my impact on chinook would be completely non existent.

 

[jeradjames]

Although I’ve never fished the NF Stilly as I just got started, I live relatively close and would love the future opportunity to do so. Thanks for the heads up and I’ll send in a comment.

 

[DanielOcean]

The Stilly is a magical river. I added my 2 Cents.

 

[Smalma]

It is gratifying to see some NOF public comments supporting game fish seasons in the Stillaguamish basin! That said it is likely too late to see much hoped for changes. Late last year there was a chance to comment on the WDFW commission's NOF policy to include game fish (other than steelhead) in the season setting process. That policy was renewed without any additional wording regarding game fish. In this springs public NOF #1 meetings at the March 13 NOF #1 meeting the proposed Stillaguamish freshwater season to delay the opening date on the main stem coho till September 21 to October 31with the game fish season on the North Fork game fish season with the same dates. The reason given was delaying the coho season until more were in the river allowing to make the most effective use of the limited Chinook impacts to harvest which in reality makes sense if one only considers the coho fishery. The same Stillaguamish freshwater were still the proposals in the March 21st freshwater meeting as well as the NOF #2.

My assessment is that we will be lucky to see a NF game fish season the same as last year (starting September 16th).

I have spend a lot of time (more than 40 years) chasing sea-runs in the north sound "S" rivers. In that period, I have consistently found catchable numbers of sea-runs in those rivers as late July (if given low flows). Typically, by mid-August double digit numbers of fish the norm and the fishing improving during the duration of the fishery. Typically, the length of the period of "good" fishing largely dependent on when the fall rains push the average flows up from the summer/early fall levels. On those rare years those low flows extended into October some of the best fishing of the year was the norm. In recent years I have limited my fishing starting date until early September due to elevated stream temperatures. With that later starting date the period of "good" fishing can be limited due to the onset of those elevated flow. With a September 16th date there will be years those elevated flows will occur prior to that date.

It remains my opinion the best period/season to provide reasonable access to that wonderful resource is a starting date of September for game fish on the main stem of the Stillaguamish and its forks. The potential to see that sort of season in my angling lifetime (I'm 77) thanks to those idiots that would not leave those NF Chinooks alone in 2022 is essentially zero. If those game fish seasons are to be restored, they will have to be rebuild piece by piece or somehow the Stillaguamish Chinook recovery to some degree. Not sure which has a lower probability of happening,

Curt

 

[HauntedByWaters]

thanks to those idiots that would not leave those NF Chinooks alone in 2022 is essentially zero.

Curt

I have not heard this story. Were there a lot of guys targeting them with fly gear? I fished the Stilly a lot over the years and never saw any legal fisherman targeting the chinook. I did see some poachers though.

 

[Smalma]

I have not heard this story. Were there a lot of guys targeting them with fly gear? I fished the Stilly a lot over the years and never saw any legal fisherman targeting the chinook. I did see some poachers though.

Yes it was true. According to WDFW staff a small group of fly anglers were targeting Chinook in the upper NF, bragging about their fishing powers including posting pictures online. That handful of "fly anglers" account for 19 of the allowed 20 recreational Chinook encounters in the basin (including game fish and main stem salmon anglers). Those who argued to the co-managers that a fly only game fish season was not a significant threat to the Chinook ended up with serious egg on their faces. As a result, last year and this year any game fish season prior to the first of November on the NF with be limited downstream of Cicero (below the majority of the Chinook spawning, effectively taking half of the basin out of play for those fly anglers that play by the rules.

While there had always been some "fly anglers and guides" who would target those chinooks I had hoped that they recognize damage that activity would cause to the legitimate game fish seasons

Don't know who were more disappointing those knot heads or those so-called fly anglers that actively or passively condoned that activity.

Curt

 

[Hillbilly Redneck]

Instead of enforcement just shut it down so only the illegals get to use the resource. Not one Chinook will be saved. The guys I talked to a few years ago floating eggs under bobbers at Fortson in July were not a small group of fly fishermen.

 

[Creatch’r]

Regardless if changes occur this season or 3 years from now….. Fighting to find balance between gamefish seasons and chinook recovery is gonna be a battle that needs to be fought or there will be little reason to call myself a fly fishermen anymore. The S rivers is where the shit always hits the fan first, but the virus spreads and there needs to be a Plan B that doesn’t involve total closure of an entire watershed or region before that just becomes the default for all of the state anadromous waters. I understand the need to curtail impacts on ESA listed chinook but there is a better solution than ELIMINATING perfectly clean trout and steelhead fishing. ESPECIALLY on a stretch of river already designated fly fishing only.

I realize in 2022 some fly anglers bent the rules and CNR some kings and that’s something we can’t have happen in order to be taken seriously, and by removing weighted flies, indicators, and limiting hook size we can really reduce efficacy with a fly rod when it comes to chinook without sacrificing cutts and steelhead. While definitely a setback having that happen, I promise you more kings are illegally harvested than that by folks targeting them with bait, barbs and whatever means necessary. I see those poachers constantly and closing the river just makes it worse.

 

[_WW_]

Okay, I'll say it. Isn't what happened an enforcement problem? And with it closed isn't it an even bigger enforcement problem? WDFW needs to let the dawgs out!

 

[charles sullivan]

Okay, I'll say it. Isn't what happened an enforcement problem? And with it closed isn't it an even bigger enforcement problem? WDFW needs to let the dawgs out!

There is an enforcement problem. There is a problem with people doing it. There is more than one problem.

It's far more difficult to enforce than to shut down. That is also a problem.

 

[_WW_]

There is an enforcement problem. There is a problem with people doing it. There is more than one problem.

It's far more difficult to enforce than to shut down. That is also a problem.

First, you have to want to catch them.

 

[charles sullivan]

First, you have to want to catch them.

That would be at least a part of the enforcement problem.

 

[_WW_]

And then you have to want to prosecute them.

 

[speedbird]

left a comment raising issues brought up on this forum advocating for dry fly floating line hook size regulated game fishing opened on the sky and stilly this summer