Most summers I typically end up backpacking and fly fishing in the Canadian Rockies, but this summer I will not have time for such an extended trip. I am now tossing around the idea of spending a week backpacking along the Quinault in the vicinity of the Enchanted Valley, or, the same idea but along the Chilliwack in the North Cascades. The main purpose of my trip every summer is just to get out in the wilderness and clear my head, but I can never justify not packing my fly fishing gear. I am having a hard time finding any really good information on either of these river's upper sections (understandably so). If any one can point me in a good direction I would appreciate it, either way the fly rod is coming along I just would like to hear some local's thoughts. Thanks.
East Fork Quinault
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The Enchanted Valley is packed all summer long, been that way for a very long time. I can think of many other places I'd find it easier to clear my head.
If you have backpacked and flyfished the Canadian Rockies, you will be disappointed in what the glacial rivers kick out, trout-wise. I used to go up and over the north fork and fish the upper Elwha, but that is closed.
Not familiar with the Chilliwack, hope someone can help you there.
If you have backpacked and flyfished the Canadian Rockies, you will be disappointed in what the glacial rivers kick out, trout-wise. I used to go up and over the north fork and fish the upper Elwha, but that is closed.
Not familiar with the Chilliwack, hope someone can help you there.
East Fork is kind of barren, in my experience. If you like catching bull trout, the North Fork has good numbers. I've heard tales of some cool dry fly fishing up high, but I've never gotten up enough curiosity to hike in the 7+ miles, so I can't substantiate them. As was mentioned, the areas around campgrounds will be CRAWLING with tourists, but I have always found plenty of solitude out on the river. Lots of elk to keep you company.
Like the Queets, the Quinault doesn't have much in the way of salmon and summer steelhead upstream of the QIN hatcheries. The Tribe nets those rivers HARD down low, and they catch most of whatever's coming. That said, I have encountered both winter and summer steelhead, as well as a rare salmon, on both rivers, so "trout fishing" can get very interesting if that's what you gear up for. Mostly slow fishing, but when you do hook up, there can be some cool surprises.
Like the Queets, the Quinault doesn't have much in the way of salmon and summer steelhead upstream of the QIN hatcheries. The Tribe nets those rivers HARD down low, and they catch most of whatever's coming. That said, I have encountered both winter and summer steelhead, as well as a rare salmon, on both rivers, so "trout fishing" can get very interesting if that's what you gear up for. Mostly slow fishing, but when you do hook up, there can be some cool surprises.
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Have fished up the whole north fork as well..it is a canyon show so access is pretty tough and again, like the east fork, slow for any resident fish.
Illegal to target Bull Trout so don't get caught trying. They are not as numerous as they once were, like all the fisheries.
Until late Fall, you will find crowds on the major trails. Best bet is to find a secluded lake far and away, or wait until the bugs and people are gone, and try the short days of Oct.
Sometimes, you can outsmart the people and stay lower-and just above tidewater and have good late summer fishing and some peace a few miles off the road. The other option is find the meanest/longest/hardest trail/frozen lake and snowed in until August, Golden Trout water...
Good point about targeting bulls.
Any time I catch a bull trout, I'm always (legitimately) targeting steelhead, and the day on which I learned that the North Fork had good numbers of bulls was no exception. I must admit that on a slow day of steelheading in the bright sun, when I chuck a streamer into that dark, shady corner and a good-sized bull hammers it, it's an experience I sometimes try to repeat (occasionally with success). Whatever the verdict as to my lawlessness in so doing, I am always careful in handling any non-target fish that comes to hand.
It may be that bull trout populations are declining, but I can guarantee you there are more bulls in the Queets and Quinault rivers than steelhead, and possibly more than there are salmon, too. There are also quite a few very large specimens, and we know what bulls like to eat (salmon and steelhead babies). As low as the salmon and steelhead populations are (above the hatcheries), I doubt it's a stretch to assume smolt predation by bull trout is a limiting factor for those populations. I don't subscribe to an opinion that we should open season on the bulls, but I think it's almost comical that a guy could be ticketed for targeting "endangered bull trout" that vastly outnumber his primary (legal) quarry in the same river.
Wow... didn't realize I was going to rant, but it looks like I did. Not targeted at @Gyrfalcon2015; rather, at rules that I'm not sure make a lot of sense.
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Good observations, and yes, more of the problems associated with a former "normal prey population" being affected by a newer, lopsided, over-ratio of "normal predator population."
