Late or AWOL?

[zonker]

After seeing how many Oregonians we have on this forum, I thought I might pose the following question:

Steelhead fishing so far this year in Oregon has been quite slow compared to recent years. For awhile I was thinking it was just me but the testimony from other boards that serve Oregon seems to point to the same conclusion.

Also, these words from The Guides Forecast Fishing Update of 1/28/05:

"The Tillamook district is also nothing to write home about. The poor showing of hatchery steelhead and the fact that it's too early for the wild steelhead to show is a good reason to stay home and mow the lawn...."

"Steelheading is fair for natives but dismal for hatchery fish on the Siletz."

"The Clackamas is slow for steelhead...."

"My boat is for sale...." (Just thought I'd throw this last quote in to shake you up. Actually TGF author Bob Rees has bought a new boat and is replacing his old one)

Part of the problem is likely the lack of rain we've had so far. I heard from one source that our quota is only 1/3 of normal. I concur with this when I look out my office window to either fog in the morning or clear blue skies. Its also concurred when I see that split jet stream missing Oregon and causing flooding in Los Angeles.  River levels are at near summer flows in some areas of OR.

Our small native run here on the S. Santiam has been less than half what it was this time last year.

What do you think? Is this going to be a slow year? Or is it maybe due to the replacement of the majority of the early returning steelhead stocks with broodstock fish that has taken over the state? I have some hopes for February but the way things are shaping up, I dunno. 

What say you?

zonker

[SciGuy]

Zonker:  Make a trip up north!  This has been a very good season for me so far and I don't think I'm alone....at least for brats.  Time will tell how the nate runs are.

[zonker]

Bill,

That's a great idea but right now I doubt that I could come up with two back to back days off in order to do it. 

zonker

[Brian]

Dave, like Bill said come on up. Fishing was very good for hatchery fish on the local streams and so far there has been an excellent showing of nates on the rivers I fish. Not sure what to tell you of your Oregon fish, but I too have heard that the runs have not been too good so far. However that could change with the next good rain down there. Don't give up yet!

[spinnerfish]

You know I am guilty of reading all these threads and not adding very much, but I have to addd on this one. I have been down to the Siletz three weeks in a row, and between my brother and I we have only had one fish hooked, other than a cut throat I caught. I am very hopeful that the fish are late due to the broodstocking and lack of rain, but i am a little scared at where it is going. I was talking to a fish and redd counter who works on the alsea and other coastal rivers, and the alsea had only 400 fish at the hatchery where there should have been around 2000 so far. Not very promising if you ask me. Looks like I am going to have to find some fiashing buddies up here in washington, and check these rivers out.

[First Bite]

zonker

I agree the numbers of hatchery fish are way down.  I've been averaging 3-4 hook ups each trip out and the majority of fish have all their fins.  I'm optimistic that the broodstock and native steelhead will return in better numbers the next couple months. 

[Kurtis]

Zonker - how much snow has your part of the Cascades got this year? Looking at WSDOT webcams, the Cascades in WA have little to no snow. If the rains/snow don't come soon, I can only imagine how bad (dry) the conditions will be in the NW this summer.

[Dragfreedrift]

Zonker-
Agreed.....s-l-o-w action in Oregon this year....Washington better.

how's the action way up north BC?


DFD

[BC Steel]

In BC? Ummm, errr... pretty good to me so far. I'm averaging a fish a trip so I really cant complain. Its about 50/50 hatch to wild for me so far but as the season progresses I suspect it will turn to more wild fish. At least thats what I'm hoping since I'm now looking for brood stock for one of the hatcheries here in the Valley.

[Ironhead]

To add to the BC report ,we hardly have numbers like southern hatchery plant systems ,other than the Stamp and Vedder ,most our small streams in the Lower mainland (fraser valley ) ,have small hatcherys and not many fish .A fish a trip around here is good fishing ,any more is great fishing.We'd be pleased if the small systems saw 400 fish  .We're seeing cutbacks to fish management yearly ,and now our govt is welcoming large scale fish farms ,many believe the native steelhead collapse on Vancouver island and the mainland was linked to fish farms ,specifically sea lice on smolts .
On a positive note ,the Vedder has been excellent for early fish ,we had a very high water event ,followed by 2 weeks of good fishing .
Been getting fresh beauties almost every trip lately ,after a bit of a black elbow session .