More Wa. fish trivia

[jackelope]

which is wierd, kind of, because i fished exactly 1 day this year with chinook in the river, and there was probably 10 fish in 1 hole we fished behind on the north fork, and then we cruised up to fortson mill and saw several kings, like probably 30 in the fortson hole. i might only see 3-5 sockeye every year in their.

[Dman]

 I have not fished the Stilly, but it seems a very small river? I know in river's like the Carbon that are smaller, a couple hundred King's would seem like a lot, only 8-10 would fit in each hole the entire length. King's also will spend a long time in the river, I know in Issaquah Creek at the hatchery I've seen the same group of Chinook for several weeks in the same hole once they start spawning, you can tell by the marking's, decay, etc..

[jackelope]

main stem is pretty good sized down near the  mouth but gets smaller upstream pretty quick. the north fork, which is where i fish mostly, is real small...almost like a little trout stream, as is the south fork. north fork is fly only except for  mid-winter, december or january for a month or 2, not really too sure, when you can fish bait for hatchery brat steel. it's very fun fishing, almost like spot and stalk, and the summer steelhead are known for eating surface flies...skating wakers or big caddis flies in a downstream swing across the water and a fresh chromer steelhead explodes on it.
you are right..it doesn't take much fish to crowd a small river, and i also don't think too many salmon or steelhead head up the south fork at all, so most that go up the main stem end up in the north fork.
the kings we do see are big!!
it's cool to be standing over one of those pools looking in and see 4 or 5 different species all in the same pool at the same time...you can really tell who the bullys are.

[Dman]

 Aye, the native King's are real bruiser's. I am going to film some of the Chinook battle's in Issaquah Creek this year. I kid you not, they were throwing water 12 feet in to the air sometimes, very territorial in the river.

[jackelope]

here's a good picture so you can see the size of the river.
one of my fishing buds on the north fork stilly just below fortson mill...
this past winter believe it or not...

[Dman]

 Nice pic, looks cold. I called on the flasher tape, should hear something soon.