SCHOONER FISH TRAP:
The trap was empty, no fish, the flow is wide open with plenty of cold water running thru which I expect is the reason for no fish in the trap, took the entrance that starts in Lincoln City, saw a herd of twenty plus elk but could not see any bulls, Happy New years to all the LVH Club Members and the ODF&W fish People.
Hank
Monday, December 28, 2009
12/19/09
SILETZ AND BOHANAN FISH TRAPS:
Wayde and Bill Platte made the trap run today.
We first went to the Palmer trap and got it ready to "fish" by installing the intake weir, finishing the weir in the mainstream to force the fish into the trap and pulling 2 boards in the main diversion headwall. When we left it was all in order.
The water temp was 46 F.
Drove on up the gorge to the Siletz trap. River was up pretty high, 7 or 8 is my guess. The trap had flow and was not too silted up. There were 6 steelhead in the trap.
Wild Hatchery
2 m 1f 1 m 2f
2 of these fish were winter Steelhead and the rest were summers. Saw 1 fisherman vehicle on the road and no wildlife.
The water temp was 41 F.
We left there at noon and headed back down the gorge on our way to the Bohanan trap.
Bohanan had 19 wild Coho.
8m 9f 2jacks
The water temp was 50 F.
We left the trap at 2:20 and got into town at 3:20. Sprinkled most of the day with the temp in the 50s.
Wayde
12/16/09
SILETZ FISH TRAP:
Larry, Ginger and their son Mike Dale followed Bill and I on the Wednesday trap run. It was a very rainy and blustery day and the water levels were very high. First we went to the Palmer Creek trap and cleaned around the weir and then cleaned silt from the bottom of the trap. They plan on opening the Palmer trap at any time. We then proceeded to the Siletz Trap. The water was higher than I have ever seen it. They close the trap when the water level reaches 10' and the water level today was around 9'. We were very surprised when we checked the trap as there was no flow through the trap. Something had blocked the inflow but Bill and I were able to get the outer gate open enough to free the blockage. It was so muddy inside the trap that you couldn't see any fish. We finally netted 2 hatchery hen steelhead which were dispatched and sent back down the river. We attempted to scoop as much of the gravel and silt from the trap as best we could but there is still a good amount of gravel on the trap floor. Then we headed for Bohannan where there were no fish. The trap was pretty well clogged but we got everything cleaned and flushed out the best we could.
We pointed out the wolf to Larry and his family on the way back down the Beaver Creek Rd. and I was surprised when Bill spotted the elk herd. Since I was driving I couldn't get a count of the elk but there were quite a few. Got back around 3 o'clock.
Frank
12/16/09
SCHOONER FISH TRAP:
Good morning everyone,
Just returned from Schooner Creek and it was wet, wet, wet. The wind was howling and the rain was blowing sideways but, it was warm, in the low 50's. We had fish today, two in fact, both Coho and both wild and both male. These two fish were in their holiday colors with green backs and red sides, all ready to spawn. Both fish were released upstream and seemed to be pretty strong. The trap had pretty good flow but had quite a bit of debris in the upper gate. After cleaning everything the trap is ready for Friday. Hope you have fish. As of today the road is clear of limbs and rocks. Hopefully there won't be any surprises later in the week.
Mike
Good morning everyone,
Just returned from Schooner Creek and it was wet, wet, wet. The wind was howling and the rain was blowing sideways but, it was warm, in the low 50's. We had fish today, two in fact, both Coho and both wild and both male. These two fish were in their holiday colors with green backs and red sides, all ready to spawn. Both fish were released upstream and seemed to be pretty strong. The trap had pretty good flow but had quite a bit of debris in the upper gate. After cleaning everything the trap is ready for Friday. Hope you have fish. As of today the road is clear of limbs and rocks. Hopefully there won't be any surprises later in the week.
Mike
12/10/09
SCHOONER FISH TRAP:
Good afternoon everyone,
I apologize for the late report but I had a "Root Canal" yesterday in the valley and had to put off trap duty until today. With that said, it was another day void of fish. The flow in the trap was good with approx. 15" of water depth. No wildlife today but I did meet a biologist from the US Forest Service at the trap. Apparently the Forest Service will have their hydrologist at Schooner Creek tomorrow to assess the stream flow situation and make decisions on some changes to improve the year round flow. We had a good visit and both headed back down stream. I am sure we will hear more about any changes planned for Schooner Creek as plans come together.
Stay warm this week,
Good afternoon everyone,
I apologize for the late report but I had a "Root Canal" yesterday in the valley and had to put off trap duty until today. With that said, it was another day void of fish. The flow in the trap was good with approx. 15" of water depth. No wildlife today but I did meet a biologist from the US Forest Service at the trap. Apparently the Forest Service will have their hydrologist at Schooner Creek tomorrow to assess the stream flow situation and make decisions on some changes to improve the year round flow. We had a good visit and both headed back down stream. I am sure we will hear more about any changes planned for Schooner Creek as plans come together.
Stay warm this week,
12/14/09
SCHOONER FISH TRAP:
A Full Team Chinook made the run without much rain. We did not find any fish, but the stream flow was clear & the trap free of debris. All In All, we had a Fun Time & Lot’s of Chuckles ….. Perhaps our Friday Run will be more productive with this Current Rain Storm.
JCS …. for “The Team”
12/09/09
SILETZ, PALMER AND BOHANAN FISH TRAPS:
Bill and I first hit the Bohannan Trap this morning but there were no fish. The falls were beautiful with ice covering the surrounding rocks and branches. We dropped off some fish tubes at Don Larson's home in Siletz this morning and he said that it was 11 degrees outside his shop earlier today. It was 20 degrees inside his shop while we were there. There were ice-flows on the Siletz River from the Quarry hole on down and all of the creeks and falls feeding into the Siletz were frozen solid. They were really pretty. Bad day to leave my camera at home. There is a rock ledge along the road just below the Siletz trap that has a spring running down the rock. The ice cycles hanging from the rock were 10 to 12 feet long. There were no fish at the Siletz trap either. Bill walked down the ladder and said that there are quite a few fish holding just below the ladder so we should have quite a few fish into the trap once the weather warms up and we get some rain. We were going to test the temperature of the water but there wasn't a thermometer in the metal box as we thought. Then on down to Palmer Creek where we drove some metal stakes to help support the weir and then we filled a little over a dozen sand bags. The ground was pretty well frozen. Back in town around 2:30. It was a bright sunshiny day and very enjoyable.Frank
12/07/09
SCHOONER FISH TRAP:
Hank and I checked the trap this morning but there were no fish. It was too cold for fish to swim. 23 degrees at the trap upon our arrival. Flow was good and the trap was clean except for the ice cycles hanging between the bars. No wildlife observed and there were no Japanese Zeros in site. Frank
12/04/09
SCHOONER, SILETZ AND BOHANAN FISH TRAPS:
Wayde checked 3 traps with Bill Platte on Friday. There were no fish in the Schooner, Siletz or Bohanan traps. The weather had been cold and there was heavy frost everywhere we went.
We saw an otter at the Schooner trap. It was eating on a salmon carcass atop one of the large logs near the dam. One hen was resting upstream of the trap.
Bill said they worked on the Palmer trap Thursday and it will probably be opened in the near future.
Wayde drove today and the trip was 154 miles with a time of 7 hours.
12/02/09
SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:
Hi everyone,
Beautiful day at the trap. The sun was shining and the weather was warm. However, the trap was void of fish. Surprisingly, no fish in the trap. The flow was good with very little debris. I saw two fish in the creek above the trap finning in the current. No wildlife today.
Mike
Hi everyone,
Beautiful day at the trap. The sun was shining and the weather was warm. However, the trap was void of fish. Surprisingly, no fish in the trap. The flow was good with very little debris. I saw two fish in the creek above the trap finning in the current. No wildlife today.
Mike
11/30/09
SCHOONER FISH TRAP:
Wayde & Barb checked the Schooner trap today, 11/30. We had 3 male Coho & 1 female Coho. One of the males was caught in the grating of the inlet structure and had died. The other 3 were passed up-stream. Wayde was in the trap and Barb was the transport/release crew member. (she gets her merit badge now)
Water flow was good with little debris on the grating.
The only wildlife noted was a fresh elk trail from the hillside onto the entry road near the switchback.
Wayde
11/27/09
SILETZ AND BOHANAN FISH TRAPS:
Bill and I traveled to Bohanan this morning where there were 6 male Coho, 7 Female and one Female Rerun Coho for a total of 14. Bill accidentally dropped the chain that locked the gate wheel into the creek but after opening the gate he was able to retrieve it inside the trap. Water was running very high today but not as many leaves as last week.
