Nothing but mud flowing from the Dam, Went and looked yesterday at the lake. What a sorry sight. Gonna be gone for awhile I think, Looked in the holding area at the fish collection facility and couldn't believe my eyes.... Nothin but TOADS more big nates then I have ever seen this time of year. And gaints at that, So I guess the high muddy water was good for that pupose. fish-on

Hey Yarf'em. Thanks for the report. I would like to thank you for your consistent reports on the wynoochee river. Not being able to drive to the river on a daily basis, it is good to have a trooper like you who seems to like company on the river more than fish. I mean, if it werent for you, myself and the other 5000 people who read this stuff would'nt know that there are an incredible number of huge native steelhead finning up the river, ALREADY. And as all of us know, thanks to you and the fishing and hunting news, the majority of the fish dont come until february/march. This will obviously be a banner year and there will be more fish than all of the fishermen in the state combined can catch. Boat fulls for everyone right. Cant wait. Oh, but EXACTLY what level should we wait for before we ALL show up? For those of you out there who dont know where to find river level information you can E-mail yarf'em personally and he will gladly give you that information. And if any of you dont know already, wynoochee river steelhead are suckers for pink corky and sand shrimp. Cant keep their lips off it. That is all I am going to say. Any further tips will enthusiastically be provided by yarf'em. As soon as the river drops into perfect condition, which as yarf'em pointed out is still surprisingly brown, I am sure he'll let all of us know. I cant wait to see all of you there. I will be putting in at whites bridge and floating to the crossover bridge. Make sure you all spend alot of time in the first high bank hole that you come to. The bank is on the left about 300 yards down the river and has some logs laying in it. It looks kinda flat and featureless but it REALLY produces. I sometimes stay there all day and catch fish after everyone else has gone down. The lower end of it is awesome. If I have left anything out, I appologize. As sinfull as you all believe it is to keep information to yourself, I personally like a little solitude on the river. I even like to be the first to drift a bait through a hole every now and then. Anyway, thanks again yarf'em. I have my gear loaded and ready to hear those magic words leave your fingers, "The wynoochee is perfect." We'll see ya there.

Idiot...give me a break. All you zipperlip people are getting out of control. The Wynoochee is defintely not a secret. If you can't even post if a river is blown or not without getting flamed, all I can is, again...give me a break.

idiot...

What a joke, So I drive up and let ya all know it is brown and get my head bit off. Like you get Solitude on that piece of water. Again what a joke. Didn't tell ya what any of the other rivers around where like though did I , Figure if I send you and everyone else to one of the most popular rivers in the state then I will get my solitude on one of the other rivers... Besides do your homework , find a private launch and then you will be the first boat to the honey holes..... good luck. and Fish On

Shipyardidiot. You are your name to a T. I give just as many reports off and on as do others here. If it upsets you so much find a life sucker. You must have work one to many shipyards in your time . I as a bunch of my friends fish that river all the time so if you would care to talk in person just say when and where. In fact you most likely do not fish that river or any for that matter. You are the kind that would have a hard time at a U-fish trout pond.

Thank You Boss, KSR, DB Sorry just trying to save to guys a wasted trip..

Don't worry about him they come and go like bad gas. Just stink up the room for awhile.

yarf em keep postin! its cool that you take the time to do that without anyone asking!
tyler

Shipyard.....your the type of guy who pitches the bottle into the river when empty, or maybe tossen those styrofoam shrimp cups over the side too. Get a life....and a new board to hang out in.

Hey shipyardidiot, THANKS for the addl info on the Nooch. Never fished it before. Me and 3 other sledders are heading down there this weekend. Where's a good place to launch our sleds and park our motorhomes? Can we stay at your place? I'll let you touch my sled! Thank's again for letting us fish your river, your the GREATEST!!!!!

Nice first post idiot!

How long will that smolt last?

Tyler said it. I suspect many of us have limited time to fish and a report like yours helps us change plans if necessary and make those trips more enjoyable. Someone on this board said "I'll tell you the river, maybe even the fly or bait, but not the rock(or hole)" that's more than fair - if we return the favor. Thanks for the report. By the way, where is the Nooch :p Bart

Hey Bart! Hook up your sled, you can follow all of us down there. We're staying at IDIOT's place!!!! Don't forget your BONKIN Stick!

