Winter Steel

[G-Man]

no, it's not a a native. It's a hatchery from the salmon river, the Quinalt tribe don't clip the adipose fin. "Hatchery STEELHEAD are defined as having
a dorsal fin height of less than 2?" or with an adipose or ventral fin clip."

I'm gonna have to trust you on that one. I'm sure you were fishing on tribal land. Nice fishy!

Nope, not on tribal land, and yea, if you look it up it's in the regs. I threw back my first five steelhead from that river until a ranger asked me what I was doing, throwin 'em back. Then she told me all 'bout the Quinalt and how they don't clip the adipose, they do something to the dorsal fin. If it's in the river now it's hatchery, the natives don't start showing up until January-February. The quinalt fish get BIG. It's not tribal land from the mouth at the Queets to about three miles up river, then it dips into the res again for a mile or so and comes back out. You can fish the upper stretch by the bridge and the mouth. Just not at the hatchery upstream. If the indians yell at you because you're fishing the stretch under Washington jurisdiction than call the cops on 'em, the Res is marked with signs.

I remember when clipping the dorsal fin was used to mark hatchery fish. One used to have to pull the dorsal up and fully extend it as the clipping made it into a rectangular shaped fin instead of the natural rhombus shape.

[flinginpooh]

Well I looked into the regs and found nothing in there except you can keep one native for that river per liscence year. However it says wild retention of fish is only feb 16- april 30th. I wish I knew where to look for that rule about the adipose, only thing I seen said wild is adipose intact. from the book. Wild Steelhead and Cutthroat Wild steelhead
and cutthroat have unclipped adipose and
ventral fi ns.
19

That to me says nothing bout 2 1/8 inch or whatever. I might be wrong though. Its been known to happen. lol

Oh from the salmon river. see im wrong.


SALMON RIVER (Jefferson Co.)
outside Quinault Indian reservation
and Olympic National Park
(396)
TROUT First Sat. in June-Feb. 28 Min. size 14". Daily limit 2. Hatchery STEELHEAD are defined as having
a dorsal fin height of less than 2?" or with an adipose or ventral fin clip.
Other Game Fish First Sat. in June-Feb. 28 Statewide min. size/daily limit

I thought you said the quinault river. Had to go back and read again my bad.

[natetreat]

Is the whole Nate thing just on that river? Just curious, cause Ive never read that the adipose fin had to be over a certain height. Its supposed to be scared or not scared. Ive actually never hooked into a native steel so never had to worry bout it. But if there is a rule just for steel or a river Id like to stay on top of it.

It's the dorsal fine, not adipose. This is the only river I know that is like that. Native steel are so much fun. Picture the hard fighting cutts of an alpine lake, those ones that fight ten times hard than stocker rainbows. Now picture them at 20 pounds. It's amazing. I devote my february and march to natives, it's the funnest thing ever.

[bionic_one]

Is the whole Nate thing just on that river? Just curious, cause Ive never read that the adipose fin had to be over a certain height. Its supposed to be scared or not scared. Ive actually never hooked into a native steel so never had to worry bout it. But if there is a rule just for steel or a river Id like to stay on top of it.

It's not clipping. The hatchery strain that they use has a different size fin than the native fish. That only applies to steelhead in the river systems with Quinault hatcheries as far as I know.


Regulations for those rivers can be found here: Quinault/Queets regs

The fish come from this hatchery, which is not a state hatchery: Quinault National Fish Hatchery

[knotabassturd]

Number 1 of the season!

Nice metal nate! Not big but very nice and bright.

[natetreat]

Number 1 of the season!

Nice metal nate! Not big but very nice and bright.

Yep, nice and bright! It's about time. It's only up from here.

[cudaman]

Thanksgiving day was very good to me even if it did snow&sleet all morning. Lost anice native hen in the morning but caught this nice hatchery buck while twitchen jigs for chum

[flinginpooh]

Thats some pretty steel. Ive not gotten my first winter steel of the season. But Ive not targeted them yet. Ive been catching chrome silvers still. I think this weekend might be first trip for steel. Im gonna fish on my cousins sled so whatever hes wanting to do we are. I know we are gonna try for more silvers for sure. But why not side drift some eggs through Blue creek while we are there. Think we will be hitting up the island at the dam for silvers. He was talking about anchoring up at night at tossing bait. Never fished on a boat at night so not 100% sure what his plan is there.

[salmonslayer117]

Thats some pretty steel. Ive not gotten my first winter steel of the season. But Ive not targeted them yet. Ive been catching chrome silvers still. I think this weekend might be first trip for steel. Im gonna fish on my cousins sled so whatever hes wanting to do we are. I know we are gonna try for more silvers for sure. But why not side drift some eggs through Blue creek while we are there. Think we will be hitting up the island at the dam for silvers. He was talking about anchoring up at night at tossing bait. Never fished on a boat at night so not 100% sure what his plan is there.

Good luck out there bro! Hopin' to get out there this weekend as well.

[scott080379]

Leaving for the Sol and bogie in a bout 20 minutes...Don is already out there.

let you know how I do Sunday night or Monday

[salmonslayer117]

Leaving for the Sol and bogie in a bout 20 minutes...Don is already out there.

let you know how I do Sunday night or Monday

Good luck to both of you guys! Hope to hear a great report!

[natetreat]

Thats some pretty steel. Ive not gotten my first winter steel of the season. But Ive not targeted them yet. Ive been catching chrome silvers still. I think this weekend might be first trip for steel. Im gonna fish on my cousins sled so whatever hes wanting to do we are. I know we are gonna try for more silvers for sure. But why not side drift some eggs through Blue creek while we are there. Think we will be hitting up the island at the dam for silvers. He was talking about anchoring up at night at tossing bait. Never fished on a boat at night so not 100% sure what his plan is there.

Where are you catching the chromers at? I've been catching dog after dog, haven't got anything bright besides steel in a month. I've been at allo the wrong spots I guess, but up north it's tuff without a boat I guess.

[donman]

Hey the Bogey was hot, hit the hatchery run. A bit early according to the locals, but that's what people have been saying about this run. It should be in full swing mid - december. Didnt get a chance to fish with Scott, but I had a blast any ways. It took me awhile to finally figure out what they were hitting, but once I did it was fun.

[fear_no_fish]

Hey the Bogey was hot, hit the hatchery run. A bit early
]

nice fish
i wouldnt call this a bit early...http://www.piscatorialpursuits.com/foru ... tml#UNREAD

[donman]

That is amazing! I wish I had one of them days. But it would be a pain to have to carry that much from the hatchery run back up to the parking lot

[scott080379]

Nicely done Don......I didn't get to fish today due to some issues that arose around 0030 in the morning and made the long drive home.....no fish for me but they are in that is for sure.......0for9 on winter metal this trip.

[natetreat]

Got this one this morning at Reiter. Got there late, bout ten, first cast, first ten seconds. Lost another one that was bigger at the Big Eddy/high bridge hole. Winter steel is in at the Sky, I wasn't the only one with fish.

[cudaman]

got a little winter buck and then the coho exploded. here,s some pics of today

[natetreat]

Sweet Jesus, cudaman, that's a Haul! Jealous a bit, but I got mine today too. Nice coho collection! How many guys split that number up?

[Jaksonbrown]

Wow!! Nice day on the water! What river were you fishing? Jigs? Details man, Details!!!