The Siletz trap was all steelhead. There were a total of 8 consisting of 7 hatchery and 1 wild. One if the hens was very bright and Bill considered it to be a winter steelhead. There was a second hen that was bright but not as bright as the first that may have been a winter fish as well, In addition we noticed that one of the males had a red tag indicating that it was a rerun and one had the left mandible plate clipped.
ODFW employees had their first furlough day today so there was no one in the office. No logging trucks were running but there were lots and lots of elk "road-hunters."
Frank
11/27/09
SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:
Friday 11/27
Wayde went to the Schooner trap today accompanied by my 2 sons-in-law and 2 grandsons. No wind at the trap which was nice. There were 9 Coho in the trap. Everyone helped in getting the fish upstream.
6 bucks and 3 hens. One fish had what looked like a seal mark. There were no other identifying marks or features. All 9 fish were passed upstream. One fish swam back into the upper chamber of the trap So I did not lift the front gate. The leaves were not bad and I cleaned them off without raising the gate.
Cut and removed 2 small trees that had fallen after last storm.
Saw no wildlife. 1 pickup parked at the gate on way out. Presume it was an elk hunter.
Wayde
11/25/09
SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:
Good afternoon,
Great day at Schooner Creek. The sun was shining and the weather was warm. Upon arriving at the trap I noticed there was good flow, good enough that I couldn't see any fish in the trap. That was until I stepped in and immediately had fish slamming into my legs. The result was three (3) Steelhead, 1 buck and 2 hens. I also had six (6) Coho, 3 hens and 3 bucks. All fish were in great shape. I saw two Coho that had swam back into the upper chamber of the trap but after cleaning the entrance was able to chase them back up into the creek and upstream. I cleaned the leaves from the trap and it is ready for Friday. No wildlife today other than something had made a bird kill on the road. It must have either been a hawk or a coyote.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone,
Mike
Good afternoon,
Great day at Schooner Creek. The sun was shining and the weather was warm. Upon arriving at the trap I noticed there was good flow, good enough that I couldn't see any fish in the trap. That was until I stepped in and immediately had fish slamming into my legs. The result was three (3) Steelhead, 1 buck and 2 hens. I also had six (6) Coho, 3 hens and 3 bucks. All fish were in great shape. I saw two Coho that had swam back into the upper chamber of the trap but after cleaning the entrance was able to chase them back up into the creek and upstream. I cleaned the leaves from the trap and it is ready for Friday. No wildlife today other than something had made a bird kill on the road. It must have either been a hawk or a coyote.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone,
Mike
11/23/09
SCHOONER CREEK, SILETZ AND BOHANAN FISH TRAPS:
Wayde went on the trap run Monday with Bill Platte from ODF&W. Left the ODF&W office at 8:08 am. We first went to Schooner trap. Two elk hunters were parked at the gate and had just started walking in on the road. We waited a bit before driving in.
Wayde went on the trap run Monday with Bill Platte from ODF&W. Left the ODF&W office at 8:08 am. We first went to Schooner trap. Two elk hunters were parked at the gate and had just started walking in on the road. We waited a bit before driving in.
There were 13 wild Coho & 2 Steelhead, 1 wild hen and 1 hatchery hen.
The Coho were 6 bucks and 7 hens. Good to see some hens finally showing up.
No seal marks were noted nor other identifying marks or clips.
We left Schooner about 11:00 am and headed to the Siletz trap through Kernville and Hwy 229 to Siletz then up Logsden Road to the Gorge Road ending at milepost 13. The Siletz trap is down a short road to the river. We arrived at 11:54 am. A very slow day for the Siletz trap. Only 2 fish, both hatchery Steelhead, 1 buck and 1 hen. We did some trap cleaning of silt and leaves and then left for the Bohanan trap via Toledo and the "1000 line" road.
Good day at Bohanan. 13 wild Coho, 1 wild hen Steelhead and 1 hatchery hen Steelhead.
The Coho were 6 bucks and 7 hens. No marks or other identifying clips were noted. Left the trap at 3:00 pm and headed for Newport via the Beaver Creek Road to Hwy 101 at Ona Beach then up Hwy 101 to Newport. Arrived at the parking lot at 4:00 pm. Weather was exceptionally nice, log trucks were few and we saw 1 grouse.
Wayde
11/20/09
SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:
Hank Bryson and I checked the Schooner Trap yesterday which contained a total of 10 Coho. There was one female and 9 bucks. There were no clips or tags visible and all were wild. One buck coho had what appeared to be a seal scar. Quite a few leaves in the upper grate and water was waste high in the trap when we left. We checked for the elk herd but it was in hiding. Frank
11/18/09
SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:
Good afternoon everyone,
Another good day at Schooner Creek trap. Three (3) wild adult male Coho. Two of the fish looked like twins. Each were approx. twelve lbs. and in full spawning colors. The third fish was stuck by the gills in the entry way grate again. However, this fish was still alive so I removed him and spent some time reviving him upstream which seemed to be the ticket as he was still hugging the bottom in the middle of the creek when I left 30 minutes later. The trap was pretty well plugged up when I arrived with only about 6' of water running through. The debris was again mostly leaves and was easy and quick to clean. When I finished there was a good 24" of water running through the trap with no silt on the bottom. I saw our elk herd both on the way up and on the way down. They were bedded down in the field in the rain just West of the two (2) mile marker. Hopefully on Friday you won't find trees in the road after the big wind we are expecting tonight and tomorrow.
Mike
Good afternoon everyone,
Another good day at Schooner Creek trap. Three (3) wild adult male Coho. Two of the fish looked like twins. Each were approx. twelve lbs. and in full spawning colors. The third fish was stuck by the gills in the entry way grate again. However, this fish was still alive so I removed him and spent some time reviving him upstream which seemed to be the ticket as he was still hugging the bottom in the middle of the creek when I left 30 minutes later. The trap was pretty well plugged up when I arrived with only about 6' of water running through. The debris was again mostly leaves and was easy and quick to clean. When I finished there was a good 24" of water running through the trap with no silt on the bottom. I saw our elk herd both on the way up and on the way down. They were bedded down in the field in the rain just West of the two (2) mile marker. Hopefully on Friday you won't find trees in the road after the big wind we are expecting tonight and tomorrow.
Mike
11/16/09
SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:
There will be a hot time in the ole creek tonight. We finally passed 2 hen Coho along with 2 buck Coho upstream today. There were no visible clips or marks on any of the fish.
Larry and Ginger Dale as well as Ellie LeMaster went with me to the trap. This was Ginger's and Ellie's first trip to Schooner and they both had a good time. We had some rain at the trap but the winds were not bad at all. We didn't get back into the wind until just before entering Lincoln City. No other varmits were cited today other than a few cows. Thanks, Frank
11/13/09
SCHOONER FISH TRAP:
Team Chinook 4 Men & 54 Miles R/T. Fish Count 2 Male COHO & 1 Native Male Steelhead all passed Upstream.
Hello Casey, This is the 1st in our series of Trap Operations Reports, which we hope will make you feel very much a part of what we do in the Bush & at the Traps. (Hang Tough Casey!!)
Our Run Today was made without any rain, but it was a little chilly. We had a full team with Captain Bill, Bud Roark, Larry Dale & Me. Bill opted to be the Trap Man today & he initially found 2 beautiful Male COHO, which Larry passed to Bud, who is our Stream Release Man. The last fish Bill found was a healthy Native Male Steel Head, which we passed upstream. We had moderate water flow with minimum debris in the Trap.
Once again Bud defied “All Odds” & got out of the Creek with his Waders Dry Inside !!! Of course, I deftly handled the Driving & the Clipboard Duties. Bill & Larry secured the Trap & then we all Saddled Up & Pulled for home.
What a Team & We always have Fun & a Bunch of Laughs. Sorry to report, No Wild Life Sightings this trip.
JCS for Team Chinook
11/13/09
SILETZ FISH TRAP:
Frank and Wayde made the trap run to Bohanan and Siletz along with Bill from ODF&W. Wayde drove because the paperwork is not complete for Bill yet.
We left town about 8:20 and headed south on Hwy 101 in the rain. Arrived at the Bohanan trap near 9:00 am. There were 21 Coho in the trap, all wild fish. 12 males, 9 females. 2 of the females were return fish that had been in the trap before. We left for the Siletz trap about 10:00 and the rain had lessened to just showers.
