Bad News Sauk & Skagit

https://fortress.wa.gov/dfw/erules/efishrules/erule.jsp?id=845

FISHING RULE CHANGE
WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091

January 15, 2010




Closure of Skagit and Sauk rivers to fishing


Action: Close the Skagit and Sauk Rivers to all fishing.

Species affected: All game fish species

Location and effective closure dates:

Skagit River from the mouth upstream to Highway 536 (Memorial Hwy. Bridge) at Mount Vernon will be closed Feb.16, 2010 through April 30, 2010.

Skagit River from the Highway 536 (Memorial Hwy. Bridge) at Mount Vernon upstream to the Gorge Powerhouse will be closed Feb.16, 2010 through May 31, 2010.

Sauk River from the mouth upstream to the Whitechuck River will be closed Feb. 16, 2010 through June 4, 2010.

Reasons for action: The closure will reduce incidental hooking mortality on wild steelhead. The 2009/2010 forecasted return of wild winter steelhead to the Skagit Basin is expected to be below the escapement floor of 6,000.

Other information: The rivers will reopen to fishing as listed in the 2010/2012 Fishing in Washington Sport Fishing Rules.

Information Contact: Region 4 (425) 775-1311.

Wish I coulda been there during the Ira Yeager years. The end of an era maybe. Atleast we still have the stories and lore.

Looks like i didnt get to run into you this year at that secrete spot craig ... Hope the run turns out doing alright in the future

Have you read Ira's book, "Diary of a Sportsman"? If not i would be willing to loan you my copy.

Second river I've seen closed now because it won't reach escapements..Hmm

If the trend continues well have the cowlitz left to fish and some east side streams.

Yeah this is new to me, listed stocks and we fish intill were sure there ain't going to be enough..Then we close them? Seems kinda backasswards to me.

Ugh.

See you all on the OP............

which one is going to be the third?, geez close down one of my favorites a month early, then kick me in the shins and close the sauk next! I quit!

This is a tough one.

i need a hug, someone hold me :_(

My boys and I will certainly miss our favorite Spring break nate C&R fishery.
Hope the run comes back strong in 2011.

Strangely enough...the forecast for the Skagit, for what it's worth, is just shy of making escapement...and under the Wild Salmonid Policy, is well within the bounds of prosecuting the CnR fishery...

That being said, they missed it by so far last year that I have little faith in the projections, and though this is a tough pill to swallow, I can't really disagree with it until after the run is over and the reconstruction is done.

If last year was an anomaly, then great...if not, I'd rather find out at the end of the season, rather than during it while we're fishing.

Fish on...

Todd

I do not believe it will ever be open for C&R again. It has been closed a couple times in the past but this will end like the Skykomish.
Closed doors rarely open again in Washington!

I feel like I could Vomit!

I hope I'm wrong........Forks is next after everyone goes there.

Sad, sad news...

Since the runs are obviously hurting, hence the closure, why is it that the Tribes are still netting right now? Other than it is "their right", is there any good reason?

Don't get me wrong, I am not pointing my finger at the Tribal netting as the sole problem, it's merely just one of them but it has a great impact that continues to go unaddressed.

drift boat lawn ornament

Unforunately next is probably the Sky shutting down mid Feb....even after last years returns looking like numbers might be on the way toward the positive...Sucks !!!

Really hope it is a one year deal, although last year there weren't many fish around and the year before closed a month early. Bad Trends

Yeah.......can't wait for the mass exodus.

... and the same scenario plays out; the anglers simply move on to the next productive system, and I wouldn't even say that since the Hoh has not made escapement in 6 out the last 10 years and the mighty Q, the poster child for MSY/MSH failed to meet its escapement last year by 25%.

If this does not knock you in the head and pay attention...

The upside is hopefully this will get a few more anglers involved in steelhead conservation/advocacy.

If you haven't gotten involved this is an invitation to do so, come out the film on the 28th.

Wonder if the nets the tribes have in near Birdsview are having anything to do with "escapement or mortality" issues.

