My problem is not with this post as the barkhole is far from a secret.
What I meant is it's taken many of us lots of years to find spots and learn technics over much trial and error ,the old saying pay you're dues doesn't hold water anymore,
With the internet ideas are exchanged and locations given
I'm not against this but I have a really BAD feeling that all it's going to do is create more competition with more educated fisherman the other saying that 10% catch 90% of the fish is changing also,
Don't get me wrong I'm all for people doing well in their pursuit of Salmon and Steelhead
we need to practice catch and release more and sometimes just keep our mouths shut!!
Competition is good for business but not for fish..just my .02
BTW just because we are more knowledgeable in our technics it doesn't mean that we'll catch more fish,I truly believe there is a special skill involved in detecting the suttle bite of a Steelhead...ever wonder how many you missed and never even felt

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Row Quietly and fish a Cataraft }<<(('>----<'))>>{
Release all Wild Fish

Osprey,

What are your thoughts on the position that the more people that succeed while fishing, the more fisherman there are out there, the more people to fight the fight against the nets?

I feel the more we try to be exclusive, the fewer of us there are for this fight. Would you rather have more fisherman and more fish, or less of both?

Just curious, this was not written to start any disagreements or aurguments.

Steve

Steve, your point is very valid. We just have to hope that with more fish, spread out over a larger area that more "secret" spots will emerge. I wonder: with the good fishing we've had this fall along the I5 corridor, was the presure off the Forks area?

"Secret spots" change from season to season, and in many cases after an extreme highwater. For me, part of the joy derived from fishing this state's rivers and streams is rediscovering how to successfully angle these river stretches that have metamorphosed. As we know, the preferred holding water differs amonst the various salmonids. Thus, this season's springer spot may flatten out and become next summer's steelhead honey hole. Fifty percent of the game is, and will always be, correctly reading the water. The other half is composed of factors such as: friends (especially guide friends), observation (watch other successful anglers), and of course luck (every so often a boondoggled bait finds a new hidden slot!). I have yet to find a secret spot utilyzing directions I found surfing the internet.

After reading all this discussion about the bark hole I'm ready to jump in my truck and drive there right now. Only problem is I live a long way away, I have a job, I have a family, I have another commitments, I guess I'm like most other guys and just because I read about something doesn't mean that I'll be there the next day.

Is it humanly possible to beat Fishhead Fred to the Bark Hole?

TK

Right on Rich!lets hook up on monday's and fish spot x

No, you can not beat "FishHead" Fred to the bark hole. His friends call him Fred.

He will always be FISHHEAD to me after I saw a 25lb steehead in the bottom of his freezer incased in a large chunk of ice!!!! and his 16ft tackle box(Willie).

Steve J.The exchanging of ideas and technics are good, catching Salmon is one thing consitantly hooking and landing Steelhead is not quite the same,Locations on the hand are hard to come by there are no secret spots any more ...well at least not very many and as Howaiian said the rivers are changing every season ,but if you want to give up a great location and new tech...good for you ,I won't stand in judgement of anyone,but that doesn't mean I gonna give up much I'm kinda like a old hook nose Silver....you gotta earn it
the only way we as fisherman can effectivley make change to stand together to we are not going to make nets go away by hold a ***** fest ,only united can we be heard

FishHead Fred it MINT! My husband and some of his friends had been camped out on the Allen Bar a few years ago and left their tent pegs behind. Well, the following summer on another fishing/camping trip we ran into Fred and he handed us our tent pegs. That guy's a player!