2 sites of logging on the road up the gorge. Both had highlines over the road and we had to stop and check with the CB radio before proceeding. We reached the trap at 10:55 and geared up to cross the river. Water was quite high and the falls looked great. A lot of white water. The Siletz trap help 38 fish, all Steelhead with the following breakdown:
Wild Hatchery
1 m 4 f 15 m 18 f
We worked on the fish a couple of hours and returned 33 as stream forage between the falls and Gravel Creek.
Headed back down the gorge and got back in town at 3 pm.
No wildlife was sighted.
Wayde
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
11/11/09
SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:
Good evening everyone,
What a beautiful day. Either I have someone looking over my shoulder or I am just infected with dumb luck. Either way the last two weeks on Wednesdays have been absolutely perfect weather up the canyon at Schooner Creek. The sun was shining and the water was relatively clear. As I reached the trap I noticed that there wasn't much water in the trap but a deep pool above the upper gate. The water in the trap was only about a foot deep as the upper gate was pretty well cogged with leaves and other debris. I immediately saw a dorsal fin and knew I would need the net today. As I entered the trap fish started darting all over. The end result was eight Coho all male. Seven fish were released upstream and one was passed down stream over the dam. The one small male Coho was caught in the entry grate and was unable to move forward or backward and apparently drowned. I cleaned the trap which was clogged with leaves and branches but no silt or gravel (thank you Butch and whomever helped you dig out the entrance). The trap should be in good condition for the upcoming rains. No wildlife today.
Mike
Good evening everyone,
What a beautiful day. Either I have someone looking over my shoulder or I am just infected with dumb luck. Either way the last two weeks on Wednesdays have been absolutely perfect weather up the canyon at Schooner Creek. The sun was shining and the water was relatively clear. As I reached the trap I noticed that there wasn't much water in the trap but a deep pool above the upper gate. The water in the trap was only about a foot deep as the upper gate was pretty well cogged with leaves and other debris. I immediately saw a dorsal fin and knew I would need the net today. As I entered the trap fish started darting all over. The end result was eight Coho all male. Seven fish were released upstream and one was passed down stream over the dam. The one small male Coho was caught in the entry grate and was unable to move forward or backward and apparently drowned. I cleaned the trap which was clogged with leaves and branches but no silt or gravel (thank you Butch and whomever helped you dig out the entrance). The trap should be in good condition for the upcoming rains. No wildlife today.
Mike
11/09/09
SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:
SCHOONER TRAP REPORT > 9 Nov. 09 <><>
Team Chinook was short Electric Bill today, but Linda Reed stepped up to the plate & She even brought Apple & Cherry Fritters !!!
It goes without saying, her involvement along with the Trapping Skills displayed by Larry & Bud + Some Minimal Contributions by Yours Truly ><><>
It rained hard all the while we were at the Trap, but the water flow was clear with minimum debris on the gratings. Sad to say, we saw no wildlife going in or out, but it was delightful to have Linda join us today.
JCS for the CHINOOK TEAM
11/06/09
SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:
The Chinook Trap team returned to the trap today. We had another successful Day with the trap team of John Spangler, Larry Dale, Bud Roark, and myself. At this time I would like to humbly apologize for leading you astray on Monday we did not have Steelhead in the trap we had COHO. Yes the Hook not only made the trip he chauffeured in the Tree Hugger. Larry plunged into the trap with vigor and let us know that we had fish. He passed up a beautiful Buck COHO and I passed it on to Bud who was eagerly awaiting in the stream to release it. Returning the net to the trap Larry began eagerly pursuing the next fish which turned out to be another big COHO in full spawning colors and was rapidly released upstream. The only problem was the fished liked the trap so well he went right back to it. Larry cried out from the trap there are more fish so I hustled the net back him so that he could pursue the quarry. Larry passed the net up and there was a big bright beautiful STEELHEAD BUCK (yes it was) and I turned him over to Bud to be swiftly released. The last fish was also a nice big male Coho and was smoothly released. John recorded all of the fish entry's, we cleaned the trap and headed home. We had expected nasty weather but had been pleasantly suprised by a nice trip. We didn,t see any noteable wildlife on this trip, maybe next time.
Electric Bill - for - Team Chinook
The Chinook Trap team returned to the trap today. We had another successful Day with the trap team of John Spangler, Larry Dale, Bud Roark, and myself. At this time I would like to humbly apologize for leading you astray on Monday we did not have Steelhead in the trap we had COHO. Yes the Hook not only made the trip he chauffeured in the Tree Hugger. Larry plunged into the trap with vigor and let us know that we had fish. He passed up a beautiful Buck COHO and I passed it on to Bud who was eagerly awaiting in the stream to release it. Returning the net to the trap Larry began eagerly pursuing the next fish which turned out to be another big COHO in full spawning colors and was rapidly released upstream. The only problem was the fished liked the trap so well he went right back to it. Larry cried out from the trap there are more fish so I hustled the net back him so that he could pursue the quarry. Larry passed the net up and there was a big bright beautiful STEELHEAD BUCK (yes it was) and I turned him over to Bud to be swiftly released. The last fish was also a nice big male Coho and was smoothly released. John recorded all of the fish entry's, we cleaned the trap and headed home. We had expected nasty weather but had been pleasantly suprised by a nice trip. We didn,t see any noteable wildlife on this trip, maybe next time.
Electric Bill - for - Team Chinook
11/04/09
SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:
Good afternoon all,
What a beautiful day at the trap. It was so warm I was in just a tee shirt. We had two fish in the trap, both male Coho. One was bright and the other was in his red spawning colors. Both fish had very pronounced hooked upper jaws (kipes). Both fish were released up by the bridge to keep them from running back into the trap. Water was low but the trap was running very well. I cleaned out some debris and leaves and we should be n good shape for the upcoming rains we are expecting later this week. One the way down the creek I stopped where I usually do to look for fish on their way up and saw four fish in the hole. Also on the way down saw two doe at the four mile marker. Both were in really good shape.
Mike
(It's good to have Mike back!)
Good afternoon all,
What a beautiful day at the trap. It was so warm I was in just a tee shirt. We had two fish in the trap, both male Coho. One was bright and the other was in his red spawning colors. Both fish had very pronounced hooked upper jaws (kipes). Both fish were released up by the bridge to keep them from running back into the trap. Water was low but the trap was running very well. I cleaned out some debris and leaves and we should be n good shape for the upcoming rains we are expecting later this week. One the way down the creek I stopped where I usually do to look for fish on their way up and saw four fish in the hole. Also on the way down saw two doe at the four mile marker. Both were in really good shape.
Mike
(It's good to have Mike back!)
11/02/09
SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:
SCHOONER TRAP IS OFFICIALLY OPEN
TEAM CHINOOK LEADS THE WAY FOR A NEW SEASON!
Larry Dale, Bud Roark, Chris Furgason, Bill Furgason, departed Longview Hills @ 9:00am and returned at 12:15pm. The day was beautiful and a very pleasant drive into the trap. We didn't see any wildlife except for FISH, upon checking the trap we noticed that there were FISH in the trap. Larry suited up and went down into the trap to check it out. Bud went to the stream and took up his position as needed. Larry dipped in and came out with a beautiful red Buck that had won a fight with a seal.
Larry passed the net to Chris who relayed it to Bud for a smooth release, and off up the stream he went. Meanwhile back in the trap Larry had corralled another beautiful Buck this one bigger than the last he netted it and past the net to Chris who again passed it to Bud who masterfully released it. Larry in checking found yet another fish in the trap upon netting it he discovered that it to was a Buck. The relay of netting the Steelhead to release was performed flawlessly.
Larry checked the trap and found no more fish so we set about cleaning the trap. Bud released a bunch of leaves and debris and sent them through the trap. Chris raised the gate to let debris through. Larry cleaned the gate and it was lowered, and the front gate was raised to release the debris on down stream. We stowed the equipment and recorded the fish leaving the trap ready to receive the next run of fish. Team Chinook will be manning the trap this Friday Nov. 6th if we get some rain we just could see more fish in the trap. We returned to Longview Hills with a job well done.
ELECTRIC BILL - for TEAM CHINOOK
SCHOONER TRAP IS OFFICIALLY OPEN
TEAM CHINOOK LEADS THE WAY FOR A NEW SEASON!
Larry Dale, Bud Roark, Chris Furgason, Bill Furgason, departed Longview Hills @ 9:00am and returned at 12:15pm. The day was beautiful and a very pleasant drive into the trap. We didn't see any wildlife except for FISH, upon checking the trap we noticed that there were FISH in the trap. Larry suited up and went down into the trap to check it out. Bud went to the stream and took up his position as needed. Larry dipped in and came out with a beautiful red Buck that had won a fight with a seal.