Anyone except IDIOT need a Skagit or Nooksack report? Just ask.
:p

[ 01-21-2002: Message edited by: G-MAN ]

Hey YARF'em:

As a guy who works a day job that doesn't take him anywhere near there, I also appreciate the info. The occasional good deed shouldn't be reason to get fried. I'll try to return the favor sometime.

Just ignore the IDIOT. First time poster, zero profile, no e-mail address and he cuts loose with a bunch of crap. We all know the Genus and species...Lurkus flamii. Take a hike dude! Thanks for the post Yarf'm .

Gooose

Most of you are assuming this is idiot's first post based on his number. My bet is that he is a regular here and just created a quick fake ID to post a flame. I've seen it here before.

What a coward...

If he did that on his home P.C., I hope Bob or R.T. can trace him and put him up for all to see!! If you are new here, GREAT START! Don't go away mad, just go away. Nope wait, go away mad.

Use email you goomers. I email some of the nice conciderate people from this forum when I am thinking about fishing it. I always email them after I get back with a report so you can give alittle back to them. Just a little hint to everyone.
Yarf em - thanks for the report,I was down there on friday and it looked horrible, we didn't even fish it. Soem guy told me there might be a slide way up by the dam. Do you know anything along those lines?
Also, to end the bashing what happens to the steelies after they are taken over the dam? They can't get back right? Then why do they let them spawn up there if their smolts can't get down and go to the ocean?

Hi Plug, there are "smolt passage tubes" in the dam that are supposed to let downstream migrants out. This is after they are scraped out of the way of the turbine intakes with an Eicher screen. From working on this project in the 70's, right after the abortion was built, I can tell you that they do not work well at all and that few smolts survive the trip.

I suspect the slabs that find their way into the holding pen, for truckin around the dam, wind up there because the dam, among other things, has prevented gravel recruitment and has turned spawning beds into boulder fields for a mile downstream. These poor guys have no more gravel to spawn in and so are going to get the chance upstream of the dam. Fat chance if you ask me.

Yarf'em,

Thanks for the report. I have to go to Sportsco so I may stop by NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCH and say hi to locals. Look at the bright side, the more the crowd, the less cougars and bears

People usually fish a certain distance from their home on a consistent basis and they are not going to pack and travel long distances on a consistent basis (G-MAN is an exception ). The crowd you see on a consistent basis is mainly due to the area population growth. A good report may spike things shortly but it dies down quickly.

The reason this nation is great is because in general we don't have a "scarce mentality" syndrome.

What a sad situation that these awesome fish have to face! By the way Puller, thanks for changing the tone of things. I also think idiot's post was off base and rude, but after so many rips I was actually starting to feel sorry for him.

Ron

Thanks rc for feeling sorry for me. I mean, hold on I have to wipe the tears away. Thats better. The mind readers on this billboard have deduced from my sarcastic yet intentioned constructive criticism that I dont even fish the wynoochee or any other river; which is half true, I could'nt catch fish in a U-fish pond; if you only knew, I am like bad gas just stinkin up the room for a while; I promise only twice, I throw beer bottles and sand shrimp containers into the rivers, I'm an idiot; well true, I am the only person on the planet who cant get a nooksack or skagit report, what else was there? I forget. I guess I am an ass hole. No matter. But is'nt it amazing how the opinion of one can incite such fury in so many. Anyway, there were actually two reasons for my message to yarf'em yesterday: One was to see just how many people were looking at the "nooch reports" which, though the reply number was smaller than expected, I fully believe that for every one of you who blasted me there are at least 20 more who chose to say nothing. And second was to maybe give you all something to think about 10 years from now when every river has a yarf'em and you have to make an apointment to put your boat on the river. You'll all say man he was right. Too late. But you will all have the memories of times spent on the river with 300 of your friends whom you met while banging away at a keyboard, all trying to catch the same 25 fish. For all of you who make comments about the absurdness of solitude on the wynoochee, believe me, pre internet and F&H News it was not absurd it was the norm. But I am sure none of you have been fishing it long enough to remember those days. As promised, I'll only stink up your room twice. I also promise never to look at this site again. You all dont play very nice and it always makes me sick anyway.