Close them all down, better to close them now... while they have a chance instead of waiting for the last fish to suck its own fish penis in a desperate chance to procreate after not finding a single of its own species in the river. Its pitiful everyone wants the fish to survive but in all reality they just want there to be alot of fish so they can catch them. I am included but I would be willing to give up my opportunities in exchange for better opportunities in the future.

And about the whole "See you on the OP" thing I keep seeing getting tossed around? Its true, everyone is heading that way, with each closure another set of fishermen head that way. Every Sound river is done, I would say not one is going to have a healthy population in a year or so. And with that every steelheader will head to the O.P., and all your opportunities belong to us. One collapse after another, California in general, South Puget Sound, North Puget Sound, The O.P. is next and then your favorite zipperlip.
Just a warning which any cognizant or however you spell that person would be able to conclude. But alot of people live in denial.

Sad doesn't begin to describe this. When I first came to this state, every book I read about steelhead fishing eventually talked about the Skagit. The most legendary system in the state is looking like a casualty.

During my time in Washington, I have always lived in Olympia or someplace at a similar latitude, so relative proximity to other (once) great fisheries has kept me from making the pilgrimage to the Skagit or Sauk, but it really hurts to learn that I may never have an opportunity to cast a Skagit spey line on its namesake.

The elimination of the C&R seasons on the Sky, the Sauk, and the Skagit was likely the beginning of the end. Full-blown closure of the mighty Skagit must surely mark a much more ominous milestone.

Sorry to pour on the doom and gloom, but it's getting harder every day to hold on to whatever hope I had that the trend might turn. I am seriously questioning how I can justify continuing to fish for steelhead at this point. I used to be able to tell myself that whatever harm catching and releasing the few steelhead I do encounter has done is relatively insignificant. With escapements below 5,000 fish almost everywhere and dropping, that reasoning no longer seems valid.

I have a trip booked on the OP in March. If things don't start changing for the better in a hurry, I may very well make it my last.

Did I really just write that? Ouch.

I guess it's time to take up turkey hunting. Really, how accurate are the redd counts done by the state and feds? I don't mind giving up fishing for the Skagit natives to bring back the run, but have we cut down on the tribal netting? Have we cut out the salmon pens and their sea lice? Have we moved the logging set-backs from streams far enough? Have we done enough to curb chemicals being dumped into the rivers?

Those rat-bastards in Olympia still don't have the balls to stop all retention of natives on all rivers in the state. So why are we the ones that are always the first to get hosed?

All the more reason to place an emergency order to ban wild steelhead kill on the remaining OP streams that the masses will be displaced.

The extra angling effort those streams will have to absorb is hard to fathom. Along with that increased effort comes additional impacts to wild fish even if NONE are retained. Some will surely die... and moreso with the increased pressure.

Another weird thing happens to fish-deprived anglers.... after a long drought of catching nothing, that primal predatory instinct kicks in the moment a legal fish is landed. Resist the urge!

Remember that Puget Sound is NOT alone.... even coastal steel populations are on a decidedly downard trend. Please, if you are coming out west because your local fishery is closed, discipline yourself to release ALL wild fish.

Let the river sleep, it needs the break.
I support the decision, and we've seen it coming, but it still rips at my soul to see this happen. Some of my fondest fishing memories ever were made on these waters.

This is a huge hit to the Angling community as a whole, and it's much more of a loss than just not being able to go fishing. Anyone who has looked forward to fishing this system has just been robbed of not having a chance to make new memories, stories, and lore. Robbed of one of the premier outdoor recreational resources in the state.
Pluck a big feather out of WDFW's cap.


Beyond the intangible losses, Guides, campgrounds, & local businesses will take a big hit in lost business, within a down economy no less. It's going to be a real quiet spring up there.
Along with this closure I hope the F&G Officers and State Patrol are kept on the beat and not re-assigned in any capacity... It's known that people poach fish up there, so it's especially important to watch and protect the rivers now more than ever.

The tribes must be re-engaged and negotiated with to eliminate their impacts. This is a critical component of a healthy recovery that can't be ignored any longer, and never seems to get anywhere. I don't know how they can look in the mirror in the morning after knowing they just took several of so few. Crist... Send the local netters on a taxpayer-funded fishing vacation to gillnet fish in the tropics in exchange for hanging up their gear for a few years, or give them gift cards to the local Safeway. Guarantee restoration of their rights once the river has recovered. Something, anything.