Larry passed the net to Chris who relayed it to Bud for a smooth release, and off up the stream he went. Meanwhile back in the trap Larry had corralled another beautiful Buck this one bigger than the last he netted it and past the net to Chris who again passed it to Bud who masterfully released it. Larry in checking found yet another fish in the trap upon netting it he discovered that it to was a Buck. The relay of netting the Steelhead to release was performed flawlessly.
Larry checked the trap and found no more fish so we set about cleaning the trap. Bud released a bunch of leaves and debris and sent them through the trap. Chris raised the gate to let debris through. Larry cleaned the gate and it was lowered, and the front gate was raised to release the debris on down stream. We stowed the equipment and recorded the fish leaving the trap ready to receive the next run of fish. Team Chinook will be manning the trap this Friday Nov. 6th if we get some rain we just could see more fish in the trap. We returned to Longview Hills with a job well done.
ELECTRIC BILL - for TEAM CHINOOK
10/31/09
SCHOONER AND SILETZ TRAPS:
Wayde and Lee went on the trap run Friday with Casey. No fish in the Schooner trap. Water was up and conditions are good, just need some fish.
We went from The Schooner trap to the Siletz trap along the Siletz river to Siletz then up to the trap.
35 Steelhead in the trap with the following break down:
WILD HATCHERY
1 m 2 f 11 m 21 f
3 of the fish were tagged and had been at the trap before. 5 fish had broken lines attached and it looked like poor knots were the reason for not landing the fish.
The only game seen was 1 grouse at the Siletz cable structure.
Left at 8am and back in town at 2 pm. No rain.
Wayde
Sunday, November 1, 2009
10/28/09
SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:
Here is a little "conversation" regarding the trip on October 28th to the Schooner Creek Fish Trap. From the LVH Fishing Club there were Brian, Frank, Wayde and I:
We were at the Schooner trap today to help with a student field trip. Kids had a good time and learned some things about fish, streams, plants & bugs.
There were no fish in the trap.
Wayde
I definitely saw a frozen steelhead in the trap.
Frank
That’s funny. I’ll report to James that a frozen steelhead was found in the trap. Global cooling ????
Casey
I knew you would come up with the answer. That's why you are a scientist and I'm not.
Frank
From: Big Fish [mailto:lvhfishclub@gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, October 29, 2009 12:47 PM
Subject: Schooner Creek Fish Trap
Brian, Frank Wayde and I helped Virginia Tardaeweather with a student field trip. There were about 40 4th-5th graders there to learn about fish, streams, plants & bugs. They seemed to have a good time and only 2 fell in the water. Luckily they were wearing hip boots and it helped some.
I didn't see any fish in the trap, however, Frank reported seeing one frozen salmon. Think he's credible?
First Lady
Jolly Good Show >> & << I bet this was a Bunch of Fun. That said >> You All deserve a BRAVO ZULU !!!! ……. JCS
Fun being relative. With 40 kids that age it was kind of like herding cats, but worth it. Especially watching Wayde standing in the creek trying to show the kids how to measure the distance, speed of the creek, etc., he was actually pretty good at it.
Barb
No, no, no Barb. It was a frozen steelhead, not a salmon. I could tell because it had steel-blue eyes. I took Brian's class on Fish Identification and really know my fish.
Frank
Here is a little "conversation" regarding the trip on October 28th to the Schooner Creek Fish Trap. From the LVH Fishing Club there were Brian, Frank, Wayde and I:
We were at the Schooner trap today to help with a student field trip. Kids had a good time and learned some things about fish, streams, plants & bugs.
There were no fish in the trap.
Wayde
I definitely saw a frozen steelhead in the trap.
Frank
That’s funny. I’ll report to James that a frozen steelhead was found in the trap. Global cooling ????
Casey
I knew you would come up with the answer. That's why you are a scientist and I'm not.
Frank
From: Big Fish [mailto:lvhfishclub@gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, October 29, 2009 12:47 PM
Subject: Schooner Creek Fish Trap
Brian, Frank Wayde and I helped Virginia Tardaeweather with a student field trip. There were about 40 4th-5th graders there to learn about fish, streams, plants & bugs. They seemed to have a good time and only 2 fell in the water. Luckily they were wearing hip boots and it helped some.
I didn't see any fish in the trap, however, Frank reported seeing one frozen salmon. Think he's credible?
First Lady
Jolly Good Show >> & << I bet this was a Bunch of Fun. That said >> You All deserve a BRAVO ZULU !!!! ……. JCS
Fun being relative. With 40 kids that age it was kind of like herding cats, but worth it. Especially watching Wayde standing in the creek trying to show the kids how to measure the distance, speed of the creek, etc., he was actually pretty good at it.
Barb
No, no, no Barb. It was a frozen steelhead, not a salmon. I could tell because it had steel-blue eyes. I took Brian's class on Fish Identification and really know my fish.
Frank
10/26/09
SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:
Hank Bryson and I checked the trap today. No fish. Some debris buildup on the gates but the trap was clean. Water was a little dirty as it was raining pretty heavily this morning. We climbed the hill above the bridge to roll down the remaining cut logs from when Wayde and Hank removed the log from the roadway. All is clear now and the logs missed the bridge but only barely. There was a motor home off the roadway and into a tree north bound on 101 near Devil's Punch bole on our way back, I hope there was no passenger in the right front because it was damaged pretty badly in that area. Police and ambulance had not as yet arrived but plenty of help so we proceeded home.
Frank
Hank Bryson and I checked the trap today. No fish. Some debris buildup on the gates but the trap was clean. Water was a little dirty as it was raining pretty heavily this morning. We climbed the hill above the bridge to roll down the remaining cut logs from when Wayde and Hank removed the log from the roadway. All is clear now and the logs missed the bridge but only barely. There was a motor home off the roadway and into a tree north bound on 101 near Devil's Punch bole on our way back, I hope there was no passenger in the right front because it was damaged pretty badly in that area. Police and ambulance had not as yet arrived but plenty of help so we proceeded home.
Frank
10/23/09
SILETZ FISH TRAP:
Raining as Casey and I left the Pig Palace and headed up to Schooner. Trap was flowing well, but no fish. Raining as we left and headed to Siletz, posting Chinook Closure/deadline signs at all the parks, bridges, etc along the way. Raining as we left Siletz for the trap up the Gorge. Raining at the Trap. Had 67 hatchery and 10 wild Steelhead, 3 Coho, and 1 Chinook to handle - all the hatchery Steelhead went for protein in the river. Raining as we left the trap and headed for Bohanan. The trap was flowing well, but no fish. Raining as we left Bohanan, checked out a few likely deer hunting (sorry - deer survey) areas along 1000 line, and met Kevin Wilson on 1200 coming up from Newport to get in a couple hours evening hunting. Raining when we got back about 5PM. Oh, did I forget to mention it was raining!!
Brian
Raining as Casey and I left the Pig Palace and headed up to Schooner. Trap was flowing well, but no fish. Raining as we left and headed to Siletz, posting Chinook Closure/deadline signs at all the parks, bridges, etc along the way. Raining as we left Siletz for the trap up the Gorge. Raining at the Trap. Had 67 hatchery and 10 wild Steelhead, 3 Coho, and 1 Chinook to handle - all the hatchery Steelhead went for protein in the river. Raining as we left the trap and headed for Bohanan. The trap was flowing well, but no fish. Raining as we left Bohanan, checked out a few likely deer hunting (sorry - deer survey) areas along 1000 line, and met Kevin Wilson on 1200 coming up from Newport to get in a couple hours evening hunting. Raining when we got back about 5PM. Oh, did I forget to mention it was raining!!
Brian
10/15/09
SILETZ FISH TRAP:
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Today was a enjoyable trip with Casey to the trap, there were Eight fish in the trap, break down as follows, two hatchery Steelhead fish, five native Steelhead and one spring Chinook. We traveled down to five mile area to survey for fish and redd's and finding very little of both.
The river was up a little and the water has warmed up a slight amount, Casey expects to see fish movement with the rains expected this week.
Hank
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
10/02/09
SILETZ FISH TRAP:
Larry Dale and I joined Casey to work the Siletz Trap today. The river is low even though the recent rains have increased the flow slightly. We found 8 fish in the trap.
3 Chinook (2 Jacks and 1 male) All released up stream
3 hatchery steelhead (1 male and 2 female) which were dispatched for stream enhancement.
2 male wild steelhead. Also released upstream.
We also did a stream survey but only saw 1 red. Casey spotted a couple of steelhead in the area but it is a bit early and he expects more activity after the streams rise a bit.
