Why are our rivers so crowded? (An article)

[natetreat]

I'll never forget the first time I fished one of the most popular and controversial Chinook fisheries in our state. It was the Skokomish River that runs into the south end of Hood Canal. I had researched the river, hatchery escapement reports and techniques to use and maps of the river. When I arrived at the river, there was what seemed like hundreds of cars along the side of the road. I stopped at a hole that I later learned was called the Guard Rail, looked over the side to a spectacle that was overwhelming and quite intimidating. Anglers were perched on both sides of the river, pointing at the schools of fish, decked out in waders laughing and talking amongst themselves. There were three fish being reeled in at the time, and as the lucky anglers played out their fish, people around them kept fishing. Anglers were lined up shoulder to shoulder, casting out and ripping back with vicious hook sets, the sound of rods cutting through the air punctuated the cacophony with regular intervals.

The entire scene was foreign to me. Until this point I had been accustomed to fishing sea run cutthroat trout and steelhead in seclusion. We had a tradition of heading out the Olympic Peninsula where we hiked in to remote locations. I was unfamiliar with the techniques that the anglers at this place were using. I was shy and intimidated. I didn't know anybody that was fishing there. My brother and I looked at each other and the draw of catching a big Chinook was enough to make us inclined to venture out and give it a try.

We drove further down the road, and found a parking spot. We donned our leaky budget waders and rigged up with corkies set to drift fish. We crimped our barbs and re-read the regulations to make sure we were able to fish legally. As we clambered down the trail, the sight of angler at all the holes was still unnerving. We waded down past various holes, stopping to observe the giant schools of fish. Every spot that looked fishy had at least 20 anglers lined up.

We stood on the bank and saw guys ripping into fish. Many of them were snagged on their backs. Their leaders were longer than their rods and their gear was completely different than ours. They had heavy lines and what seemed like giant hooks. I couldn't help feeling disgusted and a little bit angry at the behavior of these guys, which made me even less likely to talk to them. A couple of guys said hello and asked us how we'd done. I responded shyly and didn't know what to say.

We waded down to a small section of river, where we found some space away from other anglers. We had no idea if there were fish in it, but the prospect of joining the others in line was intimidating enough for us to fish this less than ideal water.

We drifted through with our short, 3 foot leaders, with 12 lbs. test and size 1 hooks with big orange corkies. A passing angler remarked that we'd never catch a fish with that setup. These fish don't bite, he says. I little bit of embarrassment made me flush and I didn't respond.

After an hour or so of fighting with snags, frustratingly retying or gear, my brother finally hooks into a big king. It turns out that the guys wading around and stomping through the main runs had spooked quite a number of fish down into the spot we had been fishing. After a few runs, the fish made a terrific leap, and we caught a glimpse of it as it threw the hook and swam away. This happened a couple of times, all on my brother's gear. As other anglers noticed that we had found a school of fish with good numbers at our spot, the gathered up close and crowded around us. They then proceed to hook and land quite a few fish within 15 minutes.

We were frustrated and shy, and we stopped fishing. We then went home. The entire experience was not pleasant, but we couldn't help but wonder what we were doing wrong. We'd caught fish before, using the same techniques we were using. They didn't work nearly as well at this river. Frustrated and envious, we didn't know if we would return to try our luck again. It was unsettling. It felt like the first day of freshman year at high school to me. You're nervous. You feel like everyone is watching you. Everyone seems cooler than you.

Eventually, I did return to the river. It has become one of my favorite places to hang out with friends and float eggs for big kings. The lines of guys are no longer intimidating, they are invitations to meet other anglers and have a great day on the river with big fish. I now understand the techniques, and understand why the place was so crowded. It isn't an ideal situation, but with the current climate of our fisheries, these combat fisheries have become inevitable.

One of the first things that people notice when they make the transition from lake fishing to river fishing is the crowds. You'll drive to the end of a logging road that you'd assume would be vacant, only to find three trucks parked with their yellow Discover Pass hanging from the rear view mirror. Veteran anglers have become increasingly frustrated with the number of people showing up at their "honey holes". With the possibility of running into disgruntled, grumpy anglers, river fishing can become an intimidating endeavor to embark on.

Given the reality of river crowding, there are two options for us. We can fish with grumpy resentment and be irritated with the extra anglers, or we can fish with friends.

