Anybody Notice Increased Enforcement on Skok?

Nice to actually see the Conservation Officers patrolling the river. Has anybody else noticed an increased prescence? I've even seen the Federal F & W guy out writing tickets for people fishing Purdy Crk. I'd like to pass along some positive feedback to WDFW for a change.

VHAwk

tell them to send a bunch of enforcement folks to the Snoho River too, for the pink run.

I'd tell you what I noticed about the Skok when I stopped by there yesterday, I noticed that it is the biggest POS fishery ever crafted by anyone, of any governmental stripe.

The stuff I saw there would turn the stomach of most knuckledragging hillbillies, much less actual anglers.

I don't give a rat's ass if this pisses some people off or not, but if you are a legit fisherman and you are fishing there, you are part of the problem...even adding a tiny bit of legitimacy to that ridiculous example of a fishery is a mistake.

No one who cares about sportfishing at all should ever be within ten miles of that river this time of year with a fishing rod in hand.

Fish on...

Todd

Todd, how do you really feel? Based on pics and what ive heard i hope to never fish that or similar areas in my lifetime...cheers.

Oh...and there were no enforcement officers to be seen for the hour I walked around in utter disgust around the Purdy Creek hillbilly $hitfish-athon.

I did not spy one single actual fisherman...all were jerking their crap everywhere, at least half of the guys had leaders longer than six feet with either a tuft of black yarn, or no yarn at all...just a phukking hook.

The water is five feet deep and the kings there are running around in circles in a panic to get away from all the jackasses fishing there.

That whole damn lower river should be paved over, along with all those who fish it.

Have a nice day.

Fish on...

Todd

summerun,

Believe it or not, I'm toning down how I really feel...my actual feelings and solutions for that fishery would probably classify me as a terrorist and I'd be sent to Gitmo to have electrodes shoved up my ass for the next six years...which frankly, would be preferable to witnessing that scene again.

No one who considers themselves a fisherman should ever go there, at all, to fish during this Chinook run. It makes the chum fishery there look downright pristine, and that chum fishery is worse than Hoodsport on its worse day, which is pretty f'n bad.

Fish on...

Todd

How about you just stop going there?

There are plenty of spots for legit fishermen. If they are not open go somewhere else. The problem to me is there is not enough places to fish. I don't understand why the puyallup and Green are not open for Pinks right now. Atleast it would take the pressure of other places.
Aunty, you make a very good point...

I agree it is disgusting to see those fish getting traumatized by all those idiots. Yes I said idiots, and if you happen to be one of those hillbilly, littering, methmouted jerkoffs and you read this and it pisses you off , good! Why dont you learn to fish!

Jake, I don't have to stop going there, because I've never started...any legit angler who goes there and sees what it's about and decides to string up a rod and start casting really REALLY needs to think about what the [censored] they are thinking.

Fish on...

Todd

Uh oh. I see a future VHawk/Todd verbal battle about to unfold. I've never seen this "fishery" first hand but I've seen other combat fisheries that have utterly disgusted me and I tend to end up sounding like Todd.

I've ended up fishing the salt far more than fresh water in the last few years. At least it gets me away from 99% of the river trash.

"we need more places to fish"...there are so many quality beaches, rivers and lakes around puget sound it is sick...there might not be many kings schooled up in mass panic as the skok, the samish, hoodsport etc... but you can catch trout, bass, kings, silvers, pinks, chums, steelies and who knows what else on occassion...doesnt matter if you are a fly, gear or bait guy, you can find some fish AND relative solitude and actually go out and fish in a sporting and challenging way... people are fin lazy and wont walk a 1/2 mile to find a real place to fish...oh I better go now as i need to go fish from the beach like i did last night all by myself watching an epic sunset head down over the water and olympics 20 minutes from my house in Seattle...GREAT tide tonight as well...cheers.

Um I dunno, I saw an underpantless female angler there... Not to mention a top notch toothless parking attendant. Overall a pretty tight run ship. I was hoping to stock up on some used riverside/roadside diapers as well... Silstar Williams on.

I went fishing there yesterday. I got there early before there was anyone there (4 AM). I was truly amazed at a few things....like...
All the tackle strewn in the trees and branches. I happened to retrieve some. I had more hooks with barbs then hooks with no barbs.
I watched a few tweaker looking guys fishing. There was maybe a full set of teeth among them. From the bank, I could see alot of kings down deep. I pointed out to them where to cast. Too bad it pointed out the area near all those underwater logs. Damn snags!!!! LOL
I might try one more time. In the past three or four years since returning to WA, I would really like to catch a King!

