Temporary opening of the Skykomish

ChrisC · Oct 20, 2023

Skykomish river temporarily opens gamefish and salmon seasons

Action: Temporarily opens salmon seasons.

wdfw.wa.gov

Salmo_g · Oct 21, 2023

Quite the transition. Used to be we'd generally see "temporary closures."

ChrisC · Oct 21, 2023

Salmo_g said:
Quite the transition. Used to be we'd generally see "temporary closures."

Yeah, dark times. This quote from the press release amazes me:

"Reason for action: As the end of the Chinook spawn timing approaches, enough Chinook encounters remain to allow for a limited salmon fishery targeting coho in this area."

I know the topic has been beaten to death but how can managers/WDFW be so certain in even estimating/projecting encounters to have it as a basis for closing or opening a fishery.

Paige · Oct 21, 2023

oh ya, a whole fucking week!!!

My I some more WDFW please

JACKspASS · Oct 21, 2023

To simplify they should have all Puget sound rivers closed, unless listed in the emergency opening section

speedbird · Oct 22, 2023

So they are closing it in November to protect...what?

Paige · Oct 22, 2023

Kashf said:
So they are closing it in November to protect...what?

Nothing, maybe wild Coho, but they can be kept on the Snohomish and now the Sky for a week.

WDFW has no idea what the fuck they are doing!

Salmo_g · Oct 23, 2023

Kashf said:
So they are closing it in November to protect...what?

When it isn't clear from a fishery or conservation perspective why WDFW made a particular decision, the most probable reason is usually because a treaty tribe told them to.

RCF · Oct 23, 2023

Next year the WDFW will be able to advertise they properly managed the opening of the river in 2023 and provided access. A feather in their cap!

Devils in the details but those will not be mentioned.

speedbird · Oct 23, 2023

Salmo_g said:
When it isn't clear from a fishery or conservation perspective why WDFW made a particular decision, the most probable reason is usually because a treaty tribe told them to.

How on earth does a largely catch and release cutthroat fishery hurt them

the_chemist · Oct 23, 2023

Anyone get out today? Where are the Reiter rats?

Porter2 · Oct 23, 2023

flybill · Oct 24, 2023

Well, I've got the week off.. so I'll hit it tomorrow! Probably at Ben Howard.. look for the smoke on the water!

Salmo_g · Oct 24, 2023

Kashf said:
How on earth does a largely catch and release cutthroat fishery hurt them

Incidental hooking equals "harm" under the ESA. Deliberately targeting Chinook when the river is open to game fish equals "harm." Poaching Chinook whether the river is open or closed equals "harm." All harm is illegal under the ESA, except that some limited amount of harm is generally acceptable to NMFS provided it doesn't interfere with "recovery," which is the intended outcome of ESA-related restrictions, except on the Columbia, where the intended outcome is prevention of further reductions in populations (otherwise very severe restictions would have to be imposed upon the federally owned and operated dams).

Biologists understand and know that the Stilly closure does nothing to protect Stilly Chinook, but the tribe demands it, and WDFW obliges. I don't know for certain, but I expect that roughly the same is true on the Snohomish system. Smalma is better informed on that than I.

speedbird · Oct 24, 2023

Salmo_g said:
Incidental hooking equals "harm" under the ESA. Deliberately targeting Chinook when the river is open to game fish equals "harm." Poaching Chinook whether the river is open or closed equals "harm." All harm is illegal under the ESA, except that some limited amount of harm is generally acceptable to NMFS provided it doesn't interfere with "recovery," which is the intended outcome of ESA-related restrictions, except on the Columbia, where the intended outcome is prevention of further reductions in populations (otherwise very severe restictions would have to be imposed upon the federally owned and operated dams).

Biologists understand and know that the Stilly closure does nothing to protect Stilly Chinook, but the tribe demands it, and WDFW obliges. I don't know for certain, but I expect that roughly the same is true on the Snohomish system. Smalma is better informed on that than I.

A Stilly closure to protect Chinook at a time the vast majority have already returned to the hatchery or died? I am not questioning you, I am questioning the logic of whoever is demanding this closure

RCF · Oct 24, 2023

Kashf said:
A Stilly closure to protect Chinook at a time the vast majority have already returned to the hatchery or died? I am not questioning you, I am questioning the logic of whoever is demanding this closure

Just read the smoke signals.

Paige · Oct 24, 2023

Kashf said:
A Stilly closure to protect Chinook at a time the vast majority have already returned to the hatchery or died? I am not questioning you, I am questioning the logic of whoever is demanding this closure

They simply dont want any sportsmen fishing, period!