No words needed to describe this....

Thank you Sky Guy. What a great pic of a beautiful memory.

Basically already on the books for 2011 & 2012 according to the new praposed rule changes.

Ryley,

Thanks for the pic, I have a few similar myself. Off to the Skagit for my first steelhead venture of the year, little high but worth a shot.

Same as the Green, this is a response to last year and I don't think it reflects much on this years run.
I agree that there should be no rivers open for Wild fish retention if for no other reason than some fish stray.

The big deal is not that the fishery will close.. yes, I am bummed out. But according to Leland there is no offical statement from the tribe on what there status will be during the nate season. Also accoring to Leland it probably will not be open for the next 2-3 years due to low escapement.

The last time the river closed early the tribes continued to net through the month of April and even into May. Let me tell you I ran out of swear words when I was driving down south Skagit highway in April. I mean here it is closed to fishing... fishing with no barbs or bait catch and release... and heres the tribes out netting the Steelhead. I dont know how I will take it this time if I see....

Shameful

Ok maybe the Skykomish closes early to. But back when we fished March and April that was what my memories are full of.

The last 2 weeks of Feb are just a glimps of the fun you could have had. Usually just the last 3 days of Feb show you how good it was about to get.

Drift boat flower bed. Should look nice.

On a plus side, some of the avatars, especially Todd's, are lifting my spirits a tiny bit.

If I could post pics to this site, I would throw up some nice Skagit memories.......

At least Bigfoot and family can now have undisturbed Springtime picnics again... Free from the familiar sounds of oar splats, anchor drops, jet pumps and tire draggings of years past... Able to now spend countless hours foraging for pink worms in the lower Sauk River Valley.
The Bigfeet might even find some type of use for the Skagit's Didymo... Like gathering a bunch off the rocks in the morning at 4000 cfs, wadding it up like brown snotty snowballs, then throwing them into re-watered redds later that day, when the river jumps back up to 8500 cfs...

After 20+ seasons of S/S enjoyment and observation on my part, it seems more than fair that Disneyland needs to close for repairs. I guess the Matterhorn and Mr.Toad's Wild Ride eventually just wear out due to too many patron visits, and this patron took too many visits on the water rides for granted...

Sleepy time "near the corner" is sometimes the only option.

Hmmm...tough to follow Joe on this thread. This is the right thing to do for this beaten up system. The past 3 springs with about 50 river days confirmed the obvious. Lets all go pillage the coast until the powers that be realize those rivers are in just as bad condition, cool thing is I can kill something out west still so Im gettin mine before the injuns/guides n plunkers get em all;)

Seriously, the ONLY chance Wild Winter Steelhead have left in WA is a complete statewide shutdown which MIGHT result in getting the nets out as well. Give the fish 3 years of no late Feb/March/April death and see where we stand...Cheers

People around here have short memories. Shutting down all puget sound rivers on Feb 16 was proposed in the rules for 2010. The state has already said, if adopted it could be expanded to include the rest of the state rivers.

Problem is, we still have a run of hatchery fish that are going to pair up with wild fish, if they dont make a bee line for the traps. It would seem the excuse for closing more hatchery production has already been written.

A gillnet is a gillnet. Saving steelhead, while throwing salmon under the bus, just to keep anglers on the columbia smiling is messed up. So, how many of you are still smiling? Protect hatchery springer harvest at all cost. Just keep wishing you will be supported in banning gillnets on the columbia. Fat chance of eliminating commercial harvest on the columbia after 140 years.

Take what you can get and then get ready for the next battle. Whether that battle is further restrictions on the columbia or fishing off shore is anyones guess. The fact is, the Green was already seeing wild fish in the system and people were catching them. The state comes along and closes the rivers to protect against the incidental sport catch.

