Thoughts of PNW Steelhead fishing

This evening President Diane called our meeting to order at 7:00 pm.

We had 12 members and guest in attendance.

Diane called on Secretary Dale to refresh our memories of the business of September’s meeting. He referred to the meeting's points of interest - Secretary's Report, Treasurer's Report, a recap of our September 18th meeting survey, and business matters. He reminded everyone of this blog-site for a record of 10 years of club activities.

Club Treasurer Harold reported that we had over $1180 in our bank checking account.

Dave gave us a report on a recent fishing trip he and Tom had made on the Yakima River, Dale gave a report of a most recent trip to Anthony Lake.
Dale reminded everyone that most area (OR and WA) trout streams and rivers would be closing to fishing November 1. He also mentioned that with the very low return number of steelhead this fall, many Columbia River tributaries were being closed to steelhead fishing in WA, OR, and ID for the balance of this year.
Dale reported that the steelhead return count pass Bonneville Dam (year to date) for yesterday October 15, 2019, and the 10-year average was – Adult Steelhead 75,180 while the 10-year average for this date was 282,546. A very sad 26% return on the 10-year average.

Dale also made a brief report of what he had received from Kyle Bratcher, Acting District Fish Biologist- ODFW in Enterprise, OR this week and distributed to all WWFF via email. Kyle reported that even though the steelhead return numbers were very poor, that for the time being the Grand Ronde River basin would remain open for steelhead fishing. He mentioned that anglers should check the most current fishing regulations to determine any and all rivers being closed to steelhead fishing in Oregon.

This evening we changed the order of the meeting’s usual two (2) fly box distribution. The winner of the sold raffle tickets has first choice of the box they want; the remaining box becomes the FREE door prize of the evening.

This evening we got to try out the club’s new upgraded audio-visual projector system using member Heidi’s Trout Unlimited: - Season One DVD on the subject of Steelhead Fishing on Central Oregon’s Deschutes River. The video gave us a lot of steelhead fishing, fly tying and Redside trout catching reminiscing.

It was a very informative video, discussing the Deschutes River fishery and what the Central Oregon TU Chapter has done and is doing to help enhance the steelhead and salmon fishery in central Oregon's Maupin area.

Deschutes River - Maupin, OR area

Maupin,OR - small, very much a tourist town catering to the Deschutes River activities

River rafting ~ kayaking

Sea run steelhead - adipose fin clipped

Signal Light

Spawning Purple

Many books written of Steelhead Fly

Golden Cock

Deschutes River steelhead

Deschutes River steelhead w/Eric

Deschutes River steelhead w/Dale

Adipose FIN should be clipped / missing to legally keep-kill a steelhead

The program was strictly fly fishing for steelhead, until the producer / fisher of the video found that steelhead fishing is much more time consuming (creel count is measured in Hours per Fish) than trout fishing; so as the video ended the producer / fisher turned to using hard-tackle-lures in order to catch a returning sea-run steelhead.  Sad but True.

While using a Blue Fox treble hook spinner

Thank you Heidi, for sharing this video.

If you wish to learn more about steelhead fishing in the Columbia River basin follow this link to... Chasing Steelhead through the Pacific Northwest.

Our meeting was adjourned at 8:30.

Respectfully submitted,
Dale McKain
Club Secretary

Tight lines and good fishing

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Diane Briggs –  Co-President
Judy McDole – Co-President

Tyson Kopfer – Vice President

Harold Saxby – Treasurer

Dale McKain – Secretary - Blogmaster

Dave Stemmer – PROJECT HEALING WATERS Coordinator

Update on Summer Steelhead in the Tucannon River

Social Hour and Dutch Treat dinner begins at 6:00 pm and business meeting follows thereafter...

This evening President Tom called our meeting to order at 7:11.
We had 14 members and guest in attendance.

Business at hand was:
~Tom is considering giving up his Presidency to the Walla² Fly Fishers. He said he wanted to maintain a very active role as a member, but felt that it was time for some new energy to lead the club.

~Jerry said he could use some helping hands next Tuesday 10/27 @ 1:00pm to load a 12’ NRS pontoon boat onto a trailer which is being donated to our local Project Healing Waters organization.

