Quileute basin closing due to low water

WDFW FISHING RULE CHANGE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov

October 13, 2017

Quillayute River and most tributaries
to close Oct. 16 due to low river flows

Action: Closes the Quillayute, Sol Duc, and Dickey rivers to all fishing.

Closes sections of the Bogachiel and Calawah rivers to salmon fishing and other sections of those rivers to all fishing.

Effective date: Oct. 16, 2017 until further notice.

Locations and affected species:

Quillayute River: Closed to all fishing.
Sol Duc River: Closed to all fishing.
Dickey River: Closed to all fishing.
Bogachiel River, downstream of Wilson's boat launch and upstream of the Highway 101 bridge: Closed to all fishing.
Bogachiel River, between Highway 101 and Wilson's boat ramp: Closed to salmon retention but remains open to fishing for trout and hatchery summer steelhead.
Calawah River, upstream of the Highway 101 bridge: Closed to all fishing.
Calawah River, downstream of the Highway 101 bridge: Closed to salmon retention but remains open to fishing for trout and hatchery summer steelhead.

Reason for action: Unusually low river flows in recent weeks have created difficult migrating conditions for returning salmon, impeding their movement upstream. The closure is intended to protect these fish until flow conditions change sufficiently to enable normal salmon migration and the attainment of escapement goals.

These rivers will re-open when flows have normalized sufficiently to allow consistent, unimpeded migration.

Further Information: The Quileute Tribe is closing fisheries in the Quillayute River until flows improve and Olympic National Park is closing waters within the park boundaries.

Information contact: Region 6 Office, (360) 249-4628.



Fishers must have a current Washington fishing license, appropriate to the fishery. Check the WDFW "Fishing in Washington" rules pamphlet for details on fishing seasons and regulations. Fishing rules are subject to change. Check the WDFW Fishing hotline for the latest rule information at (360) 902-2500, press 2 for recreational rules. For the Shellfish Rule Change hotline call (360)796-3215 or toll free 1-866-880-5431.

Persons with disabilities who need to receive this information in an alternative format or who need reasonable accommodations to participate in WDFW-sponsored public meetings or other activities may contact Dolores Noyes by phone (360-902-2349), TTY (360-902-2207), or email (dolores.noyes@dfw.wa.gov). For more information, see http://wdfw.wa.gov/accessibility/reasonable_request.html.

Stupid waste of WDFW's admin time. It's going to rain like crazy next week. This closure will last all of about 2 or 3 non-crowded (weekday) angling days, and it might save a handful of salmon.

Wonder if someone's concerned they did a little too much damage with the gillnets in this low water.....

Well, I found out that the truth, as usual, lies somewhere in the middle, but still closer to my darkest suspicion. Turns out WDFW closed the fishery, not because they believed the sport fishery was ill-advised, but because it was the only way to get the Tribe to quit overfishing the coho that have been kegged up below Leyendecker. Thanks for being so "strong" on our behalf, Unsworth and Co.

I haven't been over yet this year but I have seen this happen a # of times over the years. You have the Tribe netting and cleaning up but you also have a good # of morons in there Snagging the heck out of the fish. It was sick watching them snagging 1 day. The next morning in the dark after the river shot up, it was funnier than heck watching them run around (with Headlamps on) like confused ants because their snag fest was over. They all started there rigs up and left like rats scurrying for their next meal.

I heard that somewhere North of 45,000 lbs of coho were taken from the river within the past week

I know what the agreed netting schedule is for the season. Has anyone been over there and actually knows/witnessed what days they have been netting?

Just so you all know. Last year when the System was shut down in Oct & early Nov , way more Hatchery Coho showed than predicted. WDFW tried over and over to get the Sol Duc opened before the mid Nov date. The Tribe turned them down every time. Which meant when it opened in Mid Nov, all that was around was old hatchery fish up around the Hatchery. In other words, wasted opportunities and wasted fish.

Oops one step behind, like always.

+2

So, does that mean the rec’s get an equal amount, if or when it opens?

Of course not.... has it even reached escapment?

