Klickitat???

[fishinfreak]

Heading up to the Klickitat this weekend and wondered if anybody's been doing any good fishing for steelhead/salmon? What are people using? images/icons/smile.gif

[Thumper]

As warm as it is the river is probably pretty murky from glacial silt. It will be better fishing in later September or so.

[Thumper]

And if you fish the river from a drift boat the longstanding favorites are wiggle warts in flame orange.

[esidestlhd]

I am looking forward to drifting there a little later this fall, but have never done that river before. I drove up it the other day and there appeared to be some not so nice water, so is there an easier drift to start with? I was also thinking of going with a guide for the first time and was wondering if anyone has a suggestion on which guide to go with for that river. Thanks.

[Krome Brite]

Guides do the Klickitat?

[NEUTRON]

ask buzz ramsey, he lives right on the river.
Yes guides work that one too.

[HarpMan]

esidestlhd, give John Garret a call 509-365-5523 for the Klickitat. It will be out until the nights cool down which may happen this week with the front coming in. It does have some narly spots and with a little color it can make things interesting as you can't see all the rocks etc... Fish are mean up their as well...

[Klick Steelies]

We have a place right next to Buzz, on the Klick. The river should be clearing pretty well this week with the freezing level expected to fall mid week. The fishing was great early in the year June, and July, has been spotty at best since the 1st of August. As for the float, most of the float is pretty easy, there are a couple place that are a little hairy. I will let you know if you are planning on floating it anytime soon, expect to walk your boat quite a bit, the river is extremely low. Try the float from Twin Bridges to the Ice House, it is fairly short, but there is a lot of good water. It is also the tamest section of water you will find.

[NEUTRON]

KS, good post and welcome!!!! Front coming
in, river should clear up a little. With the
dam counts as good as they've been, should be a lot of fish up your way.

[ 08-20-2001: Message edited by: NEUTRON ]

[Vinny]

Klick S.
eside mentioned some rough looking water. If he's talking about Fishers Hill Bridge, which is not only closed (above bridge for short distance) to fishing, but is extremely dangerous.
Is it true that a few years ago some Boy Scouts died there because they didn't know about that stretch of water, and some indian netters were able to save two of the scouts with nets?
The Klickitat narrows to a little as 20 feet wide (that's a guess) in that area. Need I say more.
Yeah, it's an O.K. river I guess. I appreciate being to camp at Dillacourt (sp?), 4.8 miles up the canyon on the left. It's a free camping area if you have the WA access decal which come with your license.
People in town are nice, sand shrimp at the Chevron mini mart.

[ 08-20-2001: Message edited by: Vinny ]

[Klick Steelies]

It seems as though there are people falling in there at the narrows pretty often. I do not remember hearing of the Boy Scouts, but I know of more than one indian that has fallen, in and perished to the river. It is a very dangerous section of water, there are actually places right below Fisher Hill Bridge that you can jump across, not that I would.

I think the fairly rough water is up a little further than Fisher Hlll, there are a couple areas, where you have some switch backs that take you right into rock walls, but the river as a whole is a fairly easy drift. With the exception of the river being so shallow right now. The upper river, has a couple tricky areas on it also, there are some downed trees from the '96 flood stretching across most of the river.

Even in the heat, if you hit the river at day break, you can get into fish, the river will have about a foot and a half of visibility. I fished it during the scortching weather a couple weeks ago, and got into a couple at day break, but you are done fishing by noon, the river is so silted up.

[Klick Steelies]

I have heard a rumor, that the Fall Chinook migrating up the Columbia will have far more 5 year old fish than in years past. Can anyone shed some light on this?

[fishinfreak]

So I've heard a couple people mention the Ice House. Where is that? We tried it this weekend but like everybody has said it was really muddy. Visibility was not even a foot. Guess I'll wait till it clears before trying again.

[Klick Steelies]

The Ice House is about 2 miles past the town of Klickitat. You will make a hard left turn, and there is a camp ground on your right, shortly there after, with a big stucco building on the edge of the river.

The hot weather we had really did a number on the river. Hopefully this cold front will clear it by this weekend. The river being glacially fed, keeps the river off color for a majority of the summer, I think this is one reason the river has a decent native run of steelhead, it keeps the numbers of fisherman down, and gives the fish a fair chance.

[ 08-20-2001: Message edited by: Klick Steelies ]