~Barbara gave us a good fishing report from her fishing trip on the Wallowa and Grande Ronde rivers with Grant Richie. See the blog posting of this trip for fun fishing details.

~Treasurer Doug reported that the club currently has over $1075.00 in our checking account. He also reported that the club donated $270.oo to Project Healing Waters after our 2015 Fly Fishing Fair.

This evening's fly boxes ~ club archives ~ library(books and disc)

This evening Dave won the fly box door prize, and Jerry won the fly box raffle. Thank you everyone for you fly donations and purchase of raffle ticket for club funding.

Jerry wins the door prize fly box

Our speaker for this evening was Washington’s Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) salmon and steelhead biologist Joe Bumgarner. 

Joe has been the lead bio for compiling information on salmon and steelhead in the Tucannon River basin since 1993.
His presentation was a very through PowerPoint Presentation of maps, facts and statistics of particularly the steelhead population of the Tucannon River basin and that of the lower Snake River drainage.

Joe gave us a recent history of the stocked steelhead population of our area fisheries, the data that he WDFW, NOAA, the CTUIR and Nez Pierce tribes have kept over the years since 1993.
His report (PDF) can be downloaded and viewed by following this link ---> Washington Grande Ronde steelhead mitigation Wallowa program

He also told us about the complication of dealing with this many organizations in setting rules and regulations for this particular region’s fisheries programs.

It was strongly suggested that before fishing in the Tucannon River basin particularly for steelhead that one has an understanding of the Washington State fishing regulation for these waters.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/

Because of the large amount of data, that Joe gave us this evening and the changing fishing regulations that govern the Tucannon and lower Snake rivers, this writer is going to point our readers in the direction of the authority of WDFW for the most current updates of fishery and conservation rules.

https://fortress.wa.gov/dfw/erules/erules/erule.jsp?id=1538

- and -

http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/protected_species/salmon_steelhead/salmon_and_steelhead_listings/steelhead/snake_river_basin/snake_river_basin_steelhead.html

 

After Joe’s formal presentation he took quite a few Q&A’s from the club members that have spent many days “working” at steelhead fishing the Tucannon River.

Joe, Thank You for your time, effort and updated information-presentation to our club.

This meeting was adjourned at 8:30 and thereafter many of us stuck around to discuss recent fly fishing adventures and to talk with Joe.

Respectfully submitted,
Dale McKain
Club Secretary

Tom Craig – President
Dave Stemmer – Vice President
Doug Coe – Treasurer
Dale McKain – Secretary - Blogmaster Gerald Newell - PROJECT HEALING WATERS Coordinator 

Steelhead fishing the Grande Ronde River

A report from Tom - 12 thru 14 November

These were great days for the chasing of steelhead on the Grande Ronde River (GRR) in SE Washington.

Tom reports to us that he and Doug made a mid-week trip to the lower GRR this week.

Grande Ronde Basin Summer Steelhead Hatchery Program  -PDF-

 Tom reports, "I landed 7 only one clipped....Doug caught one immature steely....

Tom is one of those guys in the 10% Fishing Fraternity*

 others hauled lots of water before getting too cold to keep going."

Tom says, "my Alaska blood kept me going....Doug stayed with me....brave guy that he is."

Some tough steelhead fishing waters, but Doug keeps "working" right on.
Notice the smile on his face.

River frozen over - no flow records

Troy Scott Dettman (a GRR fishing guide) ~ reported as well, on the 15th with this photo that the river and steelhead fishing was cold.

Looking downstream from the hwy bridge near Bogan's this morning.

Oh what a difference a few days make when fishing for steelhead in the Pacific Northwest.
 

The following story, - November 10 is about our balmy sunny day fishing on the John Day River.

Tight lines and good fishing
Walla² Fly Fishers

Tom Craig – President

Dave Stemmer – Vice President
Doug Coe – Treasurer
Dale McKain – Secretary ~ Blogmaster 
Gerald Newell - PROJECT HEALING WATERS Coordinator 

* 10% Fishing Fraternity = the 10% of fishers that catch 90% of the fish

FYI - More about the Grande Ronde Basin Summer Steelhead Hatchery Program