Joe

rvrfshr and I were able to walk about 30 miles of riverbank over three days on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, caught innumerable char, a few big salmon, and angled up with 9 summer run steelhead...and saw one angler we are friends with out there, and two others at a distance.

After that three days, we drove by Purdy Creek on the way home for kicks and grins, and there were no grins...but there were several kicks I wanted to hand out.

"Hey, that's a pretty nice bare hook yer jerkin' through that slot, homie!"

"Uh, yeah...my yarn musta fell off"...as he casts and jerks again.

There shouldn't even be Chinook in that river, much less anglers fishing for them...what a crap fishery full of crap "fishermen"...

Fish on...

Todd

You should have gone to the woodland park zoo and watched the monkeys throwing poop. Theres not a big difference between the Skok fishery and a bunch of butt picking wild apes IMO.Good Luck-TBJ

I have respect for the monkeys throwing poop now...they have better aim than the jackasses at the Skok...plus I can understand their yowling better than squawking coming out of the toothless pieholes of those hillbilly droolers.

Fish on...

Todd

You guys are funny! Yeah, the Skok is a zoo. Went there and looked after fishing the salt and wouldn't think of joining that parade.

Think it doesn't happen other places?? I've watched the salmon snagging going on under the Hwy 2 bridge over the Wallace, on the Sky, and (no suprise here) the Cowlitz. Go to the hatcherys, plant sites, and stack pools and you'll see some of the same thing depending on enforcement and the local "character".

Kings especially seem to bring out the worst in some anglers. Don't think that reflects on the Skok's legitimate anglers trying to avoid the crowds anymore than it does others who fish the Wallace, Sky, or Cowlitz.

I remember when my steelhead flyfishing friends laughed when I said I'd just returned from fishing the Cowlitz. Their impression of the Cowlitz was of Blue Creek. Mine was of the miles of mostly vacant river I found to fish once I escaped from Hell's Half Mile.

Don't let me interrupt you tho. Go ahead and bash on the Skok. After you're done with that one I'll send you a few more suggestions.

if we would have had better enforcement 8 or 9 years ago when that river started getting crowded(along with others) maybe the scene wouldn't be the same. it's a cultural thing, you see it everywhere. it happens on just about every river now("they're hatchery fish, i'm entitled to a limit by whatever means!"), you see people teaching their kids that it's alright to lie, cheat and steal through life, and few have any respect for the natural world any more.

what goes on at the skokomish happens at every halfway-known western washington river for salmon, and worse yet, it's even spreading to steelhead in the last few years.

i'm sorry that i'm not one of the elite that is only satisfied after covering 30 miles of water to catch a fish, but i've been fishing these rivers longer than the hillbilly, realtree-wearing, country cow$hit music blaring snaggers, and i'm not letting them get to me(or at least pretending not to). whatever happened to fishing being a fun, harmless hobby that one could do in their spare time?

the day that i get twisted up so bad that i only fish rivers that don't run within 20 miles of a road, that only contain native fish, releasing everything i catch and never using bait, i'll sell all my gear and take up golf.

Todd its a dream you never really saw that .take some drugs go to bed foget aboutit .And never ever go there agin. At least thats what i did after I saw that CRAP! I feel better now.
frank

"i'm sorry that i'm not one of the elite that is only satisfied after covering 30 miles of water to catch a fish"

It's not elite to not want to join the jackasses at the Skok...my point is that when someone tells me there aren't places to fish, they are full of $hit...if they're too lazy to walk farther than they can carry their cooler of Schlitz and their lawnchair, then they get what they deserve.

I'd recommend you sell your gear and take up golf now with your "good ol' boy" attitude...you don't know jack about me or what I do, and you aren't nearly old enough to be good ol' boy about nothin'.

Fish on...

Todd

What? I thought we were headed down there this weekend. I haven't seen you this fired up in a long time....it must have been quite a sight. Never fished it, never will. Glad you and Joe had a good trip.

Ike

Ike,

Trip was excellent...you shoulda been there...we could have used a non-elite to keep us in our places...yeah.

It was the worst thing I have ever seen on a river...makes the Whatcom Creek brick wall fishery scenic and pristine.

Fish on...

Todd

nice try Aunty A couple more twists and Todd will be wound tighter than Banjo at one legged ass kickin contest

Marsha, I'll go and look at that one...I've seen it, but haven't clicked on it due to lack of interest on my part...but it must be getting fun there now!