Boy if a river report is it is high and muddy I am all confused.... I have been fishing the Nooch for 21 years and yes it has become crowded as well as every other fine river in western washington.... Solitude comes during the middle of the week on most of these fine rivers or as much solitude as your gonna get. Reports like that are not intended to give out secrets but save hard working people time.... I fish with Yarf and have for along time, He fishes hard and spends alot of time scouting when the water is not right for fishing and find new launches so he and his family or who ever has the opertunity to have a seat in his boat can have a little more of that mentioned solitude. Good night, Matt

Geez I gotta reply to this! Not for what you're thinking though. How many of you have heard about the Snider Creek wild fish program on the Sol Duc? Why can't something like this be done for the wild fish on the Wynoochee? Maybe one of the fishing groups on the harbor or maybe the guides down there get together and sponser something. Spawn the natives in the upper river , smolt them and truck em below the dam. Why not? Its done up here with mainly volunteer efforts. Why doesn't someone pursue that?

Bye Bye Mr. Idiot ...see you in your next incarnation as there's no cure for you. You'll be back dude ...just a different iteration...oh well.

Gooose

hey "idiot", what a relief to hear there are still a few people that dont "kiss and tell", BRAVO to you.

you're right, during the pre fishing and hunting news rag and internet usage, fishing and hunting was allllll about finding that out of the way place and keeping it to yourself. successful outdoorsmen would spend countless hours in the FIELD wearin' out shoe leather, now people think they've paid their dues if they "log" time on a keyboard...today people want info and they want it NOW!

years and years ago the puyallup was really crowded and it put out enough fish to keep the masses happy, but just a half hour down the road was a river virtually untouched, a river that would rival most canadian streams and the same went for the wynoochie. even in those days, people would not venture past their nose.

there are a couple things going, one of which is an age old problem, people HAVE TO let people know they know something, they need that ego stroked. the other thing is new to this electronic age and that is the desire to be accepted by people they will probably never meet; now how gay is that?

anyhow "idiot" good luck to you and i thought your post was very eloquent, especially for a shipyard worker that litters and cant catch fish in a trout pond, but i believe it fell on deaf ears.

Everybody has thier opinion. Mine is it look's like Goose called it. S.Y.I is back, this time stroking his own ego as the "Barhopper"!! What a clownfest :p :p

My isn't it funny how Barhopper has an IP tracable to:

12-229-49-182.client.attbi.com

And Shipyardidiot has an IP tracable to:

12-229-64-172.client.attbi.com

Hmmmm, what's wrong Mr. DC Mills, aren't things hopping enough on that "other board"?

Must really be a bummer to only have a new post every few weeks to reply to.

CYA

BUSTED!!! Thats just too sweet

Damn that is a serious coincidence!! The odds of that happening are astronomical! Wonders will never cease....

god I love technology!! (especially when it works right..)

Way to go BOB!
(Idiot Flamers beware.... The Really Big One sees all)

Crikey! Stay tuned to 'As The Corkie Turns' to see if Mr Mills, alias ShipyardIdiot or Barhopper fesses up.

RC

You crack me up that was funny.

Hey what does Crikey mean, is that Australian of something?

Sorry guys got to agree with Mr Dills or who ever he is on this one. I have watched the Wynoochee go from just a few boats to over 50 rigs parked at BC. It isn't the guys that post all the time here, its the lurkers. I've heard one group of them in the resturant laughing about a post like this. This is how they get their info. They add nothing to the board just read it for fishing reports. What better way to get a first hand, up to the mineut report. OK now hammer away at me.

Fishhead5

In response to the question about what they do with the fish at the fishtrap below the dam(plug puller?), I know some get trucked to the lake aberdeen hatchery for egg take. Whether this includes wild fish I am not 100% sure.

The Wynoochee uses 2 stocks for winter hatchery production:

1) Van Winkle Cr. stock. These are fish that
return directly to the hatchery at Lake
Aberdeen.

2) Wynoochee R. stock. These are the fish
collected at the trap up by the dam and then
trucked to the Lake Aberdeen hatchery.