It was a beautiful day on the river but no wildlife spotted. There was quite a bit of maintenance activity on the roadway today. Frank
Saturday, September 26, 2009
09/25/09
SILETZ FISH TRAP:
The fall trap season has started.
Wayde and Lee went with Casey to the Siletz trap on Friday, 9/25. The weather was clear in the gorge but foggy till then. Some logging adjacent to the main road with 1 highline over the road.
There were only 3 Steelhead in the trap.
1 wild buck, 1 wild hen and one hatchery hen.
We did a stream survey for spawning spring Chinook between Buck Creek and Sunshine Creek. Three fish were seen and 2 redds (spawning nest in the gravel).
One deer was seen on the way back. It's good to be back on the trap runs again.
Wayde
Monday, May 25, 2009
05/16/09
SILETZ TRAP:
Just In from James & Brian >>>>> SILETZ TRAP REPORT (16 May 09)
From: James Ray [mailto:james.ray@state.or.us]
Sent: Monday, May 18, 2009 9:18 AM
To: John Spangler; pandpreed
Cc: BRIAN PAMELA HUDSON; James Ray
Subject: RE: SILETZ REPORT
Saturday’s Siletz Falls trap count: 10 wild winter steelhead (8 of which had been caught in the trap before) and 1 hatchery summer steelhead (buck).
J
05/08/09
SILETZ TRAP:
Casey and I carried out the trap duty on Friday and it was a full day. The river was at about the 6' level and was as high as I've ever seen it. Sorry Bill and Matt but you know all that silt and gravel that you shoveled last week?....Well it's back. There were only 5 fish in the trap, supposedly because of the high water, but one was the first summer steelhead. It was a very bright silver hatchery hen that unfortunately was bonked. In addition there were 2 wild males and 1 wild hen that we transported to the Alsea Hatchery along with 4 other hold over fish for spawning. Following the spawning process we returned the fish, along with several other fish being held at the hatchery to the Siletz. As we were transporting water across the river to fill the tanker truck a beautiful bald eagle flew directly overhead headed up the river.
Announcement! Derek Wilson's son, Finnigan "Finn" Wilson, arrived on Monday morning. Mother and child are doing fine. We understand that Finn's first camo suit was a perfect fit.
Frank
Sunday, May 3, 2009
05/01/09
SILETZ FISH TRAP:
WOW
What a great day! Just to get out and enjoy the great outdoors. It started out a little questionable with a few drops of rain hitting the windshield but fortunately that didn't last.
We arrived down at South Beach just before Casey around 8:00 AM. We loaded up and were off Casey had to stop by the office and check in. The truck was fueled up so we were on our way to the trap. The weather had cleared and it was a very pleasant drive up. On the way into the Siletz trap Casey stop at the Mill Creek trap. They have a regular trap similar to the Bohanian trap. and a temporary trap set up catch the smolt that are out bound headed for the ocean. They set up temporary troughs on each side of the stream to direct the flow into through the smolt trap. There was a guy waist deep in the river counting smolt from a bucket He would mark some of them and set aside to be returned up stream to gather further information when they came back through, the rest he released down stream. It is in a very beautiful spot and would be pretty neat duty Casey said that he started out working this trap.
We didn't see any wild critters but it sure was great to see Spring beginning to unfold with new leaves, buds, and blossoms. We arrived at the trap and put on our waders ( Matt has a brand new pair ). We took a couple of minutes just to admire the beauty then it was on the tram and down into the trap.
We found several Steelhead in the trap so we began to remove them. Casey stayed up on top and Matt and I went down in and began herding fish. I gave the net to Matt and told to go for it. Matt did the netting and I just told Casey if the fish were native or hatchery. Casey then went down a couple of ladders and released the wild fish, and dispatched the hatchery fish for stream enhancement. There were 4 wild fish one buck,and 2 hens along with a repeat ( one that had been put down the ladder before ). The hatchery fish were 2 hens, 1 buck, plus two out of basin (SEX?) not a lot of fish but a good experience. Three of the fish had seal bite marks on them, and there was one very nice 3 salt buck in the group that barely fit into the net.
We all then began the task of cleaning out the gravel and sediment which seemed to be at least 10 yards, but by the time we were through more like a hundred. When we left the trap it was nice and clean and flowing well. Casey said that this might be the last time that the trap will need to be cleaned until fall. After we were done in the trap we had lunch on the picnic table by the truck. Casey decided that we could go over and check the Bohanian Fish trap. We were off again enjoying the great day and wonderful scenery. We arrived at the Bohanian Trap and again just admired all of the beauty around. Unfortunately there were no fish in the trap. Casey said that they will continue to check it for a couple of more weeks and then close it for the season. We came back by way of the Beaver Creek Estuary and Casey pointed out a fairly new Stat Park that he said was great Elk habitat. All in all it was a great Day and Casey dropped us off just before 4:00pm at our truck.
MATT & BILL
WOW
What a great day! Just to get out and enjoy the great outdoors. It started out a little questionable with a few drops of rain hitting the windshield but fortunately that didn't last.
We arrived down at South Beach just before Casey around 8:00 AM. We loaded up and were off Casey had to stop by the office and check in. The truck was fueled up so we were on our way to the trap. The weather had cleared and it was a very pleasant drive up. On the way into the Siletz trap Casey stop at the Mill Creek trap. They have a regular trap similar to the Bohanian trap. and a temporary trap set up catch the smolt that are out bound headed for the ocean. They set up temporary troughs on each side of the stream to direct the flow into through the smolt trap. There was a guy waist deep in the river counting smolt from a bucket He would mark some of them and set aside to be returned up stream to gather further information when they came back through, the rest he released down stream. It is in a very beautiful spot and would be pretty neat duty Casey said that he started out working this trap.
We didn't see any wild critters but it sure was great to see Spring beginning to unfold with new leaves, buds, and blossoms. We arrived at the trap and put on our waders ( Matt has a brand new pair ). We took a couple of minutes just to admire the beauty then it was on the tram and down into the trap.
We found several Steelhead in the trap so we began to remove them. Casey stayed up on top and Matt and I went down in and began herding fish. I gave the net to Matt and told to go for it. Matt did the netting and I just told Casey if the fish were native or hatchery. Casey then went down a couple of ladders and released the wild fish, and dispatched the hatchery fish for stream enhancement. There were 4 wild fish one buck,and 2 hens along with a repeat ( one that had been put down the ladder before ). The hatchery fish were 2 hens, 1 buck, plus two out of basin (SEX?) not a lot of fish but a good experience. Three of the fish had seal bite marks on them, and there was one very nice 3 salt buck in the group that barely fit into the net.
We all then began the task of cleaning out the gravel and sediment which seemed to be at least 10 yards, but by the time we were through more like a hundred. When we left the trap it was nice and clean and flowing well. Casey said that this might be the last time that the trap will need to be cleaned until fall. After we were done in the trap we had lunch on the picnic table by the truck. Casey decided that we could go over and check the Bohanian Fish trap. We were off again enjoying the great day and wonderful scenery. We arrived at the Bohanian Trap and again just admired all of the beauty around. Unfortunately there were no fish in the trap. Casey said that they will continue to check it for a couple of more weeks and then close it for the season. We came back by way of the Beaver Creek Estuary and Casey pointed out a fairly new Stat Park that he said was great Elk habitat. All in all it was a great Day and Casey dropped us off just before 4:00pm at our truck.
MATT & BILL
Friday, May 1, 2009
04/13/09
SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:
This was the last Schooner trap run of the season for LVH Fish Club.........
Monday 4-13-09
Barb & Wayde checked the Schooner trap on their way back from Tigard. Nice day but no fish in the trap. The "Drift Creek" elk herd was on the south side of the Drift Creek meadow.
Wayde
This was the last Schooner trap run of the season for LVH Fish Club.........
Monday 4-13-09
Barb & Wayde checked the Schooner trap on their way back from Tigard. Nice day but no fish in the trap. The "Drift Creek" elk herd was on the south side of the Drift Creek meadow.