Champions of conservation... my a$&!

My buddy is a fish buyer, he bought 58,000 lbs. one day last week on Richwine bar. Kings and silvers.

I can handle the Coho if they are mainly hatchery fish. Some Coho have always been able to make it up in low water. Plus the Tribe does raise Coho to release. We'll have to see what the returns to the Hatchery is come late November

What hurts are the Kings. They are all Wild. From my experience they will only go so far on low water and their #'s seem to be rebounding. For years many guides and a lot of us that have fish Forks for years have been releasing the Kings.

Not sure how accurate this is, but I was told (3 or 4 years ago) that the Tribe nailed the Kings early in the season that year and they netted more fish then made it to the Spawning Grounds. It worried them.

Rains on the way!

So, I'm not a happy camper. I called WDFW this afternoon. There is no set date or plan to open the Quillayute System up anytime soon or at all. Sounds like they are worried about low Chinook #'s and are evaluating.

Fishing over there for years like I have, I can pretty much guess what the problem is since this would not be the 1st time. In August, Sept early Oct the Kings hold in the lower river and won't run up in low water like Coho (There are exceptions). The tribe nets the lower river where those fish are basically trapped. Unless they have changed their tactics, they place nets way across the river, use there boats to drive the fish as well as using long poles, slapping the water. Add in Drift Nets and you have Death & Destruction.

The King #'s were projected to be up and were climbing over the last few years. If this is what has occurred, this could set us back. Again.

Thought I would share this. I may be proven wrong and it's opened right away. But I doubt it. The fact that WDFW has not opened it right away tells me there are problems. If this turns out to be the case, people need to let WDFW know this is not acceptable. Also, I understand the tribe has a right to fish and does raise Coho at the Sol Duc hatchery. But if this is true, as 1 government official told me last week in frustration, the System Is Broken!

This isn’t passing the sniff test.......

The system should have opened last week for the weekend.

If the reason it’s not open is because of tribal over-fishing that’s really frustrating.

I debated passing on my license this year and I’m kinda having buyers remorse.

Blu13, I would very much like to speak to the government official who made that comment. If you're not comfortable posting the contact, please send me a PM. Thanks

Bay Wolf. I'm pretty sure you have good intentions but I can not let you know who the official is without their permission.

If you all notice, WDFW has not opened the System. That should tell us all something. Their are Hatchery Coho in the system for us to harvest and we are not allowed to do it. Throw in the fact that WDFW etc don't want Hatchery fish in the system to spawn and I believe they have real problems.

I was told a # today of Chinook (all are Wild-No Hatchery) harvested by the tribe that if correct could impact us for years to come.

I urge all of you that care to call WDFW and ask what the issue is. Leave messages for officials of influence if needed.

To be clear. I understand and I accept that the tribe has a right to 50%. I am not all right if they have exceeded those #'s and they impact us.

Also, if true this will not be the 1st time this has happened. I'm going to be asking questions about 2014 & 2015.

I am tired of being lied to by the WDFW. The reason for the closure was "Reason for action: Unusually low river flows in recent weeks have created difficult migrating conditions for returning salmon, impeding their movement upstream. The closure is intended to protect these fish until flow conditions change sufficiently to enable normal salmon migration and the attainment of escapement goals."

What the real reason was is that the tribes decimated the run during the low water conditions. The flows are up and if the low water was really the reason for the closure then it would have been re-opened by now. Good stewards of the resource? What a joke. They could care less about the resource. It's all about the money. If they were really good stewards they would have stopped the netting BEFORE the run was wiped out.

Needless to say I'm pissed as hell. When the hell is WDFW going to stand up for the sportsman and the fish?

Another example is Area 9 that is closed until Nov. 1st. The chum are flowing through the canal as I speak and sportsmen can't fish. A couple of days ago the tribes issued a special 3 day permit for their members to gill net the area near Pt. Gamble and yesterday they literally had gill nets stretched completely across the canal for the Saulsbury launch ramp to the west shore and had a budget rental cargo truck backed down the ramp that was taking chum and some silvers being off loaded by the gills netters. But I, a lower than whale crap WA sportsman, can't even fish off the beach without getting a ticket.