Fish on...

Todd

r2, have no fear...not getting wound up, in spite of what it looks like on the in-ter-nets, is what I do.

Fish on...

Todd

come on todd, i thought using my age to pick on me was a tactic of another notorious figure in the online fishing BB world...you're above that...

i'll give it to you, i don't know a whole lot about what you do or where you fish, but the general attitude of your posts is that you appear to snub the idea of fishing anywhere that the general public has an idea of, and this is no exception(albeit, a bit on the extreme end of lawlessness and overall disrespect).

i've been fishing for fall salmon for nearly 18 years, and it saddens me how much the fishing as whole, and "angler" attitude has deteriorated over the years, especially in the last 10. i feel that by giving up the places i've fished most of my life beacuse of the presence of lowlifes would be letting them win. i try to lead by example while fishing in such places, though i tend to do enough walking to get away from the crowds and avoid meatholes...it's going to take a shift in attitude to change this situation, i feel that the attitude of "who cares, snaggers will never change" is nothing but detrimental.

Todd - You'd better not stop in for a look-see at the Killscene in a week or two! IMO, it's WORSE than the Skok... if that's even possible!

I'm not picking on you because of your age, but I won't have anyone who doesn't know me tell me I'm some sort of an "elitist", and though I don't know how old you are, I'd guess somewhere in your early to mid-20's, and I won't have someone half my age telling me about "traditional" fishing areas or techniques, either.

I fish damn near anywhere, and I do it year 'round...and I fish alongside other anglers all the time, and not just my buddies when we are ten miles from the nearest road...that just happens this time of year.

I fish on the beach with dozens of anglers, and I fished the terminal area on the Sky with a bunch of buddies on June 1...with 100 of our closest friends.

If I'm right on your age, I've fished the Puyallup and Nisqually, and the Green and the Sky, and the Carbon and Deschutes, since long before you were even born...I don't need anyone to tell me what kind of fisheries they are, or that I'm an elitist for avoiding the areas full of knuckledragging mouthbreathers...I'm out to fish, and fish hard...I'm also out to catch fish, lots of 'em, and to take home lots of 'em, too...but I also fish to get away from the city, work, and crowds.

There are lots of places I flat out won't fish...the Nisko, the Puy, Blue Creek, Barrier Dam...many others...but I don't call for them to be closed down, nor do I point at the legit anglers there and tell them that they are part of the problem, because they are not.

The scene I witnessed at Purdy Creek on the Skokomish, however, is different...it is by far the most worthless and disgusting collection of bedraggled human waste $hitting all over themselves to snag a few salmon that are swimming around in circles amongst floating diapers, beer cans, beer boxes, and tackle waste...if a crack opened up there on any given Saturday and swallowed up the entire area, fishing and humankind would be the better for it.

Anyone who fishes there and adds any air of legitimacy to it is awarding WDFW for allowing such a disgusting display to take place...and no one is going to make any of those dip$hits learn anything by any example whatsoever.

About the only thing that might work would be 150 legit anglers all showing up, beating the chit out of every hillbilly jackass there, and then taking over the entire river...

Fish on...

Todd

I suggested that Todd, a vigilante crew of legit fishermen. We could take over the place for the whole weekend. It would be fun to fish with the points cut off of our hooks just to add insult to injury. I know it would'nt happen but I can just see one of these guys going are you guys gonna move or be leaving soon? "Nope" LOL. That would be funny.-TBJ

Todd no fear taken I agree with a lot of what you said.But I can not condem every one that fishes there .Some folks cant make a1 or 2 mile hike to fish. so they need easy acess such as the skok puy carbon nisq I personally stay clear of said kunckel draggers.that give these rivers a bad image.Peace be with you stream walker.
frank

Post on other page handled, I'm sure

I saw the .net get together post...but it looks to me like they are going to go fishing in a semi-private area to avoid the mouthbreathing crap droolers...they need them, and another 100 dudes, to take over that human litterbox known as Purdy Creek.

There are 100's of places to fish within 100 feet, or 100 yards, of a car...hell, there were so many rusted out Datsun B-210's parked at Purdy Creek yesterday that some of those jackasses had to push their wheelbarrows full of beer and tackle boxes half a mile just to get to the Purdy Creek hole...if they can do that, then they can fish in thousands of other places...

...thank God they don't.

Fish on...

