Close a portion of the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River

[Amx]

from the WDFW;

Action: Close 4.5 miles of the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River to all fishing, including catch-and-release fishing.

Effective date: Aug. 5, 2013, through Sept. 30, 2013.

Species affected: All game fish species.

Location: Stillaguamish River from the Highway 530 bridge at Cicero upstream to the bridge at Oso (Oso Loop Road/221st Ave. SE).

Reason for action: To protect summer steelhead holding in the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River below the mouth of Deer Creek. The concern is that low flows and excessively warm water temperatures will result in high handling mortality of steelhead.

Additional Information: This fishery may reopen early if conditions improve (flows rise and water temperature cools), or the closure may be extended if current conditions persist past Sept. 30, 2013.

Information contacts: Jennifer Whitney, District 13 fish biologist, (425) 775-1311

[natetreat]

That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard of. All the fish sitting in one spot, so of course you can't fish for them.

[spoonman]

You gotta be kidding me! I'm doing a dot project up there for the next month and was gunna bring the fly rod tomorrow. Thanx dfw thanks a lot

[natetreat]

It's only the stretch around the mouth of Deer Creek, there are fish in other places too. But really? Why don't we shut down the Skykomish, there are too many fish at Rieter, not enough fish in other places.

[spoonman]

Hoe you been hitting them up there? Nymphing? Thinking of Nymphing single egg patterns

[Steelheadin360]

thats my honey hole....

[natetreat]

Right now it's everyone's honey hole! That's why they're shutting it down. It's alright, there are other fish other places. I just find this rule change to be sorta outta left field.

We've been catching them on all your standard techniques. Darker colors, swinging big bugs, nymphing brighter egg patterns. Throw everything in the box at them until they bite, but usually it doesn't take that long for them to bite.

[fishkisser101]

Much as I'd like to keep swinging for 'em, the state has these past several years issued closures based on flow. Temp seems less an issue this year, so far, but in years past a rise in temp has accompanied a drop: seems like 300 cfs in August means a closure. Well, if it's good for the fish, I'm all for it.

Been an interesting year, since Boulder Creek has been putting an undue amount of color into the river and fish have been holding where many anglers just wade through, clutching their 14' spey rods and fast-sinking tips. Given such cover, steelhead will hold in 2' of water, but a lot of guys just dredge the depths with huge gaudy flies and then shuffle on.

Unfortunately, the Oso locals are less than shy about poaching, and removing legions of more conservationally-minded anglers from the riverbanks means the poaching season is just now begun in earnest. I've only really witnessed one egregious mishandling of a native fish by a fly guy this year (some bubblegum-hat that used to work for Hook, Line, and Sinker), but have shouted down several poachers who show up on fly-fishing-only waters with egg clusters and spinning rods, and called in one pair of back-talking bubblegum-holes. Meh--seen worse years up there.

Hopefully, WDFW officers will poke around that closed stretch regularly.

These fish aren't Reiter hatchery turds. They're natives. Making such a comparison is equating not only apples and oranges, but also apple trees and orange trees. Unlike closures around hatchery terminal areas to ensure egg-take, the closures of the N. Fk. Stilly during the summer aim to ensure that enough fish are able to spawn in the wild--a hands-off, rather than hands-on process.

I hope they thrive--or at least propagate enough to skirt an ESA listing. But the odds are against them. Heck, after that last little freshet, the river stunk of fertilizer so bad that I'd have hosed off my waders if I'd not been camping. Smelled as bad as the time the campsite johns sprung a leak at Cascade Lake here--fecal coliform bacteria and chips, anyone? Smelled as bad as...as...wait for it...as the SAMISH! lol--

Tight lines--

--mja

[fish vacuum]

The state has also outlawed weighted flies in previous years because of people targeting kings. It wouldn't have surprised me if that was also enacted with this latest rule change. Leave the kings alone.