N. Fork Nehalem Report

TillamookChinook · 10-19-2003, 06:56 PM

I fished the N. Fork Nehalem early on Saturday and Sunday. I figured there would be a lot of fish because of the recent rains. I could see where the river had run a foot higher just a few days ago.

I hooked one salmon on a purple egg-sucking flash-a-bugger. But it got off after about a minute. That was early Saturday below the hatchery. Then no more action for me, except a couple of nice sized trout. Saw two dark chinook caught on bobber/eggs. Fished downstream maybe a half mile.

Sunday morning I got nothing. I saw two coho on the bank caught on spinners.

The fishing should pick up now that I am gone.

[ 10-19-2003, 07:57 PM: Message edited by: TillamookChinook ]

Navigator · 10-19-2003, 08:44 PM

Thanks for the report.

garyk · 10-20-2003, 08:45 PM

Thanks TC.

I used to really make time to fish that stream and looked forward to it. Until the last 4 or 5 years, around Oct 5th through the 12th was peak time for bright fish.

And I've had the most awesome days when the water was low like 26"-29". So low that most people stayed away or just fished at the hatchery.

Where they used to get a-bunch-of-thousands of silvers back, now it's relatively few. The last day the hatchery info line gave a count, it was something less than 500 returned - and that will include jacks.

The puzzling aspect is that while coho returns have been strong elsewhere (other than the Clack) for both hatchery and wild, it seems like this hatchery coho run is played out. Maybe too much in-breeding?

I keep telling myself I should just skip that stream and learn to fish the Lewis River which gets something like 20-times the amount of fish and lots of really nice 10 to 15 pounders.

Other than occasional hassles with property owners, I do really enjoy the uncrowded fishing that stream offers -- and now MUCH LESS crowded with so few hatchery coho returning.

Slow and Low · 10-21-2003, 07:49 PM

The last couple of years the fish have been late. Last year the rain was very late (November). Yhe year before same deal. Both years I caught a lot of fish, including Chinook. It seems to me the cutoff for taking Silvers is not conducive to when the fish actually come in big numbers. I would say this river still fishes well the only problem is that it ends up being catch and release. That being said I am too young to remember any big runs of Silvers.

Food for thought.

will_e_fish · 10-22-2003, 07:43 AM

I was there late Sun. and saw only two caught one by a hatchery worker, a bornze chinook buck. The other angler was in the diabled angler area with a not so bright hen. Everyone else including me that I saw went home without. Few fish in the holding pen seemed dark.

garyk · 10-22-2003, 01:38 PM

OK, sounds like this year is picking up. Today's 10/22 message reports: 1480 adult coho (200 yesterday) returned.

rpnsteelheadlps · 10-23-2003, 08:07 AM

How much wading access is there on the NF ? I usually stick to the main stem. My boy was down there a couple of days ago and said the river was empty. As soon as the water went up the fish shot upstream. And what is the story with the Lewis, I hear everyone talking about it. And last but not least the Toutle River. This has to be a sleeper. I hear that the Steelhead run is Awesome.

rpnsteelheadlps · 10-23-2003, 12:55 PM

I have heard that the river had a total recovery. I'm sure I'm wrong though. They say there are some 15+lb Steelhead in the winter months

dla · 10-23-2003, 02:31 PM

Isn't the N.Fork Nehalem closed above Highway 53 right now? In other words, there really isn't any water open above the hatchery, right?

TillamookChinook · 10-23-2003, 11:37 PM

I'm no expert on the N. Fork Nehalem, having only fished it a couple of times. When I was there last weekend the water was low enough it was possible to wade across a some places. That made the wading access much easier.

I started out just below the hatchery and, because there were few fish, there were also few fishers, so there was plenty of room for me to cast flies. The water I preferred for flyfishing was not the "holes" where most of the gear and bait fishers worked.

I was able to wade downstream a half-mile or so by changing sides when I came to the posted property on the south side.

I have never fished the Toutle River. That stream had the ultimate blow out when Mt St. Helens erupted in 1980.

garyk · 10-24-2003, 01:32 PM

Info line says returns to there trap remain at 1480 - so no coho have returned in the last two days.

For the question about access, private property makes access a challenge on the south side (and it's hard to keep on the north side of the river, which is also private but Longview Fibre allows walk-in). Although there's a boat ramp at the hatchery, the river is not 'officially navigable' and so you risk run-ins with landowners even if you stay in the river. See the main page about the Trask River Tresspass thread for related information.

dla · 10-24-2003, 07:12 PM

What I mean is: The ODFW regs say the river above Highway 53 is closed till Dec 1st.

Slow and Low · 10-25-2003, 08:23 AM

There's a good hole above the hatchery straight ahead of where you park. The run is very fly friendly. If you drive north a couple hundred yards you can turn up the gravel and meander your way to a hike in spot. It's a pretty good haul.

garyk · 10-31-2003, 03:28 PM

Looks like another pretty mediocre year.

A total of a little over 1500 adults back, and the vast majority did return by Oct. 22, so there was no massive late surge of hatchery coho.

Remember, it closes for coho today - Oct. 31.