Drove across the Hood Canal Bridge yesterday. Lots of purse seiners operating S of the bridge in the morning. Coming home about dark, there were 8-10 vessels heading towards the ramp and lots of lights on vessels S of the bridge.

All those fish coming through MA 6 and we won't open again until March. Go figure

Short answer is stock composition. MA 6 contains, at least for management and catch accounting purposes if not in reality, more and different stocks.

Looks like our citizens have made a few too many visits to the all you can eat crab buffet whilst blowing their paychecks at the casinos. On the way home, stop by the Trading Post and grab a tax-fee bottle of booze and a carton of cigarettes to make your next two weeks without spending money more bearable....

Only a fool could deny that this is how we got here. Of course, we know fools are never in short supply.... The Tribes knew it.

Yup.

Tribal rights have been there all along but, because of casino money, the politicians and lawyers are great/easy investments these days. Add the “death by a thousand cuts” and the “there aren’t enough for all of us” from the 70’s becomes wishful thinking. And basically, beyond a handful of sports fishermen, no one gives a [Bleeeeep!]. Actually, it isn’t that they dont give a [Bleeeeep!], they don’t even see it enough to know they don’t give a [Bleeeeep!]. And half the fishermen that think they care about it actively support the process of its continuing demise.

Tomorrow, Oct 26, a delegation of five, representing thousands of Sportsmen and women who’ve had enough, are meeting with the Director WDFW, the Chairman of the WDFW Commission and others. It has been almost a year now, and thousands of man hours we have been working on trying to get a simple video camera in the North of Falcon meetings. You think WDFW gives a rats ass about the Sportsmen? Stay tuned...you will find out tomorrow when they are forced to show their cards at last!

Bay Wolf - Feel free to spend 60 seconds to ask them to find their balls and open the Quileute System to Coho retention immediately while your chatting.

I'm sure WDFW doesn't like being pushed around by that Tribe and their attorneys but the netting that happened in the lower Quileute system this year is shameful, and to encourage it by shutting down the sportsmen is embarrassing and pathetic. I have defended WDFW on this Board numerous times, but this is just, simply, wrong. That system should open for Coho retention with a notice tomorrow, with our without the consent of the Tribe.

WDFW FISHING RULE CHANGE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov

October 27, 2017

Sections of the Bogachiel and Calawah rivers to close to fishing

Action: Close sections of the Bogachiel and Calawah rivers to all fishing.

Effective date: Oct. 30, 2017 until further notice.

Species affected: All species.

Locations:

Bogachiel River, between Highway 101 and Wilson's boat ramp.
Calawah River, downstream of the Highway 101 Bridge.
Reason for action: WDFW previously closed these river sections to salmon retention when low flows created difficult conditions for migrating salmon, impeding their movement upstream.

Harvest estimates to date have exceeded preseason expectations. WDFW is closing these river sections to all fishing to protect chinook that are now moving upriver into spawning areas.

Additional information: The Quileute Tribe is also closing their fisheries until further notice.****cheer, cheer, what stewards of the resource.....barf***

Information contact: Region 6 Office, David Low: (360) 249-4628.

Fishers must have a current Washington fishing license, appropriate to the fishery. Check the WDFW "Fishing in Washington" rules pamphlet for details on fishing seasons and regulations. Fishing rules are subject to change. Check the WDFW Fishing hotline for the latest rule information at (360) 902-2500, press 2 for recreational rules. For the Shellfish Rule Change hotline call (360)796-3215 or toll free 1-866-880-5431.
Persons with disabilities who need to receive this information in an alternative format or who need reasonable accommodations to participate in WDFW-sponsored public meetings or other activities may contact Dolores Noyes by phone (360-902-2349), TTY (360-902-2207), or email (dolores.noyes@dfw.wa.gov). For more information, see http://wdfw.wa.gov/accessibility/reasonable_request.html.

Soooo after forcing the closure of the Sol Suc and the Quileute by overharvesting, the tribe continued to net? WTH?

