Good evening dear fisher people,

Every small river or relatively unpopular or unknown river that consistently gets published on the net and in the magazines goes to trash within a few years.

Population growth is a factor. However, in good old days you had to work hard and spend time and money to find them. Therefore much less pressure on the resources. Most would not drive 300 miles in one day to experiment but will do if the fish are in.

To some extent, free flow of info is good for the sport but if you start seeing the BBQ grill on the bank, you may have found the saturation point

thx,
UFK

I agree with you about the BBQ - saturation. Thats usually a good sign that its time to seek a new spot

When I first started fishing the OP back in the latter part of the 80's ... I fished the Hump with a hundred or more of my closest friends. When did it stop becoming a zoo so it could start again??

I too have fished the Hump on and off (mostly off the last few years) since the mid 80's. Stevens creek was WORSE back then if you can believe it! Rayoneer bar, Bluff hole, Helicopter, camp Bethel... ALL packed when the fish were in.

Some things NEVER change I guess...

I take a bbq in the boat with me anytime I fish
hood canal... I guess its reached its saturation
point :p



I think it has more to do with the quantity and
accessibility of fish than the the amount of publicity

Piper, That looks gooooood. That's a shore lunch.

We’ve all wanted it, but lets face it, its not going to happen. A private stretch of river that is full of fish…… ya, maybe when you were with Lewis and Clark.

The thing that can be done is make it as enjoyable as you can with what you have been dealt. Try to meditate into your own little world, blow off the ignorant fool drinking his beer and dragging on his meth pipe.

I too got sick of fishing with “yaks” that are rude and fish unethically. I decided to buy a boat and reduce the number of “yaks” I have to deal with.

I used to stay on Gockners bar on the Hump with my grandfather in his Airstream and fish winter run Steelhead and only see maybe 2 or 3 other guys all day. we would catch 5 to 10 Steelhead every day. Watch Gramps take a 19 and 22 back to back one morning. Eggs and yarn is all he would fish! Borax only eggs as well.
Oh, did I forget to mention, that was about 1962 to 1968!!

You got that right Bob! The Hump has been a zoo for the 20+ years I've fished it!

The Hump-two-lips has been natures food bank for Hoquiam's finest since the late 70's. Not sure where you're getting the 5 years from.

The stumptulips has been packed for the 17 years I've been fishin it.What's changed???.
Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

Its always been a zoo, either learn to enjoy the carnival atmosphere or go somewhere else. Like they say, when in Rome do as the romans do!!!
Peace
Superfly

Welcome to Stevens Creek....the Greatest Show on Earth.

In the early 80's my parents took me to Stevens Creek whilst they visited friends who worked at the hatchery. I was about twelve years old, and not having much luck. An old boy decided to take me under his wing by showing me the finer points of the dip and rip method that he was having so much success with. The trick to using treble hooks, he told me, was to be smoking a cigarette(as he gave me one) while your fishing, in case the gamey shows up you can burn your line. Glad I didn't take his wisdom to heart.

Wow! Bob, I remember you now. Cussing and discussing things at Monte Square, yeah, back in the late Eighties.

For Sure it's not a zipperlip location at Stevens Creek.

By the WAy, I pack a small Q with me alot of times.
Peace
Superfly

BBQ on the bank is the best way to have lunch!

While not as many exist now as did forty years ago, there are miles of rivers with good fishing and little to no people...walk more than half a mile from your truck, and you will avoid 75% of the people. Avoid the pileups at the hatchery holes, and you will avoid 75% of the anglers.

You will have more fun fishing over twenty fish in a day by yourself than fishing over 1000 fish with 2000 other fishermen.

Like I said, lots of those places are out there...but don't expect those of us who have those spots to be posting them on the internet!

Fish on...

Todd

Wasn’t there a Humptulips cover story in STS 5-8 years ago about where the guides go on their day off? I wonder if “guides” still go.
I used to go mid-week and it was never take a number like last week.

Ignore the title/river and what I said applies to ANY river.

BTW, This was just an observation and not a complaint. I am sure most of you know what I mean by BBQ

when i was a kid in the 80's.... sts use to run articles on the hump all the time before they changed to a "how to not where to" mag...

i agree though that there are way to many people on the rivers and too many people in the puget sound area as a whole and nowadyas when alot of publicuity gets put on one spot it can get real ugly real quick with the type of scumbags that you dont want anywhere around ya......i believe in how to not where to and i will help anyone out with any info but i will not post about specific places to fish.....

ive put in years exlporing and having to drive and hike and walk and crawl and climb to the holes ive learned .......and some new guy from california *****es on the net about how stuck up i am for not giving him a map to the hole.....get out and explore folks or hang up the rods....
if your not willing to explore and tear up some waders and slip off some boulders and walk back to the truck soaked with a pipe and lighter that wont work on the way home eating twinky mush out of a soaked twinky bag then your NOT a fisherman......
some of the best days fishing have been skunkings for me.....im with todd.....get out from the crowds they will only drag you down and break your heart and destroy your view of humanity

UFK- There was a STS cover shot of Kris Oly Olsen and John Koenig with a said to be 45-50ish buck king. The mag date is August/September 1998.
The article is titled "Guides Day Off" by our very own Dave Vedder. The article is a fabulous day pulling kwikis on the Hump during September, I beleive. The opening page of the article has a picture of Dave Vedder and Tim Smith with a trophy chrome as they get 50lb hen. What a fish! I do not or would not blame STS for the Humptulips circus. The river has a world class salmon run, and that alone will bring everyone and their brother.

I've fished the Hump for years and have seen the good the bad and the ugly. I do remember 5 years ago when the river was a zoo and we were struggling big time getting our chinook quota. It was a rough couple years, now look at all the chinook around. Even with all the people I keep coming back for more. I guess it helps only being 10 minutes from there.

Harbor-Hog

P.S. Dave, great article. That is what got me started drowning them kwikis.