Todd

Sorry Aunty Iam sure it was legit .I never make to any of the other BB this one this one seems to keep me up to date just fine .lots of good folks here.
frank

Hell aunty i have a hard enough time with just one.and still havent figured it out yet.one of these days I mite find those little smiley faces.

So I'm just trying to understand this
Why exactly is it a mortal sin for respectful 'legit' anglers to be out there?
I'm new to NW fishing (3yr) and really new to posting (obviously), but I've got some damned fine mentors who don't mind teaching me the right way to fish, and it helps to be where fish are... one would think.
So Sunday, I was able to kick a two year no-salmon streak fishing eggs on a barbless hook. I wasn't standing in the meatline, but instead about 50 yards away to a hole all by myself that most everyone ignores. I'll admit that I've been out to the skok a fair amount, but nearly always manage to walk away from the crowds. (probably part of why I had such a streak)
Am I beyond saving and suitable only for leveling material when the lower skok gets paved over like you suggest?

...not pissed or offended ...just trying to understand how you got that vice-grip clamped on the left one so tight?

Don't worry about my left one, or my right one...I type with two hands.

For all the reasons I stated above, that fishery needs to go the way of the dodo bird...and in spite of 99.997% of the people fishing there being complete and utter wastes of human leavings, the WDFW will trot out the four legit fishers and tell us why it's so important to have fisheries like that.

That's why there shouldn't be anyone who considers themself a legit sportfisher anywhere near that cesspool...they shouldn't let themselves be tools in the defense of the indefensible.

Yes, it makes sense to fish where there are fish, especially when you are learning...check the map, there are thousands and thousands of miles of stream in this state, and almost all of them are open at some time or another, most of the systems have hatcheries, and there are several hundreds of thousands of salmon and steelhead available in those streams to be fished for, caught, and harvested...

...and at most of them you'll be fishing for fish that aren't running scared with hooks jutting out of their a$$holes, and stand a much lower chance of hooking a diaper floating by, or have to worry about miles of line, hooks, crap, garbage, and actual $hit to step in, tangle up in, or just stand around in all day while fishing.

Go up to the hatchery and check the fish that have somehow made it through there without being snagged, flayed, and tossed in the trunk of the rustbucket...many are sporting massive hooks pinned all over them like piscivorous Goth lords, and many more of them are covered with festering sores from the hook stabbings they all took in the body cavity in their mad dash to get from the garbage strewn tidelands to the Purdy Creek hellhole.

Tasty.

Fish on...

Todd

sounds like the russian/kenai confluence

a few years ago i went fishing for steelies on one of my favorite rivers...i knew that they were pretty good, but never experienced it in the summer...
i was fishing next to a fly fisherman, and the two next to us were snagging summer steelies....the two on the other side of us were also snagging summer steelies...the worst thing that i realized, that the two to the right of me were teaching thier child how to snag...i left...
I have scince vowed that i would not fish a river if they were in that thick...it brings the worst people out...i cant stand it...i would rather fish where it is slow fishing just to get away from people...i find that that is where i find true fishermen...

its sad that this happens often, but normally i cant pick a fight by myself...most of the time im on the rivers to get away....

im sure the Skok is even worse this year, i have seen sooooooo many people fishing this year that dont normally fish...the fishing is really good....i for one wish it was not as good...it might discourage many...hope fishing is not as good next year, hate to say it....c

Soon those sick-#ucks will congregate at Thomas eddy [snoho] for thier bi-annual gross humpy snag and stay until the silvers are gone...but the WDFW will sit in the parking lot and check em when they leave [1/2 mile from the river]???

Cool. I'm making plans now to start harvesting at Thomas Eddy. Except I don't snag--I just twitch a jig.

Gee same story, just a different year. Can't wait til September when this entire board will be full of this guy snagging on this river or that guy snagging on that river.

And yes it will be the same in 2008 because for some reason when the salmon hit their home streams to complete their life cycle it brings out the all kinds of people who fish, don't fish, snag, don't snag, ect.

Its a simple lack of education on the Skok IMO.

Yeah Marsha and it might make a dent until the next high tide. What I want to know is how do you fish eggs anywhere on the Skok when you are standing next to 100+ flossers and snaggers?

I cannot argue against the visceral response that Todd had. I had the same initial feelings. It is so abhorant, so blatant, the purposeful illegal actions taken by some of those with rods and reels on the Skok, that to imagine a Genesis flood sweeping away the human detritus on that river is to provide ones self with some disturbing sense of justice. Fire and flames, plague and pestilence, nothing would be too much for the poachers who haunt that river which springs from the nightmares of Thomas Hobbes.

