Wind River Report

IRONMAN · 05-23-2005, 12:21 PM

I went up yesterday into the canyon at 7 mile marker and had it all to myself with no success. I fished for 3 hrs there and than went to the lower river and was shut out there also. The few people I saw had the same story. The hatchery has less than 200 fish in the pond. The river was a bit high but very clear. This may join the rest of the Columbia system as a BUST year. Is anyone fishing in the lake still having any luck? Thanks.

chromebright · 05-23-2005, 12:30 PM

Hey Ironman

Was that you that my buddy and I ran into as we were walking up and you down at at the coffer hole? If so we did not see or get anything either. Water looks so good, but the fish are just not there this year.

choppers · 05-23-2005, 12:38 PM

coffer, is that the hole where everyone had to pay $150 for a key?

IRONMAN · 05-23-2005, 12:41 PM

Yep that was me. I fished for 2 hrs and a couple other guys came down with no luck. The 2 guys on the other side didn't hook anything except what you saw. I will give it another try this weekend and send you a private report. I would love to come up and fish Hood River some time but I don't really know the river. I Grew up in The Dalles before moving to Hillsboro in 1971, so that is my favorite country for outdoors activities. I still do alot of bass fishing on the John Day below Condon and hunt deer along the river in the same area. Keep in touch and let me know if things pick up. I'll be waiting for the Hood River invite.
Take care, Bob.

chromebright · 05-23-2005, 02:05 PM

Sounds good. I fish the Wind a few days a week so I will let you know if I get into anything. From what I have seen over the last couple of weeks I don't have very high expectations. The numbers just are not there. I hunt deer in that same country, but on the breaks of the Deschutes instead of the John Day. Cool but tough country. If the Hood gets good I will send you a PM.

Thanks
Rick

Bounty Hunter · 05-23-2005, 03:30 PM

Quote:

coffer, is that the hole where everyone had to pay $150 for a key?

Yep. A couple of years ago. Not sure what the current situation is though.

FishCatcher · 05-23-2005, 05:47 PM

Quote:

coffer, is that the hole where everyone had to pay $150 for a key?

Yep. A couple of years ago. Not sure what the current situation is though.

$175

choppers · 05-23-2005, 08:40 PM

ouch, thanks for the update guys. Hope you all get into them after the investment. Hope the key is a long term not anual.

chromebright · 05-24-2005, 05:42 AM

What investment? I would never give those people one cent. People who block access to public land for their own gain make me sick.

Bounty Hunter · 05-24-2005, 07:16 AM

I agree with you Chrombright, but with the way people were leaving trash, egg cure, and rotting fish all over their property (the lower section), I can sort of see their point.

As far as charging for access to the upper stretch, that's another story.

I heard they're letting hot-springers (no fishing) in for $10 a carload. Does anyone know if that's true?

chromebright · 05-24-2005, 07:52 AM

Bounty Hunter

I hate to have this conversation again, but lets be clear. I have no problem with them controlling access on their property, but they do not own the area around the coffer dam. What they own is a piece that the road goes through. So they are not just keeping people off their property they are also keeping people off of public property and profiting from it. It is just the same to me as the ranchers above the John Day closing the roads into the BLM land along the river and then charging for access to our public land.

I have had multiple personal encounters with these people and have formed a negative opinion based on these encounters. They even had the nerve to try and tell us we could not park on the shoulder of a county road even though they know this to be false.

FYI My friends and I respect the river and do not leave trash. In fact we have carried out bags of trash from the coffer dam area in the past(when we had access to that side).

geterdone · 05-24-2005, 08:09 AM

On Friday we landed 2 spingers, and saturday we had 1 springer at wind river. And the previous weekend we had 2 on saturday. That is a total of about 10 spingers this year between wind river and sellwood.

choppers · 05-24-2005, 08:42 AM

I hate to say it, but I tried to give away 150 bucks to the !@#$%^. Was declined, told they already sold all that was made two years ago. I'll try other spots instead of coffer too bad. Good luck guys, and yes I too packed out a grocery bag full of trash after taking all the hooks swivel and good lead. If any of you guys fished with me can attest I love free gear will stop fishing to do so.

Bounty Hunter · 05-24-2005, 08:46 AM

Chromebright.

I agree with you 100%. I was just referring to the lower section, which I beleive is owned by them.

I don't agree with what they are doing for the upper part either. I've fought this battle before in NM several times. The only way to change anything to have the County or Forest Service come in and change their attitude for them. If you can make a case that the landowner is closing off too much public land, then I have even seen them come in and cut a new road around them. Of coarse, in the environmentally sensitive NW, this would probably cost too much.

I am not accusing you of leaving the trash behind either. I just wanted to point out that the lowlifes that were bickering over a $2 parking fee to access their land (lower section) and that were leaving trash everywhere are the reason that we are even in this mess. If people would STOP TRASHING THE RIVERS, the landowners wouldn't hate us fishermen as much.

IRONMAN · 05-24-2005, 11:17 AM

I have not payed for a key eiher. I just happened to run into Chromebright on the opposite side of the river from the pay to fish side. There is very little access on the river since the road closed. They have also closed it down by the golf course and hot springs area. where I went in is completely vertical, dangerous and very little area to fish. This river isn't worth paying to fish with the sad runs over the last 2 years so I do'nt know who would keep buying keys. I agree with Chromebright on locking up public property. Yes this place got trashed when the runs were huge with 4 fish limits but that is long gone. A little law inforcement for snaggers and people who litter would have cut that way down but for some reason there was very little law around to take care of that. Its up to US as anglers to try and police our prime area's if we want to keep them open. Just a friendly please take your garbage with you when you see it happen may go along way. Sometimes people just don't care thats when have to do it for them and some times a camera can persuade people. Just don't put yourself in a dangerous situation with confrontations if you see the person is unreasonable. Good luck to all.

MarlinMark · 05-24-2005, 01:02 PM

Did someone Highjack this thread?

Mark

nobrownline · 05-26-2005, 03:32 AM

the fish are still in the columbia. Doing well at the mouth still. Now that being said I dont aprove of blocking public land either but the road your talking about is not public. It is an easment through those peoples property for coffer dam maintance. Thats how they get away with blocking it off.There is other ways in.but I wont give away all the secrets just yet

FishCatcher · 05-26-2005, 02:47 PM

Quote:

It is an easment through those peoples property for coffer dam maintance.

Also access to the high power lines.

ChSp · 05-27-2005, 01:13 PM

8 people at the ladder hole this morning, no hookups by 0700, one fish on east side at the wall when I quit at 0845. :tongue: