Wynoochee surprise

[metlhead]

Hit the Wynoochee early this morning for the last weekend only to find it punched out. Decided to back some plugs anyway since we were there. Tough to keep the plugs down because we couldn't keep the fish off. To our surprise, we were catching smelt. Always heard second hand stories of them in there, but this is the first I've ever seen them there. Anyone else have any run ins with them?

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Interesting! How'd they taste?

[HntnFsh]

You sure they were smelt?

[BigCutty3]

Ive seen them a couple times in the nooch, its been about 20 years since the last time.  Glad to hear theres a run this year, they feed everything in the ecosystem.  Its closed for them.

[metlhead]

You bet they are eulochon smelt. Turned many into sturgeon fillets through the years.

[BigCutty3]

Boy you weren't kidding the water was colored, you think it was a slide or did it rain like crazy today? Didn't look like the gauge moved all that much. I thought about going down for about 3 seconds and decided against it, I figured everyone and their dog would be down getting their last shot in before the closure and didn't feel like dealing with it, really glad I didn't now, Thanks for making me feel better!

[metlhead]

Twere a slide. We ran up from the mouth. It was gonna be lights out fishing. Top of a high tide, leveling flow, no nets, first water. Heartbreak in the mud

[RC3]

Thought about doing the same thing, glad I didn’t but you had a good idea.

[HntnFsh]

You bet they are eulochon smelt. Turned many into sturgeon fillets through the years.

Yep, that's a smelt!