And then I took a deep breath and sat myself down someplace cool and shaded. Turning my back on such a place won't solve anything. It would be as effective as refusing to vote, and expecting some dramatic change to occur because of it. The Skokomish is the main reason I joined the LE advisory group. It is the reason Aug 19th I'll be doing 3 hours of river clean up in the afternoon, alone if need be. My shining armor is tarnished. My sword rusted in its sheath. But if clinging to my sense of idealism makes me look the fool, so be it.

It would not take an army to return the Skok to something resembling civility. One of the smaller, more notorious holes, the one right at the bend of the Skok where it meets Purdy Creek, right upstream of the pool where most of the kings are snagged, I held that corner on a Sunday morning from 9 am until 1 pm. I invited 5, 6, maybe 7 guys to either share my bait, and quit ripping hooks through the pool of fish sitting in front of me, or if they insisted on snagging fish that they would need to move along. Only one guy even spoke to me. The rest just picked up and left. The one guy who stayed actually stuck around and fished. I'm not sure I'd be so bold again without holstering a bullet launcher. But for a morning during the better part of the run, the salmon in my pool laid quiet and almost undisturbed. And though I lost both the fish I hooked, there was still a sense of accomplishment. A sense that something desirable was possible.

Todd, If you want to see what a quarter mile of a walk will buy you on the Skok, follow along with me. I will put you out of sight of any fishers, or snaggers. You can crouch low on a tidewater channel, watching as the wakes of 3 dozen kings swims towards you. Pick up your 8 weight and shoot a quick cast ahead of them, letting the small streamer swing in front of the pack. And when you've hooked 3 or 4 kings on a fly in a late evening, maybe you'll understand. I think you already do.

I'm going to keep trying. The alternative, which is to do nothing,is to surrender another river to waste, to neglect, to a mindset that has no respect for rules or ethics, it is to surrender and give up something precious. We've surrendered enough waters. I will not surrender this one.

VHawk

Vince, any room for me and some guide friends to help with the 3 hour cleanup?

[/quote]
Yeah Marsha and it might make a dent until the next high tide. What I want to know is how do you fish eggs anywhere on the Skok when you are standing next to 100+ flossers and snaggers? [/quote]


Don't stand next to 100+ flossers. I think I've gone over this in previous posts. Maybe it's time to resurrect "Advice for the Hordes".

Call or email me about clean up. I tried making this a cooperative effort with the tribe, but I'm not getting any emails returned. I'll be doing this probably from 11am until about 2 or 3 pm. It's also a good opportunity to do some scouting, and some re education.

VHawk

I used to fish the Quil and did quite well, but that fishery is gone to hell since the Tribal Trebles haunt every hole every day. There is no longer any chance to legitamately fish any part of the river. I tried a couple of times last year, but to no avail. I left sickened and never punched a fish from that river. The dungeness was only somewhat kinder, but all around, last year was far from really productive. I have not visited the Skok, and likely will not. Todd, not all folks who fish the rivers that you abhore do so in the manner that you describe.

It just may be that I'm glad there are such places. The people who participate in the mayhem at least are not where I am.....and I like that.

Vince, increased enforcement has been noticed, if you had something to do with it, thank you. Seems like most of the foul hooked fish are being released, pretty good compliance. Saw two guys get talked to by the Federal guy, seems they each had a fish on a string, and continued to fish. Guys that fish hunters lower field seem to be trying to keep area clean, roll of trash bags on the bank, and most always one tied to a tree in plain sight. Will check my game plan for the 19th, am old and slo, but will try to help if timing works out. Post where to meet and time if you can. One thing these noisy guys should know, is that the skok kings eat pretty good for fall kings, compare favorably with the Klicitat fish. Beautiful deep red meat, and at this particulare time, very bright fish. As for all the fish with gaff hooks sticking out of them at the hatchery, know this, the native fishers use legally, some very large hooks, and when no one is looking trebles. The federal warden has slowed down the treble hook dudes, and the snaggers really have to work for there fish now. Sure would like to see a couple hundred guys and gals show up with eggs some day, would be fun. tite lines, and GO SKOK ha ha

Ok how about we all meet at 11am Sunday August 19th at the guardrail along... yup, the guardrail hole. Show up with a couple heavy duty trash bags and your waders. We'll pick up trash for a couple of hours. Fish for a couple more, and at 730pm I'll buy a round of beers at Little Creek at their new seafood bar right near the front hotel lobby, for whoever shows up.

