Lots of good points so far.

Stlhdr1, I couldn't agree with you more. I miss so many things about the East Fork: The EF's summer run (Smolt plants of only 30K/yr with the ESA listing compared to around 100K before), the huge Winter natives of Feb-April, so many things I miss. I still fish the Feeders, more for the spiritual effect and memories than to go for large #s of fish anymore. The only big ones now seem to be the 3 salt Skamania summer-runs, again only 1/3 as many as before ESA.
It isn't only the "Rock Creek Sportsman Club" that is poaching upper EF. Ya don't wanna go into Yacolt and tell the ex-loggers that you think Reagonomics worked. Lots of those locals turned to dynamiting the upper EF fish for food and $$$.
Our family owns 5 acres along the river between Moulton and the Trestle. We've had it since the early 50s. I basically grew up on it. Many times we'd wake up to see several dead Steelhead in the eddys and along the bank where there was none the night before. I remember fishing above Naked Falls in the early 80's and hearing them blasting. Sure enough, a couple fish would drift down in front of me a half hour later. I watched in frustration as a guy snagged and kept 16 beautiful summer runs out of Moulton Falls one day. Kept throwing them in his truck. Game Enforcement never did show. By the time the sheriff showed up it was a done deal. Outlaw was back at it the next day until me (I was only 14) and some friends I brought along threatened to cause him severe pain. I've got lots of those sad stories.
The gillnets of course had the same effect on most of our SW WA rivers. Washougal and Kalama had their share of big Feb-April fish too, though EF seemed to have more. The Grays is one of my favs too.
On a semi-brighter note, this is soon becoming my full-time obsession.....Ya see, I want to start a native brood stock hatchery on the EF for both the Feb-April natives and the "native" summer runs. Finally put my Fisheries Degree to more use. Much like what ODFW has done on the Wilson and WDFW on the Sol Duc and other rivers. I have convinced my 5 bros & sis to sell part of our land to WDFW to use for the hatchery site but WDFW says they would not be able to even think of it until 2020. They say Salmon Creek (Clark Co) comes first. I say do 'em both. I wanna figure out how to do it with private funds with only WDFWs, American Rivers and the ESA blessing as required. Fish would be caught, raised at the hatchery site and released above and below Sunset Falls.
Anyway, I miss the old EF too. Maybe I'll see ya on it or one of the others sometime.
x

[ 06-11-2001: Message edited by: Extreme ]