At least this is how it was explained to me by a WDFW friend a year or two ago. I also don't believe the dept. holds any illusion that smolt passage works at the dam hence, the trucking of adults to the hatchery for egg take.

I've fished the Nooch for the last 20+ years, and I don't EVER remember a small crowd at Black Creek. The crowd has just grown along with the state's population.......I guess it stands to reason.

Besides, if they haven't been fishing it long enough to know anything without checking the internet first, I'm not too worried about them catching all the fish.

rc,
Crikey..where could you have heard that

FJ...out.

Hey now, not that I'm going to get on either side of the issue just yet but attbi.com has IP addies in that range all through there. Just because they began with 12.229 tells me that they are probably in the same geographical area. Most of the attbi IP's are in the 12.22x range.

Not saying that they AREN'T the same person, but just making sure that attbi isn't banned outright.

Yes lead thrower, I think "crikey" is Australian. FJ, I heard it used by Steve Irwin, The Crocodile Hunter of TV fame. I took it mean: "Jeez, look at that would you!" I liked the sound of it and stole it. Please don't tell him or I could be in big trouble. I'd rather face that cougar that's lurking near Blue Creek than one of Steve's reptile pals.

I'm glad that you like my attempt at humor Lead Thrower. I wish my wife did occasionally.

rc

I hear you on the wife not understanding your sense of humor, got the same problem.

Bardo will handle those cougars for ya, just call in the coordinates so he can launch the air strike.

Dan, I don't worry about them catching any fish either. It's when they run over the top of everything and ruin it. I've seen the crowd get bigger after a good fishing report on here.

Fishhead5

I remember a little creek that I think you used to fish (maybe you still do) that use to be really good, until it was wrote up in fishing and lying news.

Doug,

Can't argue with you there......Maybe if we let redneck terrorize the shores for a couple days before we go, we'd have less company. I know there wouldn't be any livestock around, but maybe he could run off some of the other anglers, too.

I've seen it happen everywhere....the Salmon, the Nooch, Kennedy and Johns creeks, you name it. Is it the internet? I dunno. I know the Salmon was exposed in F&H Lies and STS before the internet was even a factor, and the crowds have been there ever since.

Dan and Doug,
You guys fish all the same water I do and sometimes we fish together, I guess we are desperate Huh, anyways I think it is best if you want to share fishing info on a certain spot it is probably better by e-mail, that way the lurkers aren't picking up the code. As far as crowds go, fishing and piliging news has ruined alot of places so you always have to keep your special little spots quiet.
Peace Superfly

i totally agree with the e-mail messages concerning small rivers.the amount of people fishing over the last 10 years or so hasn't changed that much in my opinion.their are just certain years when more fish are present that bring out the crowds.the internet does take a lot of the guess work out of the rivers but in reality who knows if the information is true or not.i also think it is a nice gesture for someone to tell if a certain river is muddy and unfishable.i remember before the computer days driving a couple hours to find a mudhole,it was pretty depressing.fish on!scott

ps.the rain gods can give us a break anytime now

Hey Scott, I was in the front of the boat with Levi last friday on the lower part of the river. he told me later who you were. Next time you see Levi ask him about the gal in the esspresso stand at monte square not serving him. We got him good.

Fishhead5

And then theres that girl at the Esspresso stand in Monte...
Ill drive there for a Mocha even if the rivers blown!!!!!!!!!


Bob D

Doug, Bob,

You guys are cracking me up! You should have seen me trying to keep Redneck in the truck the last time we drove past the ol' Espresso hut at Monte! I thought he was going to chew the seatbelt in half trying to get out!

Okay I can't keep quite on this one, it's tearing me up!!!!! Guys how many times have you pulled into a hole after, "Mister Microsoft Yuppie" bought a boat now "I'm a fisherman", pulled out of it because there's nothing in it, and you pull out not one, but several fish? Can't count that high? Me neither. Just because someone owns a "Nice Sled or Nice outfit" does'nt means he know what he is doing. How times have you pulled gear out of the river with set ups that made you bust up laughing? The Nooksack, Skagit, Fraser, Vedder is the same way up here. Alot of people trying to fish. I just move in behind them and take the fish! Hey, their supporting our Fish and Game Dept! Relax, unless your scared they're better than you. I say thanks, for moving the fish around for me. It really turns my crank when they see me pull fish out of their hole!

