A Whatcom county steelheading club proposed a change to PERMANENTLY close the 1/4 mi. terminal fishery below the Kendall Creek Hatchery on the Nooksack river to ALL fishing(!)...and it's being recommended to the commission for approval at next Friday's meeting.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/rule_proposals/2016-2017/proposal.php?id=57

I keep en eye on proposals up for public comment and I missed this one. I can see why now - it's buried. And, if you view the wording of the proposal, it's exceptionally vague. Even the people that did see it, did not understand the full ramifications of the change. You'd read it and think it had more to do with boundary clarification than CLOSING A TERMINAL FISHERY FOREVER.



Have you ever heard of the access to a terminal fishery being closed to protect HATCHERY fish?? This would be the equivalent to closing the Cascade River, Tokul Creek or Reiter Ponds. To all fishing. Permanently.

I corresponded with a WDFW biologist about this, asking further questions. What he responded with perplexed me even more:



Not sure if any of you on here have ever fished this area, but I have fished it for many years and this claim about angler behavior is patently false. This is not the Samish or Whatcom Creek, it's NOT a combat fishery. Usually there is not another angler within 200 yards of you. Besides, "bad angler behavior" is not even a stated reason for the closure in the rule change proposal. I can guarantee you the only public that has supported this proposal - or even commented on it - is the club that suggested it. Nobody knew about it!

Something sure reeks about this. The vague wording, the fact that it was buried. It's almost like it was deliberately obfuscated to hide the magnitude of the change.

Then there's the shadowy nature of this "Northwest Washington Steelheaders of Whatcom County". I mean, google that phrase. There are questions about that organization (like do they even exist?)

The fact is, this is the stretch of the river people actually fish and can reasonably expect to catch a fish. Fish that are bound for a HATCHERY. As per normal, the river is closed during times when wild fish are most present, so there is absolutely no need to restrict access to the prime water of a terminal fishery!!

Given the late date (and at the suggestion of a higher-up), I am scrambling around town to collect signatures from people who fish the river. Everyone I've talked to so far is shocked.

I'm not asking you to be concerned about a remote part of a river that isn't even near you...but if they are closing prime river water to protect HATCHERY fish, what's next?

If so inclined, send some comments to COMMISSION@dfw.wa.gov
I'd appreciate it.

I sincerely believe this state is working towards ending fishing. They want out of the fishing business

Comments sent.

If this passes, and a precedence is set to close fisheries based on " Bad behavior, confusion and some small groups desires" that is going to snowball into a very ugly situation. It no longer amazes me how underhanded the process is getting.

Chasin, thanks for the heads up. I certainly hope more guys get angry about this, even if it doesn't directly affect them right now. Because if it sneaks through, it will be coming to our home water soon!

Thanks for your help BayWolf. Since I won't be fishing this weekend (look outside!) I am just working on this. The more I find out, the stranger it becomes.

I totally agree RVW. I woud say its hard to believe this would happen, but it does not surprize me. So many battles to fight ya cant keep up. This sure sucks. If this state starts closing down a hatchery zone due to bad behavior we're doomed...ya hear about how bad people act at a place, and it makes you want to stay away. Reiter ponds for instence. Its one of the few hatchery zones I have spent some time at over the years. The rumors of all scrappinn going on up there is waaaay exagerated. Ya it can be crowded. People get along there for the most part tho. Ive had some great times up there.

I will send a email CB. I have never fished up there, but this effects all of us. Thanks for your efforts. I tought I had some traveling to do to catch a steelhead down here in snohomish with all the cuts. If they take that fishery away from you ya have a heck of a drive south to find some decent fishing...unless ya like to give your money to canada.

Good Luck!

Heh - yeah I do actually go fish the Chilliwack/Vedder from time to time. Talk about a place with an angler behavior problem THAT is it. Sometimes I am the only one on the river who is legitimately fishing (not flossing). The North Fork Nooksack is *nothing* like that. I have not personally witnessed any fights or flossing. I don't even know where he is getting this information.

I have fished this stretch a lot and it is not a combat fishery at all. Fished it twice this year and have seen 2 other anglers. I’m not sure what the motive is and I don’t really understand why the state would adopt a rule that is inconsistent with other rivers. They usually close that area when it needs extra protection to get hatchery steelhead back and spring Chinook. I wonder if the guy spey fishing up there next to me approves of this? Probably not.

I spent the weekend going to local sporting goods shops collecting over 50 signatures from people who fish the N. Fork. I'd have gone to the N Fork itself...but it's closed! :P

The overwhelming reaction I'm getting is disbelief. This is a place people around here fish, and have fished for years. A place people fish with their kids.

When I told them one of the reasons is "poor angler behavior" the general response was, "are you sure we're talking about the same place?" or "you sure you don't mean the Samish (or Whatcom Creek)?" This angler behavior thing is truly bizarre.