Why, with thousands of miles of rivers and streams in our state, are their so many crowds? With so many rivers, it would be reasonable to expect that we should be able to avoid the crowds. The reasons our rivers are so crowded are varied. The changing nature of our fisheries and the management priorities from the state and federal agencies that manage our hatcheries and angler participation all play a role. Take steelhead for example. When an angler thinks of steelhead fishing, the first thing that comes to mind is morning mist rising over an isolated wilderness stream. An angler makes a beautiful cast with yellow fly line. A bright steelhead takes the fly, and the battle ensues. While there are still areas of the state where you will find the solace of lonely nature, most of the time this isn't the case.

One main reason for the increase in crowds is a decrease in fish-able streams. Take steelhead for example. In 2002 the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) the number of Puget Sound rivers stocked with steelhead smolt was 32 streams. Contrast that with the 2012 numbers of fish that will be returning this year, only 20 streams have been planted. That makes 12 less rivers for us to fish. In the popular Snohomish river system alone, we have only 3 operating hatchery fisheries. The Tokul Creek hatchery and the Reiter Ponds facility as well as a small number of winter smolt plants in the Wallace River.

In the 2002 runs, WDFW planted smolts in the Snoqualmie and Skykomish main stem, as well as numerous tributaries. The Sultan, Wallace and North Fork of the Skykomish received plants. The Raging and Pilchuck rivers received a good number of smolt plants, as well as Canyon Creek, the Tolt River and the Snoqualmie. The fishable streams went from 8 streams to 2. The number of smolt plants also decreased, and through the changing policies concerning native steelhead, the behavior of these fish changed.

Our hatchery fish are imprinted on small tributaries of the main rivers. This means that they return to that creek, not the river that it supplies. This means that throughout the run, the main holding area for these fish is the terminal fishery, around the hatchery. Whereas when smolt are planted at the headwaters of a river like the Tolt, they will spread out their distribution throughout the entire stretch of the river, this isn't the case with the hatchery fish returning now. On some days you could drift the entire Skykomish River and manage maybe 1 or 2 fish. But were you to head to the hatchery, you would catch until your arms were sore.

Of course the presence of fish is going to attract number of anglers. Reiter Ponds on the Skykomish has become one of the busiest places one our Seattle area river. On any given day during the peak of the run, there will be loads of cars in the lot, and lots of grumpy anglers. There have been fights that broke out over rocks, anglers compete over their favorite spots and fishing can become a chore, rather than a sport.

The same is true of our salmon runs. The Skokomish River has multiple hatcheries within about three miles of river before it dumps into the saltwater. The number of Chinook returning to the river is high and bank access is readily available through the entire stretch of the river. The appeal of catching a big king draws anglers from across the west side to the banks of the river.

Not only have the fishing opportunities for fishing declined, awareness of the available fishing areas has increased. We have more access to information than we ever had, with the advent of the internet and websites that provide fishing reports. Your once secret spot could have an article posted about it, and thousands of people will read it and know where it is.

With the shift of policy of WDFW to protect and restore our native populations of fish the fishable number of hatchery fish is decreasing dramatically. While most anglers will agree that protecting our scarce native fish is a high priority, the effect of this shift is increased crowding on our rivers. There are fewer hatcheries, fewer fish returning, and fewer fishable rivers and streams. Given these conditions, crowding is inevitable.

The best thing for us as anglers to do is to accept that we are going to be fishing with friends. When catching is involved, you'll just have to find something in common with the guys on either side of you. We are all trying to enjoy the sport, and the best way to do that is by becoming better citizens of the river. The number one reason why people quit fishing is the conflicts they experience with other anglers and the littering and behavior that disrespect the rivers.

Solitude on our rivers can still be found, if you drive more than an hour or two in the right direction. There are still secrets that haven't been unearthed. One of the best ways to find out about them is to hire a guide like me, but due diligence will also find you a honey hole of your own. You can buy a boat too. You'll be amazed at how a drift boat will keep you away from the crowds.

With the crowds, the most important thing for us to do is to be patient. Be kind and remember the golden rule. If you see someone struggling, help them out. Most of the new anglers that are crossing you line, fishing with the "Wal*Mart Special" and 50 lbs. braid just don't know any better. They are shy and intimidated by the veterans, and they would really appreciate the help. That's why I have a job, and I love nothing more than taking a novice angler and giving them the confidence to fish anywhere on the river. In my view, the rivers are a place for community. All of us with a shared interest coming together to participate in one of America's favorite pastimes. Participate in management discussions with WDFW. Policy decisions are usually always open to comments from the public and if enough people voice their informed opinion, changes will be made. Fish with etiquette and be aware of the anglers around you and everyone will have a lot more fun.

[Steelheadin360]

[strider43]

I dont much like crowded holes but I have gotten better about accepting this. The past few weekends I have actually taught people at MY hole how to catch Humpies because I was catching and they were not. A few of them asked me and a few I offered to show them my set up when they came to look at my fish and I also showed them how to fish with it. The ones that actually listened caught fish, it was pretty cool.