Did he give a fishing report???? Or did he give a water condition ie MUUUUUDY by means of the lake... So If I say the HOH is on the rise I give away a secret that should only be emailed or it will cause mass river crowding???? Boy am I confussed, I think the diference in the amount of fisherman is back 20 years ago a select few braved the elements now the masses have joined in. Just look at the difference in Lic sales and all is explanned. Not the fault of a book or a computer. But of population explosion....

fh/5 next time out say hi.i grew up with levi and edward.had a good day fishing that day.hope you guys got em.were you running the boat that day?maybe we could get together on the lower quinault some time soon.i've been meaning to call levi and see if he would like to trade trips.that is in a week or month or if it ever quits raining..90 of rain since midnight here in elma.give us a break.see ya.scott

How many of us here post on a regular basis? 50?
A while back Bob said there were 17,000+ hits in one day. That means we would have to have sign on 340 times each, to hit that. Lots of people out there taking in a lot of information.
Email

Fishhead5

Dan, I didn't tell Redneck there were sheep in the field just below the put in.

I would rather discuss technics, than Fish reports.
Why don't people realize.......how many people just stop by .....LURKERS
Keep it to e-mails guys...come on....I'm with Ya Fishead ......Os

G-Man - I happen to know several hard core fisherman here at Mircrosoft. I, for one, find myselft fishing well over 100 days a year (last year I fished about 4 days a week from May to November - mostly just in the morning on the way to work). And we definately have our fair share of geeks who like to buy new toys (and don't know how to use them).

But I have to take some light hearted offense at your statement (: Most of us are just normal folks with a job at a nice company. Although if the stock market hadn't crashed, I may have been out there trying to figure out how to use my new drift boat (:

I am a new member to the forum but have been following for some time.
I would like to say that information of this sort is not going to harm anyone or their fishing access if we are courteous to all people that abide to the same rules. Thanks for your updates I do fish the nooch and appreciate a tip every once in a while.

I say post away!! I only believe half of what I hear from a fisherman and I'm leery of the other half. Just a couple of weeks ago someone posted that they did well on the Sky a couple days before, On the day they were fishing the Sky was at 18,000 cfs(I think not!!). Regardless of what I here or read I go with my gut instinct on what rivers are putting out fish and what the conditions are gonna be. Bottom line is that I'm not going to waste valuable fishing time on a report that I've heard or read from someone I don't trust 100%.
The problem were faced with now isn't that the numbers of fishermen has grown, it's that there fewer viable steelhead runs left, thus putting greater numbers of lines on fewer rivers. Respect you fellow fishermen and get along because things aren't gonna change.
Good luck!! and most of all have a good time, isn't that what it's all about.

PhishPhreak, Your the exception because you a FISH'N MACHINE!!! Sorry, I should of said an ENRON Exe. Didn't realize Softies had time to play.

Hey Fishband
I didnt think you could trust any fisherman 100% I thought the biggest liars in the world were fisherman well anyways I would have to agree with my fellow fisherman when they say keep it e-mails.
Dances Out

I think you need to keep some of the smaller rivers off the net, but rivers like the Nooch will be crowded regardless of any reports on the net. Do you really think all the fisherman out there are reading these boards..give me a break. When the fish are in word spreads via phones, tackle shops, local stores etc and the people show up. Additionally, those who know how to catch fish also know when to show up on certain river systems looking for them. don't give something more power than it really has.

I also don't think the people who are so called lurking are always just trying nab the hot river type information. Some boards have taken on a clannish type atmosphere and if there are not specific topics that a person has something relevant to post on then they really have no reason to post. Besides, If they are trying to get the " what river is hot" information and they are reading this board looking for it they are a day late and a dollar short anyhow. We all have seen rivers hot on Saturday and slow on Sunday or vice versa -

If you looking for a report from the boards on how the fishin is on a specific river take this into consideration.. when people aren't getting fish they come on the board and post "whats up with the nooch. I fished it and saw 20 boats and nobody had fish, where are the fish??!?!?!". if you don't see people whinning I would bet there are fish being caught.

peace out