I wonder what the financial impact to the local economy is from the tribes overnetting and causing a fishing closure to the Forks area rivers? It has to be quite substantial. The vampire boom has passed.

If it doesn't hurt the Tribe's economy, and by extension political contributions, then it is no problem.

With the tribes insisting on sovereign nation status why do we even legally accept political contributions from them?! There's the real collusion story!

From what I have read, the state can cancel any fishery, including tribal fisheries, in the name of conservation. Whether they can do that unilaterally for an imbalance is questionable, but I am fairly sure that they could petition the courts for an immediate closure or insist on a reallocation the next year. If nothing else, the state needs to read the ending on the Centennial accord and reinstate the Fisheries Advisory Board and follow that path if the tribes refuse to negotiate at the pre season meetings.. Almost all of the problems that are coming up have been addressed in the courts in the past, the state and the department of fisheries just refuses to flex their muscles at all. There should be no real threat of a suit by the tribes, because it is already established case law. Saying there is nothing that can be done is simply untrue. It just that the state is unwilling to do anything.

In the past, the State had the authority (from Boldt, actually) to manage for conservation. They could and did shut down tribal fisheries when total harvestable had been taken and when they had taken their share if their fishery would catch non-Indian allocation. For example, say the tribe's had taken their chum allocation and the non-Indians hadn't but there was no way for the NI net fishery to access them, then they would be allowed to fish "into" the NI share (NI sport had already been accounted for).

Unfortunately, the state tried to close the Quinaults at 9AM and the tribe closed at noon. State went out and arrested/cited fishermen. Obviously, this went to court and the judge ruled that the tribes had to agree to the closure.

After co-mnagement started in full force, each side was responsible for managing its own fleet. The state gave up the conservation responsibility. A few years later the state almost grew a pair sufficient to issue a closure but backed down when the tribes said they would close. And didn't.

Short answer is the state could do something for conservation but won't. And there are others here aware of situations where the state will close a rec fishery with harvest remaining because the tribe will fish if the recs do regardless of share status.

I do believe Carcassman just hit on the reason why the fishery remained closed after the rain came. The only way to get the Tribes to agree to stop fishing is to close our fisheries first, and you can bet your bottom dollar they will have the nets back in the same week it reopens (if it does). Before that can happen, we must make sure the sport fishery has yet again been strapped with the entire conservation burden in a year that SHOULD have been a great year for wild OP Chinook, but will instead more likely set them back another decade.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov/

November 3, 2017
Contact: Annette Hoffmann, 360-249-1201;
Larry Phillips, 360-249-1211

Quillayute River system to re-open to fishing;
anglers must release chinook salmon

OLYMPIA – Anglers can make plans to go fishing on the Olympic Peninsula, where much of the Quillayute River system will re-open beginning Saturday, Nov. 4.

The Quillayute River, as well as sections of the Sol Duc, Bogachiel, Calawah and Dickey rivers will re-open for fishing Nov. 4, but anglers must release all chinook salmon, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced today.

WDFW previously closed these rivers to fishing when low river flows were impeding the migration of salmon upstream. The department wanted to ensure that a sufficient number of salmon return to spawning grounds. The Quileute Tribe also closed its fisheries.

"With river levels on the rise, most chinook have moved upstream to the spawning areas, allowing us to re-open these areas to fishing," said Annette Hoffmann, regional fish program manager for WDFW. "However, we want to protect chinook that may still be in these areas, so we're requiring anglers to release any chinook they catch."

Rivers that will re-open to fishing Nov. 4 include:

Quillayute River.
Sol Duc River downstream of the concrete pump station at the Sol Duc Hatchery.
Bogachiel River downstream of the Highway 101 bridge.
Calawah River downstream of the Highway 101 bridge.
Dickey River from the Olympic National Park boundary upstream to the confluences of the East and West forks.
For more information, including daily catch limits, anglers should check the department's fishing rule change webpage at https://fortress.wa.gov/dfw/erules/efishrules/

Press release should hit the web soon.

Fish on...

Todd