[drysuperfly52]

great read Nate, i remember when i booked with you and we went to the skok and i was thinking to myself WTF is this. but once you start and jump in most people are pretty friendly and accept it for the way it is.

[4steelhead]

[Toni]

Didn't mention population. For Washington 1982-1,175,447 Fishing licenses holders, 1992 fishing license holders 1,476,454,
2002 Fishing licenses holders 1,931,818
http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/Subpages/Li ... istory.pdf

[natetreat]

When I was writing this, I had expected that license sales would have increased with population growth when actually, license sales and angler participation, particularly in the Northe Puget Sound area has gone down. It reached a high in the 90's but since then it fell back. It was at 1,005,000 total licenses in 1996 down to 736,000 in 2006. These are the most recent stats I could find from the WDFW marketing plan. The number of anglers per capita hovers from 7-10 percent, and even though the population is growing, the ratio of people that fish is one of the lowest in the country. The crowding, in my opinion, is purely a by-product of the management choices that our state has made and been forced to make. It's an artificial problem that can be solved through more funding, a responsible expansion of our hatchery programs and increased awareness of these issue.

[spoonman]

Spot on, they used to plant woods creek with steelhead. As a kid in the 80's, we fished a nice little slot at Lewis street bridge, and of course the pilchuck....

[Mike Carey]

great article Nate, thanks.

I was talking with a guide last week at Ed Iman's yearly Fish Camp and we discussed the end of the Cowlitz river early winter run. Which I don't get. A huge hatchery, no native fish issues, and they end the stocking of what most considered to be the best early winter steelhead fishery in the state. It's enough to make me consider going into hibernation until spring.

[Jhuynh2]

also why do they only "clip" less and less fish every year? Don't they wonder people would get frustrated, not buy licenses and WDFW would be out of a job?

[skagit510]

could be sites like this and Hollywood guides blowing the place up too. not looking for conflict with this statement nor am i being mean spirited. just seems fishing used to be hush on locations and such now its a LOOK AT ME thing for some folks

[NFCustom]

could be sites like this and Hollywood guides blowing the place up too. not looking for conflict with this statement nor am i being mean spirited. just seems fishing used to be hush on locations and such now its a LOOK AT ME thing for some folks

Agreed. Not the whole problem but part of it.

[spoonman]

could be sites like this and Hollywood guides blowing the place up too. not looking for conflict with this statement nor am i being mean spirited. just seems fishing used to be hush on locations and such now its a LOOK AT ME thing for some folks

Isn't that why YOU'RE here? To gleam some info on a technique or a new spot? Maybe our "hollywood" guides who sponsor this site to keep it going should just find another way to advertise. I would after looking at all the crap they take on here.

[Mike Carey]

could be sites like this and Hollywood guides blowing the place up too. not looking for conflict with this statement nor am i being mean spirited. just seems fishing used to be hush on locations and such now its a LOOK AT ME thing for some folks

Agreed. Not the whole problem but part of it.

I blame Gutenberg. When he created the printing press it just messed it up for everyone.

Of course, Al Gore gets his share of blame too, since he did invent the Internet.

[spoonman]

Maybe we should blame Al Gore, ya know, cause he invented the internet

[jd39]

You guys missed the most obvious culprits, Henry Ford and roads. That rat b and his "affordable cars" and those darn roads deliver the unwashed masses to MY rivers, the horror!

Good post Nate! Well said.

[skagit510]

just cause the car got invented doesn't mean we have to drive like jerks jd. point is its a dwindling resource and advertising it is killing it. I'm here to watch the circus and talk tech not spots. ever wonder why the guides here take so much grief? i do. doesn't seem to happen to others.

[Gringo Pescador]

You guys missed the most obvious culprits, Henry Ford and roads. That rat b and his "affordable cars" and those darn roads deliver the unwashed masses to MY rivers, the horror!

Good post Nate! Well said.

Actually it goes back further than that - back to that idiot that decided flying a kite with a key tied on the string in a thunderstorm sounded like a good way to spend the afternoon...

[MotoBoat]

Straight up, I am NO river guy. Just not for me. Something that comes to mind is "What percentage of the river holds fish, and are accessible"?

[spoonman]

could be sites like this and Hollywood guides blowing the place up too. not looking for conflict with this statement nor am i being mean spirited. just seems fishing used to be hush on locations and such now its a LOOK AT ME thing for some folks

So before this site and others the skok, samish , cascade, rieter were quiet, solitary places where just a select chosen few(like you) fished?