Wayde
04/11/09
PALMER CREEK AND SILETZ TRAP:
Greetings One and All
Matt and I joined the rest of the group as the last of the steelhead smolt were placed into the ponds at Palmer Trap. Frank had the camp set up real nice and had brought in some wood and pallets for camp fires. Casey gave us the what to do list for the smolt and keeping the screens clear. It turned out that the main generator had conked out again but this year Matt had brought up his generator as a back up so all was well. There was a lot of debris from reeds to beaver limbs that kept jamming the screens and causing the ponds to raise. Matt really got into the total experience he was trimming more brush, and checking the screens. Frank had left his small electric chain saw so Matt and I proceeded to cut up the pallets, and chop some wood. Again Matt really got into the chopping and stacking of the wood. We built a fire and Matt made sure that it was going great most of the time. There was plenty of wood as the wood piles from the last couple of years was still there, due to very wet camps in the past. The weather was pretty decent for the most part with occasional misting now and then. I took my dog Sadie along and she enjoyed herself with all of the new scents, and sounds. We had a great dinner consisting of steaks, fried potatoes and onions, and some of Matt's great salsa. We went to bed full and happy.
The next morning Matt was up early and out checking the ponds and the screens when he saw our pesky beaver. Well he had taken his trusty sling shot along for just such an emergency and he let one fly. He said that beaver went up in the air did a double gainer, and back flip and landed into the pond and was off like a shot. The beaver wasn't hurt except for his pride but he made himself very scarce after that. We had a great breakfast then Derek Wilson came by from ODFW to take me up to the Siletz trap it seams that Casey wasn't able to make it in. Derek and I had a great trip both in and out we didn't see any critters just a lot of log truckers, and some fishermen. We were pleasantly supprised to find several fish in the trap. The total count was 13 wild females,5 wild males, and 9 hatchery females,3 hatchery males. There was a beautiful 20 plus pound buck in his full spawning colors, and a beautful 18 plus pound hen always a pleasure to see. We turned the wild fish back down the ladder, and created stream enhancement out of the hatchery fish. As we returned back to camp we found the LVHFC board of directors chowing down and getting ready for their meeting. Lunch was enjoyed by all and then Matt and I left leaving the smolt sitting in the capable hands of Wayde and Barb. It was a great experience and a good time I would recommend it to all.
Have a Great Day
Electric Bill, and Matt the (Beaver Guy)
Greetings One and All
Matt and I joined the rest of the group as the last of the steelhead smolt were placed into the ponds at Palmer Trap. Frank had the camp set up real nice and had brought in some wood and pallets for camp fires. Casey gave us the what to do list for the smolt and keeping the screens clear. It turned out that the main generator had conked out again but this year Matt had brought up his generator as a back up so all was well. There was a lot of debris from reeds to beaver limbs that kept jamming the screens and causing the ponds to raise. Matt really got into the total experience he was trimming more brush, and checking the screens. Frank had left his small electric chain saw so Matt and I proceeded to cut up the pallets, and chop some wood. Again Matt really got into the chopping and stacking of the wood. We built a fire and Matt made sure that it was going great most of the time. There was plenty of wood as the wood piles from the last couple of years was still there, due to very wet camps in the past. The weather was pretty decent for the most part with occasional misting now and then. I took my dog Sadie along and she enjoyed herself with all of the new scents, and sounds. We had a great dinner consisting of steaks, fried potatoes and onions, and some of Matt's great salsa. We went to bed full and happy.
The next morning Matt was up early and out checking the ponds and the screens when he saw our pesky beaver. Well he had taken his trusty sling shot along for just such an emergency and he let one fly. He said that beaver went up in the air did a double gainer, and back flip and landed into the pond and was off like a shot. The beaver wasn't hurt except for his pride but he made himself very scarce after that. We had a great breakfast then Derek Wilson came by from ODFW to take me up to the Siletz trap it seams that Casey wasn't able to make it in. Derek and I had a great trip both in and out we didn't see any critters just a lot of log truckers, and some fishermen. We were pleasantly supprised to find several fish in the trap. The total count was 13 wild females,5 wild males, and 9 hatchery females,3 hatchery males. There was a beautiful 20 plus pound buck in his full spawning colors, and a beautful 18 plus pound hen always a pleasure to see. We turned the wild fish back down the ladder, and created stream enhancement out of the hatchery fish. As we returned back to camp we found the LVHFC board of directors chowing down and getting ready for their meeting. Lunch was enjoyed by all and then Matt and I left leaving the smolt sitting in the capable hands of Wayde and Barb. It was a great experience and a good time I would recommend it to all.
Have a Great Day
Electric Bill, and Matt the (Beaver Guy)
04/06/09
SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:
SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP REPORT ( 6 April 09 )
( 2 men & 54.5 Miles )
Team Chinook represented by the Dynamic Duo (Bob Abbott & Hook) made the T. R. Unfortunately we found No Fish, but got up close & personal with the Resident Elk Herd (Approx. 25). We, along with a bunch of folks, found the herd, just before you get to the Drift Creek Road turn off. Several cars were stopped watching the Elk eating Skunk Cabbage along the creek………..
Bob & I had a Great Morning. It was really beautiful down at the trap; the temperature must have been almost 70 degrees & not a cloud in the sky. THE HOOK
SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP REPORT ( 6 April 09 )
( 2 men & 54.5 Miles )
Team Chinook represented by the Dynamic Duo (Bob Abbott & Hook) made the T. R. Unfortunately we found No Fish, but got up close & personal with the Resident Elk Herd (Approx. 25). We, along with a bunch of folks, found the herd, just before you get to the Drift Creek Road turn off. Several cars were stopped watching the Elk eating Skunk Cabbage along the creek………..
Bob & I had a Great Morning. It was really beautiful down at the trap; the temperature must have been almost 70 degrees & not a cloud in the sky. THE HOOK
Monday, March 30, 2009
03/30/09
Monday, March 30th
Wayde, Lee and Wayne made the morning drive to Schooner Creek to check the trap. Nice clear and mild day. There were no fish in the trap but we did see some wildlife. A pair of ducks were swimming in the pond by the trap. We did not recognize what they were but hope Frank will look at the photos and identify them for us.
Two herds of elk were seen on the way out. The first on was on the south side of the road near the junction of Drift Creek Road and the road to the landfill. (Also near the natural gas switching facility). The other herd was on the south side of the Drift Creek Meadow. We were back by 11:00 PM
Wayde
Note from Frank "Ducks":
Mystery solved by Frank...............
I checked out the photo and the only duck I can see in the photo is a drake common merganser.
The drakes have a white body, green head but usually looks dark from a distance, and a long narrow orange bill. The hens have a reddish brown head with scraggly looking crest feathers as if it was having a bad hair day. They are a fish eating duck and usually ingest around 10 fish per day. They have been known to swallow a trout weighing 4 lbs. Thanks for sharing. Frank
03/27/09
SILETZ FISH TRAP:
John Spangler and I joined Casey on the trap run today. We had an enjoyable trip and spotted a herd of approx. 15 to 20 elk about a mile west of Logsdon. Casey also pointed out a new landmark on the way up the Siletz at approximately the 101/2 mile post called "stump rock". It is a large rock that apparently fell from the sky and is now balanced on top of a tree stump. Unfortunately I forgot to take my camera so will have to photograph the new landmark on my next trip up.
There were 9 hatchery fish in the Siletz trap ( 4 male and 5 female). 7 of the fish were placed into the holding tank and 3 were dispatched. There were 9 wild fish (5 female and 4 male) that had their tales punched and sent back down the ladder. We then proceeded to the Palmer Creek trap where we found 1 hatchery male and 1 hatchery female. The beaver have been busy so there was a lot of debris to clear from the trap grate but all is running clear now. Casey proceeded on to the Schooner Creek trap on his own as I had a doctors appointment. It was a very enjoyable day. Frank
03/26/09
SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:
Good afternoon,
I just returned from Schooner Creek. We had fish today. There were two wild male Steelhead in the trap. Both were released in mid stream and headed for the dam (not back to the trap). The trap was clean and the flow was close to 30". Yes, I saw the Elk again today just West of the two mile marker. They were bedded down in the grove of trees in the middle of the field. None of the herd seemed to mind my being there because I stopped and looked at them for a while through binoculars. I had a nice surprise when I returned to my truck. Bill Ferguson and his wife Cathy were on a drive up Schooner Creek Road and wondered who the goof ball was partially blocking the road at the gate. They found out when I came walking down the road. We chatted for a while and then parted company, me back home and the two of them on their trip up Schooner Creek Road. Very nice day at the trap.
Mike
Good afternoon,
I just returned from Schooner Creek. We had fish today. There were two wild male Steelhead in the trap. Both were released in mid stream and headed for the dam (not back to the trap). The trap was clean and the flow was close to 30". Yes, I saw the Elk again today just West of the two mile marker. They were bedded down in the grove of trees in the middle of the field. None of the herd seemed to mind my being there because I stopped and looked at them for a while through binoculars. I had a nice surprise when I returned to my truck. Bill Ferguson and his wife Cathy were on a drive up Schooner Creek Road and wondered who the goof ball was partially blocking the road at the gate. They found out when I came walking down the road. We chatted for a while and then parted company, me back home and the two of them on their trip up Schooner Creek Road. Very nice day at the trap.