Why is the incidental gillnet catch deemed less destructive and less important to the department and the legislature? You have to change the laws on the books that requires the state to support commercial harvest. You have to give the dept and the commission more tools to make those decisions. Read the bill, 2266 makes several changes. Once you get the legisature turned in this direction, the next change will be much easier for them to support. I can tell you for a fact, that legislators who go to Olympia, to change education or other subjects, are completely unaware of these issues. Ive heard the same exact story in meeting after meeting. That includes legislators, who hunt and support the gun rights in this state. Unfortunately for us, those who are educated enough to communicate with legislators on fishing issues, do not have access to legislators in other districts, unless they go with you. Every election brings in new people and the process starts over.

Love the pics from Ryley and Dan S.
I'll add couple of beautiful scenery shots from the Skagit.

I see you've finally figured out what the CCA's position on the LCR will actually do...but for some reason, I suspect your almost utter lack of understanding of LCR fisheries means that you are both abhorrent of what is in the portion of your diatribe I quoted, and still support exactly the practice that will result in exactly that.

The rest of your post is good for entertainment value...kind of like midget tossing...devoid of anything useful, but laughable nonetheless.

Fish on...

Todd

leadbouncer, will you be at the sportsman show in the cca booth ?

if it's gonna be that kinda party, i think i'm gonna stick my d**k in the mash potatoes

Think I have enough miles to get back to the Situk. Time to save the money and vacation I would spend in WA and spend it where the fish are plentiful and wild.

We found one today on the Skagit, a lot of work but nice to bring a smaller nate to hand. May not get up there again this season, spectacular day in the way of views. This my buddy from work and hid first Skagit Steelhead.

well done! Where abouts were you fishing? I'm thinking about hittin the skag tomorrow...

Have you ever fished any Canadian rivers? Pretty close from Whatcom county.

Nice, Craig. His first steelhead?!

I've been looking forward to spring up there since i drove away from the steelhead park the last time last year...

Just absolutely kills me. When I heard this I've actually asked myself why should I keep fishing. Only to be dissappointed more each season. This hit kills me. And I'm with okiedude, if i see nets in the river this spring.... things will happen.

Even those who don't fish up this way should be pissed. Because guess what, you're getting a lot of new neighbors on your local coastal stream.

I don't get it. All they have to do is lower the escapement goal and everyone can keep fishing.

Just the Vedder, but that's blown pretty bad right now...

You certainly have a way with words Joe....well put.

Although it's a favorite fishery for many of us, including Joe, the closure is obviously much needed and has been a long time coming.

An escapement goal of 6000 fish for the Skagit is preposterous to begin with. Last years prediction of 6,100 fish allowed us to fish over 'em. 100 fish over? Gimmee a break! The actual escapement, from what I heard, was close to 2500 fish.

On a system where HARVEST used to exceed 15,000 fish on average years, and 20,000 on good years? Hmmmmm.....

Whether or not the closure will improve future runs remains to be seen, but at least it's a start.

Ike

I agree with giving the Skagit/Sauk or any other rivers for that matter a rest in hopes that the runs will rebuild themselves. For me it's not a fear of not having the chance to fish but a real fear of not ever having the chance again! Seems that here in Washington we allow the runs to go into the tank and then shut them down for good instead of monitoring them and taking precautionary actions before the fact.

Has anyone ever entertained the thought of a river gaurdian program such as been used on the Dean in BC? If WDFW couldn't afford it I'm certain that some of us care enough about these rivers to donate some time. Sure it would be complicated to organize a program like this but would it be worth it?

LOT of drift boats for sale on Craigs list . . . . . . .

Tell me something I don't know.....this isn't groundbreaking news.

Sorry, My aggitation isn't directed at you personally, just the situation.

This is just plain being sarcastic, right?

If so I truly get your point

If not...

Not really. I expect to see some escapement goals lowered in the next few months. WDFW's been doing it for ages.

Back in the 70s they actually claimed that they reversed a downward trend in some Puget Sound Chinook stocks by lowering the goals. Back then, they could hit the lower goals!

I fished a few of my favorite runs on the Sauk today. The water looked nice, and it was good to be out on the river again. However, I couldn't help but to feel as if I was making one last visit to a relative that is about to die.

That has already been done. At what point do you stop? When there are none left? I'm with Double Haul on this one; I can appreciate sarcasm if that is the case. If not...

Having read a few of Keta's other posts, I tend to believe this was rather heavy sarcasm.