VHawk

Vince,

Is it possible to suggest to WDFG that they do an emphasis patrol like the WSP does on sections of highway for drunk drivers and really hit and area like this hard with multiple enforcement officers?

I realize that our enforcement people are overworked and thin in numbers, but if they hit an area really hard, it might have the desired effect?

Several years ago my buddy and I were fishing Quilcene Bay for silvers and stopped to look at the Quilcene where it was open.

There were several people including fathers with kids that were snagging silvers and as I recall, summer chums. We called out to them that snagging was illegal and were ignored.

We went back to the boat ramp at the Marina and talked to a Tribal Enforcement officer to ask if he could do anyting. Unfortunately he couldn't leave as he was waiting to ticket some tribal netters who were fishing inside the closed line.

He told us that the local WDF&G officer couldn't respond because he was tied up with paper work that day with all the tickets he had written already.

I'd love to see several uniformed officers from local, state, and Federal agencies pull in to check license plates, fishing licenses, etc.. show up at one time at a scene such as the Skok or Quilcene.

Many years ago when I was in the tackle manufacturing business, my partner and I did a lot of seminars for tackle shops and at sport shows.

I happened to earn a Master Sports Fisherman patch from the State for a short time Copper Rockfish state record.

I sewed it on a short sleeve forest green shirt as a shoulder patch. We frequently would go out and catch some display fish before a clinic or show and I became aware that a lot of fishermen at the ramp suddenly drifted away as I approached.

I re-sewed the patch onto a red flannel shirt shortly after that so I wouldn't be confused as an officer.

The point is if several uniformed officers made their presence, I'd bet that a large percentage of the crowd would drift away.

It might be more effective than writing citations and tying our field personnel up in court.

Note; I have seen four UNIFORMED fishery officers in the last two days, including one tribal. I am sure that i was likley fishing along side of several others, sneaky these guys are, and i like it. Vince, i can not make it on a sunday, would like to help.

If you'd like to help then send an email to enforcement thanking them for the increased patrols on the Skok.

I'll be fishing everyday from tomorrow until Sunday night. If you see me say hello.

Vince

Vince, i will be fishing tomorrow after 2 pm, at the hole at hunters back field, or perhaps the cedar hole. Look for the old fart with the floppy hat. I will send email to fish & game.

Yep-Right on schedule!! Almost hunting season

Nice tirade, TRip!

Guess Superfly, Fishhead5, Supcoop and I won't see you down there tomorrow. Bummer.

Oh well, I always new I was not a legit fisherman.

PS. It always amazes me to see the crowds part when Superfly shows up. He's loud, he's rude, he speaks his mind, and he's BIG and looks intimidating. Good combination to fish next too!

I love to sit in a diner and listen to him go off and watch the faces on all the people in the restaurant. I love the guy. He's all balls and no conscience and if you don't like hime he could give a flying fuc%. He's also the only friend I've got that would back me to death in a bar fight.

Funny,
I saw Superfly Saturday the 11th on the Skok.....
He was none of the above comments...........
Meds must have kicked in?

I was just razzin' on a Joe a bit.

Now, that Fishhead5 guy - there's an out-of-control wildcat if I've ever seen one!

Everyone jumps all over my ass everytime I say the same thing about the more notorious snaggeries of Western Washington.

It's nice to run into people as disgusted by it as I am.

It's always: "Your a snob and a condecending jerk!" (it very well may be) or it "Dont like it, dont fish there!"
Those same snaggers-- ignorant, scumbag, realtree wearing, combat fishing-- are the same guys with the "No Sealion" stickers on thier T-gateless pickups, and are the same toothless yokels that whine and bitch about Bald Eagles eating "thier" fish.

"Thier fish?" wait a second...Even if they are planted, hatchery stock, those bums prolly havent paid a dime in taxes in a decade.

Kind of funny, I am planning to try to make it down there today. While Todd is right in some ways, with 3 little kids and being self employed, it is nice to be able to run down to a place in an hour and actually know there will be fish. I have only had one full day to go fishing this year, the rest are half days or less. If I had a full day or two, I know a spot I could go and probably hook 20 steelhead. Or, I would run to Neah Bay and hook that many or more salmon on a fly. But since I need to work this morning I will try to be on the Skok at 1:00 and home by 6:30 to take the kids out. And this time I am bring a cheap 8 weight and am going to see what happens. Hope to see some of you.