Mike
03/23/09
SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:
Bill Furgason and Hank left at 8;00 am, found the trap to be in good shape, lots of water in it but no fish!
Bill Furgason and Hank left at 8;00 am, found the trap to be in good shape, lots of water in it but no fish!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
03/16/09
SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:
We had one wild buck steelhead. We also saw the elk herd on the way out. It was a very nice day. Take care,
Frank
We had one wild buck steelhead. We also saw the elk herd on the way out. It was a very nice day. Take care,
Frank
03/13/09
SILETZ FISH TRAP:
Matt and Wayde made the trap run with Casey. The first trap was Schooner Creek. No fish and the trap was clean with moderate flows. Tracks from 2 motorcycles were on the access road. They had been to the trap site but we did not find anything wrong. Hope it does not become a habit.
The Siletz trap reached by following the Siletz river from Hwy 101 to the trap. 4 fish today. 2 very large steelhead that Casey estimated would weigh 20#. Matt was quite impressed, especially when he had 1 in the net.
Wild 1 male
Hatchery 1 male 2 female
Leaving the Siletz trap at noon we went back down the gorge, through Toledo then on to the Bohanan trap on Drift Creek. No fish here today. Went back to Newport along Beaver Creek to Hwy 101 at Ona Beach then on to the "Pighouse" in Newport.
The only wildlife encountered were 4 urban deer seen in Toledo between Pig Feathers restaurant and the GP mill. 2 of them had hair loss disease and looked bad.
The weather was great but I found another leak in my boots. May have to start thinking replacement.
Wayde
Matt and Wayde made the trap run with Casey. The first trap was Schooner Creek. No fish and the trap was clean with moderate flows. Tracks from 2 motorcycles were on the access road. They had been to the trap site but we did not find anything wrong. Hope it does not become a habit.
The Siletz trap reached by following the Siletz river from Hwy 101 to the trap. 4 fish today. 2 very large steelhead that Casey estimated would weigh 20#. Matt was quite impressed, especially when he had 1 in the net.
Wild 1 male
Hatchery 1 male 2 female
Leaving the Siletz trap at noon we went back down the gorge, through Toledo then on to the Bohanan trap on Drift Creek. No fish here today. Went back to Newport along Beaver Creek to Hwy 101 at Ona Beach then on to the "Pighouse" in Newport.
The only wildlife encountered were 4 urban deer seen in Toledo between Pig Feathers restaurant and the GP mill. 2 of them had hair loss disease and looked bad.
The weather was great but I found another leak in my boots. May have to start thinking replacement.
Wayde
03/09/09
SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:
Wayde, Barb and Wayne went to the Schooner trap Monday morning. It was snowing hard most of the time along Schooner Creek. There was 1 to 2 inches of snow at the trap site but piling up. There were no fish in the trap with good flow and clean. The road out was a bit slick but Wayne handled it well and got us back safe. No critters to report.
Wayde
Wayde, Barb and Wayne went to the Schooner trap Monday morning. It was snowing hard most of the time along Schooner Creek. There was 1 to 2 inches of snow at the trap site but piling up. There were no fish in the trap with good flow and clean. The road out was a bit slick but Wayne handled it well and got us back safe. No critters to report.
Wayde
Thursday, March 12, 2009
08/11/09
SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:
Good afternoon,
Schooner Creek was a serene setting on Wednesday afternoon. Although there were no fish in the trap, the flow was very good and the weather was great. No wildlife on this trip but I did see a beautiful Steelhead holding down river waiting for the next freshet.
Mike
Good afternoon,
Schooner Creek was a serene setting on Wednesday afternoon. Although there were no fish in the trap, the flow was very good and the weather was great. No wildlife on this trip but I did see a beautiful Steelhead holding down river waiting for the next freshet.
Mike
Sunday, March 8, 2009
03/06/09
SILETZ RIVER FISH TRAP:
This in from Wayde on Friday...............Looks like Wayde must be taking lessons from Barb on camera operation....................
Lee Fries and Wayde spent the day checking fish traps with Casey Deckard from ODF&W. We went to the Bohanan trap first. We traveled there by taking Hwy 101 to Ona Beach then east along Beaver Creek till we topped out at the "1000 line" road then south along Drift Creek to the trap. Drift Creek is in the Alsea River drainage. It was a nice sunny day with 1 wild male steelhead in the trap. The trap sits just above some nice falls that you can see in the pictures.
Leaving Bohanan we went north to Toledo then on to Siletz then northeast up the gorge to the Siletz trap located at Siletz falls which are 13 miles upriver from Moonshine park. Water was up from the recent rains and fish decided to move. There were 30 steelhead in the trap. These were the biggest average fish I have seen. 10 of the 30 were 15# to 20#. Very nice group of fish.
30 total
wild 8 males 6 females
hatchery 7 males 9 females
Most of these fish will be taken to the Alsea hatchery and spawned on Monday 3-9-09.
We saw 1 spike deer on the way in.
Drove back down the gorge and on to Siletz where we turned north and followed the Siletz River to Hwy 101 at Kernville. We followed Schooner Creek upstream to the trap site. There were no fish in the trap but as you can see from the pictures it was pleasant and sunny.
A good day in all respects.
Wayde
Note: See website for photos
This in from Wayde on Friday...............Looks like Wayde must be taking lessons from Barb on camera operation....................
Lee Fries and Wayde spent the day checking fish traps with Casey Deckard from ODF&W. We went to the Bohanan trap first. We traveled there by taking Hwy 101 to Ona Beach then east along Beaver Creek till we topped out at the "1000 line" road then south along Drift Creek to the trap. Drift Creek is in the Alsea River drainage. It was a nice sunny day with 1 wild male steelhead in the trap. The trap sits just above some nice falls that you can see in the pictures.
Leaving Bohanan we went north to Toledo then on to Siletz then northeast up the gorge to the Siletz trap located at Siletz falls which are 13 miles upriver from Moonshine park. Water was up from the recent rains and fish decided to move. There were 30 steelhead in the trap. These were the biggest average fish I have seen. 10 of the 30 were 15# to 20#. Very nice group of fish.
30 total
wild 8 males 6 females
hatchery 7 males 9 females
Most of these fish will be taken to the Alsea hatchery and spawned on Monday 3-9-09.
We saw 1 spike deer on the way in.
Drove back down the gorge and on to Siletz where we turned north and followed the Siletz River to Hwy 101 at Kernville. We followed Schooner Creek upstream to the trap site. There were no fish in the trap but as you can see from the pictures it was pleasant and sunny.
A good day in all respects.
Wayde
Note: See website for photos
03/04/09
SCHOONER CREEK TRAP REPORT:
This from Mike Samples 03/06/09:
Good morning all,
I didn't go to Schooner Creek on Wednesday as I was still under the weather. I did go however late yesterday. There were no fish in the trap. The water level and flow were good with trap water level at approx. two feet. I did see Elk in my usual place, a herd of about 40 with three bulls in the herd. At least the Elk herds are healthy unlike our Steelhead returns. Not much else to report.
MIKE
This from Mike Samples 03/06/09:
Good morning all,
I didn't go to Schooner Creek on Wednesday as I was still under the weather. I did go however late yesterday. There were no fish in the trap. The water level and flow were good with trap water level at approx. two feet. I did see Elk in my usual place, a herd of about 40 with three bulls in the herd. At least the Elk herds are healthy unlike our Steelhead returns. Not much else to report.
MIKE
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
03/02/09
Matt Matheney and I checked the Schooner Creek trap this morning. No fish. Water was knee deep in the trap and very clean. We were joined by the attached group of elk. As Matt said, they made the trip. We estimated 25 to 30 in the herd. Frank
Sunday, March 1, 2009
02/27/09
SILETZ FISH TRAP:
Strange day. Went up to the Siletz and Palmer traps Friday with Derek, and we were both anticipating many fish. The river looked great, but we found zero in both traps. The water was cold due to some snow runoff, but Derek was quite surprised there were no fish. I bailed out at Wildcat Bridge and fished the area for awhile, but came up with nothing. There were a few boats in the water and about a dozen bank anglers, but didn't see any fish. Derek went on to Bohannan where he found over a dozen fish, but I don't know what brand. Steelheaders will be doing a Broodstock drift on the Alsea Sunday, so maybe we'll round a few up.