It's a hatchery so yes, there are going to be abuses by some individuals. But by no means widespread. In all my years fishing there (there are times in the fall/winter when I will go there every day after work)... I have never witnessed a fistfight or even snagging. Nor have I ever witnessed the presence of an enforcement officer. S Fork - yes. Samish - yes. Whatcom Creek - yes. Cascade - yes. Never seen enforcement on the N fork nooksack.

One of the original complaints (I guess from the "public") is that people are violating the rule of fishing closer than 300 feet from the hatchery boundary. It's easy to see why - this area is completely unmarked. It's an easy solution - MARK IT. Why do you have to close 1/4 mi of the river too? That is massively heavy-handed. These hatchery fish, they do not need that kind of protection.

Here's the main argument I hope will compel the Commission to vote against this proposal...

We face a looming participation problem. If we don't get people fishing, especially young people, we're in real trouble. We are not going to get there by closing off the precise areas where people go to catch fish.

It is in this water below hatcheries where you can take a kid and have them experience the REAL power and joy of having a strong salmon - or God willing, a Steelhead - on the line. Restricting access forces people to go downstream where the chances are lower you'll catch fish, and much higher the new fisher you brought is going to think fishing is boring.

There are good reasons to close rivers (or portions of them). Like, to protect wild fish. This proposal is NOT a good reason. If we want our sport to grow and continue, we have to stop shooting ourselves in the foot with crap like this.

There is one hatchery worker there, I do not know her name, but I'm pretty sure she hates sport fishermen by the way she always goes off on me when I am fishing around there within what she thinks is the closed area when it is definitely not. I have asked for it to be clearly marked but usually she just looks like it is her against the entire world and I'm a bad guy. She doesn't appear to have much respect for us and talks to us like we are idiots which I'm pretty sure is a problem of all state employees talking to the public since they are always on a high horse. Anyway, when I saw this proposal I couldn't help but think she had something to do with it. She probably just wants fish so she can do her job but I gotta say I don't go there as often after dealing with her a few times.

I mean, somebody just go down there and place a traffic cone! Jeez!

For god sake how the f#%k did this all happen under our watch? The last 15 years or so all this crap has gotten ugly and within 5 years we'll all be fighting for what's barely left in AK. Greed, lack of funds and corrupt gov officials how can anything change for the better?

Get involved, get your friends involved. Get everyone you come in contact with educated on what's happening in the state. Boycott, plan mass gatherings, write the news agencies, pass out fliers at the casinos...

Ask the local guide about the reasoning behind this.....

I emailed a comment regarding this proposal a few months ago when I read it on the WDFW site. It's getting harder and harder every year for me to put into words how the Nooksack is managed. Does fishing in a double closed area mean that you get 2 tickets?

Well, that's a good thought. Are you referring to a specific guide? If so, perhaps PM me? Only guide I know that works this river is Danny of River Chrome Guide Service, and he was as perplexed as me.

I'm trying to talk to everyone I can about this.

[Bleeeeep!] Danny. And the hatchery too for that matter.

Neither has any benefit to the remaining shards of magnificence in that poor River.

This particular issue is absurd. Any rational person would say close fishing in Kendall Creek (which is already the case, right?) and MAYBE the hole/run it goes into. Then, MARK THE SPOT and be done with it.

Where is the hatchery point we're measuring the 1/4 mile from? Is it a radius from that point? If I multiplied its square root by the number of dead native steelhead in the nets, would it be more than the number of $100 bills taxpayers throw at a hatchery that has to close the river to the get their fish?

P.S. How do I get one of those vests that lets me fish during the closed season?

That's part of it - this is completely subjective. It's not clear exactly how the mouth of Kendall Creek would be decided. The permanent closure would extend 1/4 mi downstream from this marker.

If it is where the mouth is currently marked on a map (like for example Google maps), then the closure could extend all the way down to Racehorse creek. Basically, the best water on the river.

Your points about the hatchery performance and tribal pressures are well taken. My guess is the true reasoning behind this proposal is to be one more crutch for an ailing program.

The precedent it would set is shocking though. That it's OK to shut down terminal fisheries to protect hatchery fish. This *could be* a canary in the coal mine. Think about how many rivers and creeks have "hatchery holes" and what that they contribute to angler opportunity. It's huge.

Just close the whole system to sportsfishing, and only allow tribal netting. When they still can't get their fish back, MAYBE that will shed some light on why they have trouble getting their fish back. Maybe. But probably not. Sometimes reality is too racist-sounding to be addressed.

How much better would it work if WDFW just handed anadromous and marine resources over to the Tribes? Go back to the old Game Department days (without steelhead). Buy your license for fish you can catch. Want salmon or steelhead? Go out of state.

Of course, without NOF and auto-pilot salmon fisheries what would the staff do?

heh...at this current moment we have a river closure in effect so they can get their egg take. Yet, the tribes have been netting 7 days a week. Something definitely doesn't add up!

A real shame what could have been with the Nooksack. It's one of the few rivers that doesn't have a dam. It should really have wild AND hatchery fish populations similar to the Vedder/Chilliwack just north of here.

Still, it's my home water, a gorgeous stretch to fish...and I do love getting out for Dollies, Chum, Steelhead and the occasional Coho.