Get your tetanus shots, swing by the Circle-K and pick up a twelver of Schlitz Ice tall boys, put your bag of 3/0 VMC hooks, black yarn, and cannon balls in a plastic grocery sack tackle box, and hit the river.

Even if it's 75 degrees out, wear neoprenes.

If you decide to buck the 75% of the crowd wearing neoprenes in the middle of the f'n summer, join the other 25% and wear cutoff sweats and flipflops...but be especially careful to not step in the piles of man-chit behind every bush.

Boy, this is starting to sound fun...mebbe I'll knock out my two front teeth and join you guys down there.

Fish on...

Todd

Why do it the hard way? Buy an ounce or two of Bathtub Crank and stay awake for two months straight living off Mountain Dew and Doritos. They'll fall right out of your head.
You'll fit right in.

What flavor Doritos? I think I saw bags from four different varieties floating down the river, so I'm not sure which is the best kind to get.

TIA.

Fish on...

Todd

P.S. Anyone got a rusted out Datsun B-210, with no passenger window, door handles, ignition switch, or headlights? I'll give an extra $5 if the front fenders don't match each other, or the rest of the car...I'll also give an extra $5 if there are NRA or Bush/Cheney stickers on the back bumper...or on the trunk lid, if the back bumper is missing or too crumpled to hold a sticker well.

That should bring the total value up to about $17.50, which is enough to buy yourself the Schlitz and a new pair of flip-flops at the dollar store in Shelton.

AND WHATS WITH ALL THE PEOPLE CAMPING AT HUNTER FARMS? PAY 50 DOLLARS FOR AN ACCESS KEY, CAMP FROM AUG, 1 TIL THE NOVEMBER FLOODS PUSH YOU OUT, LIVE OFF KINGS AND THEN SILVERS AND THEN CHUMS, NOW THATS LIVIN!

C'mon now Todd! There is trash all over if you look for it! I prefer V-Hawks approach to this one. You can make a difference (I know you have Todd, in many ways, and appreciate your efforts). The idea to pick up trash is a good one. Getting in the face of the tribal and wdfw cops is another thing we can do. I made a few calls to the tribe this morning on your cleanup party Vince. I'll let you know what I hear. When the legit fishermen outnumber the lowlife trash, the fishery becomes productive. I think if you clean up the garbage and provide enough enforcement to force out the scum, things will get better. Maybe....
Cheers,
Neal

Normally I'd agree with your call, Neal...but this one is too far gone...it needs an old-fashioned scorched earth approach...just demolish the whole f'n thing, along with the "anglers", and start over from scratch...

You can't put enough lipstick on that pig to make it look like anything other than a diseased porker rolling in its own waste.

Fish on...

Todd

Neal M, thanks for saying something decent about V hawks endeavor. Im beginning to think that some people here inspite of all they have done are just full of themselves. Not picking on anyone here, but remember that a fly line is just a very long leader. V hawk, i wont make it today, seems i have a funeral service to go to. Older i get, the fuller my plate gets. For those worryed about enforcement, know that the wardens are really there this year, day before yesterday, saw four uniformed officers, yesterday, none, but assume they saw me, sneaky they are, and i like it. Its fun to find out you have been fishing next to a warden all day, ha ha

Flossers.





Before you do kill yourself, gimme a call. I want to know what sized treble hooks to use and how long of a leader I'll need when using a hook and "yarn" tomorrow. Think a 10' leader is long enough?

Jerry I have no problem fishing eggs there everyday. When it gets too crowded and I haven't got my fish yet, I go find another spot. There are ways to find fish, especially with the snaggers chase them out of the holes, you just got to know where to look.

Todd you weren't in the right spot. Stam, Neal, Tim and I fished it last night and this morning, besides us there were only 2 other people below us last night, no one this morinig. We caught a couple of fish and had a great time.

Quote from Neal:

"The idea to pick up trash is a good one. Getting in the face of the tribal and wdfw cops is another thing we can do"

Agreed. But

Vhawk: The notion of patronizing the casino when your done is repulsive to me.

Taking all the trash you collect and dropping it off in the nice new seafood bar near the front hotel lobby. Now there's a cause I could get behind!

Parker if you look me up down there, you will find me with a #1 hook with corky, and 10 ft leaders are a no no as they tend to catch the back of my ear due to a lazy hand. I do prefer to fish eggs, and often do right in the middle of the crowd, just free float them. This is the reward for your patience.