I like the Bull Trout to keep doing what they are doing, and hopefully man will stop doing what they are doing and balance is fixed. If the Bulls got too good they will end up eating everything-including themselves, out of house and home but I don't fear that too much.
Whitefish are a good source of food for the Bull Trout and I would think the whitefish populations do better with less salmon and trout to compete with so the food sources are still there. And the bigger coastal Bull Trout probably get a majority of their size dropping out into the saltwater smorgasbord. Nature does a better balance job than we do : )
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I fished the N Fork several years ago, when I was taking a friend's kid fly fishing. Any Rainbows I caught were few and far between, and may have been wild steelhead smolts. I caught a nice little Bull Trout about 14" -15" long, released unharmed, which made my day. It was fun, but we didn't catch very many trout that day. We did find some fresh (really well defined) large-looking cougar tracks on a sandbar. I quipped to my friend's kid that he could either walk in front of me on the trail, or behind me, but that I was gonna call him "Coug," (as in "cougar bait") for the rest of the day
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Always bring someone slower, tastier and a bit more "deer-looking" to a place you find Cougar tracks : )I fished the N Fork several years ago, when I was taking a friend's kid fly fishing. Any Rainbows I caught were few and far between, and may have been wild steelhead smolts. I caught a nice little Bull Trout about 14" -15" long, released unharmed, which made my day. It was fun, but we didn't catch very many trout that day. We did find some fresh (really well defined) large-looking cougar tracks on a sandbar. I quipped to my friend's kid that he could either walk in front of me on the trail, or behind me, but that I was gonna call him "Coug," (as in "cougar bait") for the rest of the day
"nah, that hat with ears on the sides looks REALLY cool on you..."
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My friend was just camping near the trailhead for E. Valley at Quinault. 15 cars were highly vandalized at the trailhead this last weekend. Broken windows everywhere. Bullshit punks.
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Huh, after getting my window smashed once up on the Hoko, I came up with an idea for a murder mystery novel, titled "Trailhead." Don't want to give anyone the impression that this is anything but an idea for a novel, but it involved a person who was pushed "over the edge" by being victimized by too many such vandalizations, and started staking out trailheads with a clear view of the parking areas. This psycho was armed with a high powered varmint rifle, and (in the story) succeeded in "taking out" quite a few of the offending vandals before a determined detective finally tracked him down.
Myself, I like the idea of the new anti-theft bike lock that contains a very stinky dye within the hollow bar of the lock, pressurized so that if the lock is cut, the stinky dye will squirt out all over the thief. Bike thieves will learn to avoid tampering with those kind of locks, and go after the bikes with regular locks.
I've thought of carrying booby-trapped gear locked inside of my parked car, but I haven't come up with anything yet.
Myself, I like the idea of the new anti-theft bike lock that contains a very stinky dye within the hollow bar of the lock, pressurized so that if the lock is cut, the stinky dye will squirt out all over the thief. Bike thieves will learn to avoid tampering with those kind of locks, and go after the bikes with regular locks.
I've thought of carrying booby-trapped gear locked inside of my parked car, but I haven't come up with anything yet.
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My knowledge of the Chilliwack is limited. My impression is that it's mostly known for remoteness and scenery. I have fished Ruth Creek which has headwaters in the same vicinity as the Chilliwack and I have caught zero fish there. I think the spring runoff is so severe that it scours out all the life forms in the creek. A friend had good fishing while hiking the Big Beaver/Little Beaver Creek trail on the east side of Ross Lake and on the west side along the Hozomeen creek to Lightning creek trail. Both are great multiday trips.
Thanks for all of the responses, amazed at the amount, this was my first post here. At this point I am definitely not doing the enchanted valley, still possibly considering the Chilliwack. Just hearing the stories and opinions on these areas is already making depressed I am not going to make it to Canada this year. Hopefully anyone forthcoming enough can turn me on to some places in the NW that could serve as an adequate facsimile for Canada. Thanks again for the responses.
That sucks. Never had any problems up there, myself. I always hate finding out the human trash has spread to my favorite places to pillage and plunder.
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Have you thought about hiking in the Stehekin area of North Cascades National Park? You take a boat from Chelan to the far end of the lake and hike from there. Here are some options: https://www.alltrails.com/us/washington/stehekin/hiking and https://www.nps.gov/noca/planyourvisit/backpacking.htm. There are trout in the river (including bull trout) and it is a bit out of the way. Disclaimer: I have never visited this area but it is on my list....
Steve
Steve
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