Quinault Report

[TillamookChinook]

I hired a guide to fish the Quinault system for winter steelhead yesterday, Tuesday Jan. 27. We had set the date about a month ago and hoped the weather would cooperate. The weather was fine, but the fish did not cooperate at all.

The mainstem Quinault River has been silty all winter, because it is moving its channel around above the lake. It is gray and silty, slowly improving, and now has about a foot of visibility.

Our guide took us to Cook Creek, which is the trib with the fish hatchery. We fished just below the hatchery as well as at the confluence with the Quinault. The water was somewhat discolored with tannin, but still had decent visibility. We could see some fish in several of the runs and pools, but they would not strike anything, not egg patterns, wooly buggers, crystal buggers, eggsucking leeches, etc.

Our guide seemed to know flyfishing and fished along with us sometimes, but he had no strikes either. His clients landed 12 fish the day before, from these same runs, but they were fishing bait. Toward the end of the day, we suggested our guide try running his bait through the fish, just to see if they would strike. Nada. Nothing.

Maybe it was a bad case of lockjaw. I know I can put all the fish off the bite in an entire watershed just by showing up. I guess I haven't lost my touch.

They are still hoping the main river clears so they can fish for the big natives that return in the early spring.

Another great day fishing, but a lousy day catching for me.

TC

[ 01-28-2004, 01:35 PM: Message edited by: TillamookChinook ]

[greenbuttskunk]

Jim, sounds like you should stick with keeper sturgeon. You're 1 for 1 there. :grin:
Sorry to hear it was so slow. That's frustrating when you pay for a guide and drive all the wait out there. Better luck next time.
GBS

[lilnorthfork]

Hey TC - how much that trip set you back? I'm thinking I could have not got you into fish for cheaper. :grin:

[spookalotafish]

Who was the guide? I am headed to Pacific Beach tomorrow. I was told the Q is not going to fish well until March because of the silt.

Spookatlotafish

[wade]

I've wanted to try the Quinalt someday, thanks for the report TC. I know there's a little tongue in cheek but I hope you guys don't go down too hard on a fishless guided trip. I've been skunked on a couple guided trips but there should be more to the experience than hooking up. I guess it depends on your experience or lack of it, and purpose. Mine has always been to either learn about fishing, or about the fishery. If its mainly about banking a slab then methods really don't mean squat, and I really don't think guides need more pressure to produce. :cheers:

Kevin

[ 01-29-2004, 04:19 PM: Message edited by: wade ]

[lilnorthfork]

Well put Wade. I think if I can get to know some new water and come away having learned a new trick, be it a knot, a technique or a good joke, it was a success.
BUT, I have to wonder about a guide taking customers on an out-of-shape river, unless of course they are aware of the conditions and choose to go anyhow. I think it was Dave Hughes in "A Fisherman's Astoria" that said, "I don't need to catch fish, but I do need to know I at least have a chance." Yet, when I fish my favorite river (see moniker), I know my chances of catching are slim or worse. Fishing is so complicated. :wink:
lnf

[TillamookChinook]

The guide was Clay Butler. I think he is a good guide, even if he didn't get me into a fish. There are guides licensed by the Quinault tribe and you must be with one of them to fish on the reservation. But that is all you need, no other license or tag required. Please contact me for Clay Butler's phone if you are interested.

(Mod note: non ifish guide phone no.s are not permitted...sorry, Giz...)
Good Luck!!

TC

[ 01-29-2004, 10:26 PM: Message edited by: Gizmo Man ]

[TillamookChinook]

I don't think it was so much the guide's fault, except that he couldn't overcome my bad karma. I really have been known to put an entire fishery off the bite just by showing up.

I once put the bite off at Campbell River for most of a week. Nobody was catching fish, despite hundreds of boats and fishers. So I told the family I would forego the last day of fishing and just do family stuff. We drove down to a little bay for a picnic and a guy drove up in his Zodiac boat with a big grin on his face. He said, "I don't understand. I fished all week without a bite, and now today I can't keep them off the hook."

I knew the mainstem Quinault was not fishing, had been blown out all winter, and would not be back into shape until spring if at all. The stream we were fishing had good visibility and had fish in it. I believe the guide when he says they hooked 12 fish the day before from the same holes we were fishing.

Yeah, I could have not caught fish locally and saved a bunch of money and time. But I went fishing with my ol' fishing buddy who still has kids at home and finds it hard to make time for fishing. By booking a guided trip we committed to a date and went fishing. So, it was still good.

And I still haven't caught a winter steelhead on a fly under 17 lbs. Maybe next time.

TC

[spookalotafish]

Just returned from Pacific Beach. Every body of water there was chocolate. Talked to a local guide who said no fishing the Q or its tribs for awhile.

S