Can anyone remember when soooo many silvers were caught the first week of September? I have been fishing the Puyallup since 85, and have seen some pretty good years, and some not so pretty good years, but this late opener has me a little confused? In the past the larger #'s of silvers would hit the river at the end of September, along with the wind-rain and fallen leaves. Do you think the run will slow down earlier this season? Or is the number of returning fish just larger?

I cant remember so many people fishing it the first week of September.
A hole I fished four years ago this very day had myself, my buddy, and one other angler in it. Between the three of us we walked out with five fish. Today, at the very same hole, there was a grand total of 47 trucks/ cars parked there. I sat and watched for a bit and counted the number of fish on the bank....you guessed it, 5 fish.


RL

Really? I haven't even hooked a single one yet

I checked my fish log and it was around the 9th last year when I started getting into the silvers steadily, got a few already this year. I hear ya about the people, my little honey hole where I used to fish alone or with a couple others has been invaded by a bunch of beer swilling snaggers this year and the garbage is already stacking up. Water is alot clearer this year than last though.

I'm with ya. My "sacred" tailout is packed.....
That high water brought a lot of fish into the river that probably wouldn't have come up until much later....... I do expect it to slow down substantially earlier this year than in years past.... The lower river is much slower now than it was earlier last week... Just occasional trickles with the tides. Last week you couldn't get your line in without bumping fish.

Just FYI. Here's a portion of a recent email I recieved from my buddy, Steve.

"Get this, I fished the mighty muddy Puyallup over the last 3 days, hey, why not? It's only a 15 minute drive and I don't have a life, anyway. I have been ONFIRE. I landed 12 chrome bright fish from 5 to 10 lbs. (yes they are running bigger this year) hucking a little clump of eggs."

Saw one silver caught on the Carbon this afternoon. That's the earliest coho I've ever seen this high in the river.

Another oddity, the river had a +2 foot visabiliy instead of it's usual 2 inch visability. Sometimes the water will be that clear in mid to late October, but usually not until November or December.

And yet even more rare, I was fishing at Voights Creek and the total number of people in my sight was 4. But I was fishing on a Tuesday afternoon.

I did have one chinook on for a few seconds before it broke my line.

Yeah, lots of fish, but also lots of... I can't find the word. But anyway, my truck got broken into, with my stereo and everything else good taken. So please do a brother a favor and keep an eye on anyone around a vehicle doing anything other than puting their waders on. Lots of "quality humans" in the area to watch out for.

Flogger, where did this happen? I sure hope this doesnt turn out like the upper green.


Fishingjunky15, Its not uncommon to be catching silvers up that high. I hooked into two of them on the opener. Last year a friend of mine caught a chorme silver up there too.

It happened at the 128th st bridge near McMillen. The dude pryed the handle right out of my door, seems like it would have been easier to break a window.

My buddy just got his 2002 ford truck broken into the same way. It seems Ford is using plastic type studs to hold the door handle on. A good pry and pop - the door opens right up. Apparently the car prowlers are really catching on to the simplicity of it.

I was there on Tuesday also but didnt see anything out of the ordinary. I will be sure to keep my eyes open, even when just passing by the area.

I was hoping with all the chat about the Carbon, that everyone would be up there on opening and I could have my quiet starting fishing spot on the Puyallup. It was indeed quiet on opening day at 4am. Then , on Sunday I went for a few hours after work before my vacation. Cars everywhere! Drifters on both sides of the river, drifters across from my favorite plunking spot, and campers all up and down the dirt road blocking my way! What happened? I swear they must have put something in the paper as I have never seen so many people. Maybe I'll head to the Carbon for some more room. I was going to head up anyway, but there is even more reason now.
All I can say is my vacation offered better water, better weather, and a great place to fish (or crab) with total peace.

Ya know, WDF could make a buttload of money ticketing these idiots that fish these 2 rivers. I just don't get it. Doesn't anyone read or follow the regs? Everyone i managed to tangle with had barbed hooks and some even had 2 hooks. I don't get it. I didn't really see any ripping hooksets but almost everyone had 8-14ft leaders and 10lbs of lead. And of course the limit is whatever you want to take home. A guy there tried to tell us that the reason we aren't getting anything(in 15min of fishing) is cuz we needed bigger hooks and a 10ft leader so we can floss them. HA!! What a dumb@$%#! The sickness is spreading like wildfire.

Well we fished our 4ft leaders and very little weight and managed nicely with 8 or so in 3 hours, all hooked right in the nose on barbless 1/0 hooks, gee who would have thought??!!

Where's the man when you need him?

You can still floss with a 4' leader.