This fishery is quite the circle jerk. These fish, ostensibly, are mitigation for the upper fork's water and land use. Tacoma City Light owns the Cushman project, controls the flows for flood management?. We, fishing license holders, fund the state hatchery to provide fish to Canada(for Alaskan take of thier fishes), tribal catch, and then we get the leftovers.

Long Live the Kings had a project up the Canal at Lilliwaup to show WDFW a viable alternative to preseve wild stocks.
DFW was to busy getting worked up over numbers; just clueless or intentional? Intoxicated by number they were. Greedy, they get what they've become.

I grew up fishing the estuary in the early seventies. DFW traded sportfishing for commercial harvest in the latter years. :sad:

Hans

Just ribbin' ya a bit.

Cool photo!

Hopefully, I'll get in to a fish so I can try out my Olympus 770 underwater. Totally forgot about that. Thanks for reminding me.

Well, have fun then, fellas...Parker, don't let any floating turds get stuck in your camera.



Fish on...

Todd

THAT'S A GOOD ONE TODD !!!

I have seen snaggers on every river I have fished: Snohomish, Skagit, Cowlitz, Wallace, Lewis, Kalama...and so on.

Suggesting closing down a river just because there are snaggers on it is insane. Suggesting that someone is a snagger just because they fish a certain river is equally insane.

Many people only have a few hours to go fishing. A few hours before work, or a few hours after work. Not everyone has a boat and can devote the amount of time to fishing that some of you can.

Easy access and fish equal fishermen. It is that simple. If you see me on the Skok I will be the guy with a fly rod and flies tied on circle hooks to minimize the chance of foul hooking. And if I go, you will probably see me because I have a heart condition and can't walk that far to get away from the crowds.

So to put it bluntly, there are some arrogant elitists here who think with their gut not their head. Yes, I am offended that you think I can't fish where there are crowds and have ethics.

Earthman, it's just Todd, don't worry about it.

Shouldn't be a problem, as the high tide will/should have already washed them down river.....to Vhawk!

Hey Vince, don't eat any yellow snow or any of those floating "Baby Ruth" candy bars, ok? Actually, all things considered, compared to a QuickieMart SuperGutBombBuritto, those "candy bars" are probably the least of his worries!

Man, I have been waiting for a good Skok thread!
This one is a heap of awesome, covered in awesome sauce.

Oh, to answer the original questio; I've seen no increased enforcement at the mouth. I believe the one I saw was a Point No Point treaty. Certainly not a Fed. or stater.

I'm thinnking I don't believe any of the state's propaganda.

Wahh,Wahh,Wahh, this thread is giving me a rash. Just like the one I got last time I stood in the Skok without any waders on. LOL. I have a friend who lives in Hoodsport who invited me down to fish "his" river. What I saw was exactly what has been said here. I literaly felt sick to my consience by fishing there. Apparently there are a few members here who I have not met but I consider respected anglers who choose to fish there. Why? I have no clue. I gotta stick with Todd on this one. Enjoy the day, I hope you all get a big one " a king not a rash" and I'll see a few of you for fall kings and coho on some of the less but still heavily traveled waters of the coast in a few months. P.S. the sound is full of chromers right now. Good Luck.-TBJ

Earthman, what's "insane" is someone who can't read spouting off...

There are snaggers on every river, and no one suggested closing all rivers where there are snaggers. This river is particularly nasty in every respect, and as I noted several times above, makes the usual $hithole snagfests look nice and tidy by comparison.

Be offended all you want...knock yourself out...learn to read what I write before getting there, though, and take your "elitist" comments and shove 'em up your Skok fishin' ass.

Fish on...

Todd

Have fun down there, Stammy-Boy...just don't step in a man-turd on your way to the zipper hole...

Fish on...

Todd

this is good stuff and its free to boot...lmao

Thanks parker, i figured that. That was the first underwater pic i have taken so am happy about the outcome. Was shot as a wav, so on pic on computer, can hear the water running, and background talk, quite a camera.

For Aunty M, come down to the lower field at Hunters farm and fish right out in front of the trail to river, good guys there, you would be quite safe. Not quite the same as fishing the forks area rivers though. It is fun to see the wakes of the fish coming upriver at this point.

Sumbody slip a few Tranks to the moderators?

skok threads are like the energizer bunny.

You know what they say about opinions!

You should have run that program on your own machine before mounting the cotton donkey running me over on the Man-Rules thread.

Well put Sol

Really, really cool photo, NWP.

That'll be it for this one. Cool your jets.