[Luv2flyfish]

Was wondering if anyone has been to the Wynoochee since saturday. I drove out there saturday just to see how bad she was blown and it was BAD! Is it coming back into shape? Also, since this has been my first year fishing steelhead, I was also wondering what everyone's thoughts are if this last blow out might have pulled in the last push of steel for the season? If they are in, they should be up high.....and from what I have seen so far this year....up high stops at about the last put in big enough for a drift boat. Thats all good in my book.

Maybe I am just a whacko for fly fishing that river, but I fished it almost every weekend and me and my fishin bud are the only 2 fly fishers I have seen on that river. Anyhow, just wondering if anyone has seen it since the weekend and if there may be a fishy or 2 in it by this weekend if its coming into shape. Thanks

 

[Steve Buckner]

Hey,
Hope life has been treating you well!!!
I believe that the "Nooch" will be closed on April 1st so this is probably your last opportunity to fish for steelhead there. As for the fish, winter fish would probably still be entering in the system and will be scattered throughout.

The Cowlitz is still booting out some fish and fish can be found throughout the system. Remeber where I took you to catch your first Sea-Run? Two steelhead came out of there this week!!! (Right by the blue shack.) Fish are also being caught in the upper river, above Blue Creek to the Barrier dam. All things considered, the Cowlitz is still a good bet after April 1. Although things are a bit slow, winter fish will continue to be caught into May. They've been recovering between 250-400 fish per week at Barrier dam, those are probably some of the best counts in the state.

On the Oregon coast, the best Steelhead fishing is generally in April and May so there is still plenty of time for winter fish!!!

Best of luck...(How did you do at the 'Ford'?)

Skinny

 

[Luv2flyfish]

Thanks Skinny! If you pulled 2 out that SRC slot - than you are doing much better than myself this year. The count is still zero. If I could get down to that spot without the use of a boat - I'd be fishing that system much more. I'll catch up with you one of these days out there again. We never made it to the Ford. The Flu struck the fishin bud. I did get another pontoon boat, so if you want to take a whack at that - let me know. Its a total Blast! Good luck out there. We may hit the ford this weekend, but who knows. You ought to be in Good shape for the henry's fork this next week on your "journey" to Hyde land. Keep that contact I gave you in mind in Ashton. He is coming out this summer and I will need to talk to you about some fishing. Take Care

 

[Steelheader69]

She's still high

but coming into shape. My Dad was just down there. Was it you who asked me about the Nooch? I'll have to either meet up with you or talk to you via email. I fly fish it alot myself. Mostly during the summer. The Nooch is a good gear river, and a top notch plug river during the winter. Tadpollies are my most effective lure on the Nooch. If I pull plugs, I usually have at least one fish on a trip easy.

Your time is limited. I think one of the main reasons you won't see fly guys on the Nooch is it's overrun with gear/plug guys. And hard to cover water if someone is pulling plugs/side drifting through.

 

[Jim Wallace]

Yo Skinny! I just checked the reg updates and the Wynoochee, the Satsop, the Chehalis, and the Upper Quinault all got extended until April 15th. The 'Nooch looks like it is falling into fishable range again at 2000cfs or less.
The last time I fished the 'Nooch, three rude dudes crowded right in on top of me in a tight cluster not even ten feet away, and I had to cast over all three of their lines. Finally got fed up with that and moved, only to have a jetsled coming downstream rip a big S-turn right thru the hole in front of me, then hang a u-turn, come back up in front of me and back-troll a plug right thru where I was fishing. He did this backtroll stunt several times. Just before it happened, I had felt a bite, but this rude noisy action put an end to it. It took all my self-control to not reach down and pick up a large rock and bean the moron on his pointy little head. The only thing that saved him was a witness a couple hundred feet upstream. I second the advice to go higher up the river to evade this kind of action. I was upstream from the launch that is a mile or so above White Bridge.
:reallymad - Jimbo