A Look to the North - Elwha River Report

[Navigator]

This is the third year I have made this trip. Upper Elwha River in Olympic National Park. This is a backpacking show in some mighty pretty country. Dry fly fishing for wild rainbows of descendent steelhead lineage prior to the lower Elwha River dams. See Northwest Flyfishing, Fall 2006 Issue.



Myself and two fishing buddies hooked over 100 fish in 5 days fishing. This is a dry fly show - larger dries - stimulators, elk hair caddis, bird's stonefly, etc. - fished dry, wet, or swung.



This is a better than average fish. Fatties. Most of the trout average 8 to 10 inches, with 10 to 12 inchers common. All fat. And do they scap and jump - especially those 8" chunks. We have gotten fish to 16".

And the scenery.







And what about the color !







This is a backcountry experience!





And here is just another reason to consider going.

[Tar Heel]

Beautiful Country, and nice fish! thanks for sharing. I dont think of the Penninsula as trout fishing, but you proved that theory wrong!

[shawn k]

how many miles is the hike to get where there is god fishing?

I live on the sol duc but i have always wanted to do that hike.

[jdougher]

Thanks for sharing the report and pics

[AndyK]

Looks like a great place to fish. Now that the river is no longer dammed (or damned), the fishing will get better.

[Stonedfish]

Nice report and pictures. Thanks for sharing.

Andy,
The river is still damned. The cost keeps going up and the time frame to begin removal keeps getting pushed back. I looks like 2012 or 2013 before work will begin to remove the dams.

[shawn k]

Originally Posted by Stonedfish

Nice report and pictures. Thanks for sharing.

Andy,
The river is still damned. The cost keeps going up and the time frame to begin removal keeps getting pushed back. I looks like 2012 or 2013 before work will begin to remove the dams.

The stimulus bill accelerated dam removal. The projects go to bid in 2010 and the dam removal is scheduled to start in 2011. This was reported in the pennisula daily news in april

[Skunked]

Thanks for posting! That trip has been on my to do list for awhile

[Stonedfish]

Shawn,
Thanks for the info. I hope you are right. I read in the Daily that it would start in 2012. I also heard it might get pushed back to 2013. I hope I'm wrong about that, LOL.
They've been talking about this for a long time. I know it takes a lot of planning, but I'm really looking forward to the river flowing free again.

[Two Fister]

Originally Posted by Stonedfish

Shawn,
Thanks for the info. I hope you are right. I read in the Daily that it would start in 2012. I also heard it might get pushed back to 2013. I hope I'm wrong about that, LOL.
They've been talking about this for a long time. I know it takes a lot of planning, but I'm really looking forward to the river flowing free again.

I saw an article in the PA newspaper last week on my way to Vanc Island that had it scheduled for 2010-2011. Definitely got a big chunk of stimulus money to move it forward. Plus, one of the turbines has failed completely and is not being repaired so it is becoming increasingly expensive to keep operating.

Imagine that beautiful spot filled with salmon and steelhead. Also imagine the size of those trout when they have all of that ocean borne nutrient base to feast on.

Thanks for posting those. After a week on Vanc Island and in the OP, it's really nice to see something other than bad reprod stands being cut for the second or third time...
TF

[Tar Heel]

Dams often help the trout fishery, and I wonder if that stretch is down from the dams? It's a beautiful stretch at any rate.

[seamslayer]

That section of river is not below the dams and most likley wil be effected by the dam removal. Biologists have been studying the impacts of exposing resident rout with salmon and steelhead, and have even gone as far as studying how lower river trout will react with middle river trout and so on. The dam removal is a funny thing. For real success to be had the dams must be removed in a very specific manor. Unfortunatley, this was is not necessarily the most cost effective: I do hope that the project coordinators respect the river more than the the money involoved, although that may be asking a little much. I live in Port Angeles and am fortunate to be minutes from the river. And while the trout fishing is mind boggling, the thought of the river returning to what it once was is a much better option. When a river was famed for producing chinook salmon that stood taller than the average man you can bet that it is a special one; a river that deserves the utmost respect. And yes, I do have the pictures to prove those salmon existed: hmm, 100+ pound chinook, you just can't find that anymore.

[Tar Heel]

Yes, pictures, please! I think there is some good whitewater on that river, but I might be confusing it with another. And I agree that natural free flowing rivers are a worthy goal, nws any impact it may have on a the trought fishery.

[Navigator]

Originally Posted by shawn k

how many miles is the hike to get where there is god fishing?

I live on the sol duc but i have always wanted to do that hike.

What I call the upper river is most of the river - the part above Lake Mills (reservoir formed by the second, most upriver dam). The trailhead is Whiskey Bend within the Park. You can hike to the river @ Rica Canyon in 2 miles. I think this stretch gets a lot of day pressure. This provides about a mile of fishing access and we have done well.

You can hike in as far as 25 miles - to Chicago Camp and even go another mile or so to Happy Hollow. I have not gone this far - that is the goal for next year. This year we based out of Hayes Camp - mile 16 and the farthest up I fished was Camp Wilder - mile 20. The river gets smaller the farther you go up - but the character the same (big, broad gravel bars - this river moves a lot of gravel). I think there are proportionately more larger fist (12" plus) the farher you go up.

Not a lot of whitewater. In fact - we wonder what happened to Mary's Falls - because it does not appear to be at the Mary's Falls Camp.

The 2006 Northwest Flyfishing article had pegged the river to be closed to any fishing for 10 years following dam removal. I am hearing different rumuors - perhaps only 3 years. Perhaps the locals know.

In any event - plan on going in 2010 then - if the dams come out in 2011. I too drooled over the prospect of summer steelhead - especially in the bigger water below the Lost River. I hope the upper upper river still maintains a trout fishery - but I think these rainbows will revert to their steelhead legacy and there won't be much of a resident trout fishery.

And don't forget the Bull Trout. You can't mess with them - but they are there (trust me) and can get big. I wonder if these will become anadromous as well. Time will tell - and regardless of the fishery that develops post dams - it will still be a pretty place to go.

[Navigator]

Originally Posted by Navigator

In any event - plan on going in 2010 then - if the dams come out in 2011.

Geez, go this September or the end of this month .

[Stonedfish]

Navigator,
I'm sure some of the bulls will migrate out to sea once the damns come down. If not, non Elwha bulls may migrate up river. Studies of tagged bulls in both on Puget Sound and OP rivers have found they migrate between different river drainages.

On the Quinault, there are three different types of bulls. Some live in the lake and migrate upstream to spawn (Adfluvial). Others live in the main river year round (Fluvial) and a third type that go out to the salt and migrate back up to spawn (Anadromous).
Bulls are very cool fish indeed.

[Musicman]

Beautiful man...i've hike the OP a time or two...can't beat it for solitude and adventure..we didn't flyfish but cast small spinners for huge trout, steelhead....who knew back then....totally awesome....we went light and camped under flys with nylon hammocks between trees....way fun!