Lowering escapements to keep a fishery open may have made sense when there were 20-30,000 fish returning to these systems, but I don't think anyone would try to argue that it does when 5,000 is the starting point.

When I first learned that escapement goals were as low as they have been for some time now, I recall wondering how any of us ever catches a fish. Think about how much needs to fall in line to catch one fish these days, let alone the huge numbers that were the rule 40-50 years ago. It makes me really impressed with those 10 percenters out there who consistently catch fish at today's escapement levels. Those guys are good.

Anyway, I'm starting to pull a 180 on this thread. I started out in full doom and gloom mode, deeply saddened at the prospect of the Skagit and Sauk closing. I don't fish those rivers, but I have always wanted to; sort of a rite of passage for a steelhead angler in Washington.

More and more, I am thinking, despite the likely fallout from this event, that this is a good thing. I am looking forward to my trip to the OP in March, but I wouldn't be too upset if they decided to close those rivers in February as well. I have said before that I would rather see fishing stopped than see the fish continue to fade away, and I will stand by that remark. Hopefully, these actions will give us some strong, demonstrative arguments to use in future negotiations with the tribes to convince them to act in kind. If we truly want to turn this around, we ALL need to change our ways, and quickly.

Another point I think worth pondering, well actually two:

1. This should not be a surprise since this is not the first time, remember 2001

2. C&R fisheries have been allowed to occur on the S/S at 80% of estimated escapement levels over a number of years since, I believe the last closure in 2001. Smalma my correct me if I am wrong. In my opinion C&R fisheries should not be allowed to occur usless the estimation is at !00% or greater than the escapement level on any system.

Yes,sarcasm it was. I've been watching this slow motion train wreck for years and when the escapement goals where lowered I was very skeptical that was the direction to go. It seems to me that if the carrying capacity is declining the thing to do would be raise the carrying capacity not reduce the escapement goal, but that's not the easy way and it would be bad for the economy so here we are.

nothing will change untill the nets are out of the river for good.

you cant have a recovery with NETS in the river!!
end of story.
I hope all the folks over on the OP look at this get a clue.
cause its coming to your area next.

I couldn't comment for the longest time, but after reading the entire thread I had to say at least a few things that stuck out. As much as it agonizes me that they are closed, like others, we all new it was coming.

I knew the closure was coming after the 2010-2012 rule change and last year's escapment numbers. This is conservation, and we need to embrace it; no matter how hard it is.

I am slightly disturbed at the number of hatchery fish still returning and the high potential of those fish strayhing and spawning with wild fish. I think this could have been postponed until at least the end of January.

Not much we can do to change the decision, now, but I know where I will continue to throw my support for changes in selective fisheries practice, the North of Falcon process and other policy management.

The Sauk and Skagit Rivers don't close until Feb. 16th, so hopefully as many of the hatchery fish as possible can be cleared out...

Fish on...

Todd

Rich -
Clealry since 2001 steelhead management policies have changed. AS you know the State has a new steelhead policy that should address those issues and of course Puget Sound steelhead are now ESA listed.

Keta -
I sure that we all would like to see our river systems supporting higher carrying capacity. Unfortuantely that is very difficult to accomplish.

Such things as Carrying Capacity are determined by the biological prodcutivity of each of our river systems. Carry Capacity like MSY levels vary every year depending n the survival conditions (both freshwater and marine) that the returning adults experienced during their lives. Because of the extremely poor survival conditons that say Skagit steelhead are now experiencing the steelhead carrying capacity of the Skagit basin is much lower than it was in say 1985. Goals could be set at some hope for conditon (higher than current capacity) but all that would do is insure that runs sizes/escapements will consistently be below those goals. The only way those hoped for conditions can be met is for dramatic improvements in either the quality/quantity of the freshwater habitat (producing more smolts per spawner), or significant increases in smolt to adult survival, or some combination of the two.

At some point we have to come to grips with what we have done to our river systems and either live with those biological realities or work our rears off to change things.

Tight lines
Curt

They are closed right now.

Really? Where did that get posted? I haven't fished it for a while but I know that people were fishing it last weekend.

They don't close 'til the 16th of February.

Fish on...

Todd