Brian
Strange day. Went up to the Siletz and Palmer traps Friday with Derek, and we were both anticipating many fish. The river looked great, but we found zero in both traps. The water was cold due to some snow runoff, but Derek was quite surprised there were no fish. I bailed out at Wildcat Bridge and fished the area for awhile, but came up with nothing. There were a few boats in the water and about a dozen bank anglers, but didn't see any fish. Derek went on to Bohannan where he found over a dozen fish, but I don't know what brand. Steelheaders will be doing a Broodstock drift on the Alsea Sunday, so maybe we'll round a few up.
Brian
Saturday, February 28, 2009
02/25/09
SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:
Great news from Mike.................It has been a long, dry spell for sure..................
Good afternoon,
FISH!! FISH!! FISH!! That is correct, we had fish today.
There were two fish in the trap and both were wild. We had one male and one 10lb. female. Both fish were healthy and showing their spawning colors. The creek is up but is running pretty clear. There was approx. 12-14 inches of water in the trap with very little silt. Down stream below the 6 mile marker in a holding lie that I always check, I found fish holding once again. Hopefully with the water level up we will see more fish during the rest of the month. Another fantastic day up at Schooner Creek.
Mike
Great news from Mike.................It has been a long, dry spell for sure..................
Good afternoon,
FISH!! FISH!! FISH!! That is correct, we had fish today.
There were two fish in the trap and both were wild. We had one male and one 10lb. female. Both fish were healthy and showing their spawning colors. The creek is up but is running pretty clear. There was approx. 12-14 inches of water in the trap with very little silt. Down stream below the 6 mile marker in a holding lie that I always check, I found fish holding once again. Hopefully with the water level up we will see more fish during the rest of the month. Another fantastic day up at Schooner Creek.
Mike
02/18/09
SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:
Good afternoon,
It was a nice day at Schooner Creek today. The sun was shining and it was warm. No fish. The trap is clean and good flow considering how low the creek is. The motorhome that was on the road on Monday has either been removed or driven off. At least it was not present today. Nothing much more to report.
Mike
Good afternoon,
It was a nice day at Schooner Creek today. The sun was shining and it was warm. No fish. The trap is clean and good flow considering how low the creek is. The motorhome that was on the road on Monday has either been removed or driven off. At least it was not present today. Nothing much more to report.
Mike
02/16/09
SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:
Monday Feb.16
Wayde & Lee checked the Schooner trap today. Nice day but a little overcast. Water is low and clear. No fish in trap or ladder & pool below trap. 8" of water flowing through the trap. Casey & Roger Wilson checked the trap on Friday, 2/13 and had the same results. Saw no game during the ride. There is an old RV on the south side of the road about half way in. I think it is abandoned so it might be a good idea to note whether it is still there on the next trip.
Wayde
02/11/09
SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:
Good afternoon all,
I went to Schooner Creek on Wed. and found no fish. The trap is in good shape with good flow although low as is the creek. Not much to report at this time.
Mike
Good afternoon all,
I went to Schooner Creek on Wed. and found no fish. The trap is in good shape with good flow although low as is the creek. Not much to report at this time.
Mike
Monday, February 9, 2009
02/09/09
SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:
Hank Bryson and I left for the trap at 7:00 am but got held up at Cape Foulweather due to an accident for approximately 40 minutes. I had to keep the truck engine running from time to time to keep Hank warm since the older generation tends to get cold easily. It started to snow just as we arrived at the trap. There were no fish. The water was about 8" deep in the trap with only an inch or two of gravel over the concrete. The water level is just low yet. Began snowing heavily on the return trip and the road conditions were getting a bit slippery but arrived home at 9:35. Saw one unidentified hawk on the way up. Frank
Hank Bryson and I left for the trap at 7:00 am but got held up at Cape Foulweather due to an accident for approximately 40 minutes. I had to keep the truck engine running from time to time to keep Hank warm since the older generation tends to get cold easily. It started to snow just as we arrived at the trap. There were no fish. The water was about 8" deep in the trap with only an inch or two of gravel over the concrete. The water level is just low yet. Began snowing heavily on the return trip and the road conditions were getting a bit slippery but arrived home at 9:35. Saw one unidentified hawk on the way up. Frank
02/06/09
SCHOONER, PALMER AND SILETZ FISH TRAPS:
FISH, FINALLY
Friday 2/6/2009
I went on the trap run with Bill ( his last day ) today. We used a pickup and left from the Pig N' Pancake. The weather was overcast and cool. We went to the Schooner trap first. No fish, no elk, low water and some gravel in the trap. No fish in ladder or below-dam pool. We left Schooner Creek and headed for the Siletz trap via Kernville. High tide and the river was bank full till Cedar Creek (tidewater). Logging still going on in the "gorge" so met some log trucks. The trees on the north side of the river at the Siletz trap have been cut down. ODF&W feared that some were leaning and if they fell it would damage the cables that cross the river. Big change and very open now. The trap actually had FISH in it, 3 steelhead:
2 wild males - winter steelhead
1 hatchery female
The wild fish were put back down the ladder. The logging operation is south of the river and half a mile below the trap.
The Palmer trap had no fish. There is a lot of silt in the trap and very little water is running through it. Bill pulled the boards at the diversion structure and created a little more flow but probably not enough to get fish into the trap. Got back into town at 1:30.
Wayde
02/02/09
SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:
SCHOONER CREEK TRAP REPORT ( 2 February 2009 ) (3 Men, 57 Miles, 2 Hours)
Team Chinook, comprised of Bill, Bud & I, had a great run into the Trap. Unfortunately, we did not find any fish, but we did find the Trap in Excellent Condition with an adequate flow of crystal clear water >><<>
The real BIGGIE of our run today occurred on our drive in >><<><>>> What we saw, was a herd of over 25 ELK, out in the pasture, right next to the road. This may well be the same herd that Mike occasionally sees. Be that as it may, it was a Real 1st Time Treat for us Old Trappers ….. The Sad News is, that we did not have a camera with us, so you will just have to take the "Word" of a couple of Old Trappers ><>
P>S>> On our way home, we decided to do a quick "SOLV Bag Check" up on Big Creek. In the course of our check, we ran into Mike Rosica & between the 2 of us we deposited 8 Bags in the Water Plant Dumpster……..
*** The Weather was Great, the Elk were Great, the Company was Great & We did Good >><<>
JCS for Team Chinook ………
01/26/09
SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:
Barb, Wayde, Candy & Lee visited the Schooner trap today (Monday 1/26). The water level was down and very clear. There were no fish in the trap nor in the ladder and main pool below the dam. Cool morning with some frost around. There was 12 inches of water flowing through the trap and little silt and gravel in the trap.
Wayde
01/16/09
SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:
From: James Ray [mailto:James.Ray@state.or.us]
Sent: Friday, January 16, 2009 11:00 AM
To: Mike Samples
Cc: The Hook
Subject: RE: Schooner Creek Trap
Mike,
Thanks for the update. I will be heading out there this afternoon with Bill (a displaced fisherman currently working with us on grant money) to try to clear the trap and get it operational. From your description this sounds completely feasible, but it also sound like we should perhaps get a larger group out there in the near future to secure some longer term flow improvements.
I will keep you posted as to how it goes today then will make some suggestions for how and when we might move forward later next week.
Thanks
James
From: Mike Samples [mailto:msamples57@gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, January 15, 2009 12:42 PM
To: James Ray; DECKARD Casey J
Subject: Re: Schooner Creek Trap
James,
I went up to the trap yesterday to assess the condition. Honestly, I should have gone up ready to work on the trap but based on the information I received I didn't. I simply went to the trap to look .As you have heard there is quite a bit of silt built up above the upper trap gate, approximately 24". This level of silt is no more than what I have been working with over the past couple of weeks. I could have had the trap working in an hour or so yesterday if I would have gone prepared. The work Casey did on the channel above the trap has been washed out with the last high water and the sand bags are gone. The trap itself has silt but nothing that can't be pushed through to the upper end of the ladder. In both resting areas of the ladder there is significant gravel and silt which I think should be removed. I haven't tackled that because I have been by myself this year and didn't want to push things without back up. I also believe there should be more water directed into the trap but as the water hits the gravel bar that has built up on the creek side above the trap it continues to pull additional silt into the trap. We just need a work party during low water to address the existing silt in the ladder and above the trap.
Mike
On Jan 14, 2009, at 9:05 AM, James Ray wrote:
All,
I wanted to let you know that me and a couple of other ODFW staff will be going out to schooner creek on Friday afternoon to address the trap issues and try to reopen it. Mike if you go out there before Friday, could you please let me know the condition it is currently in. My intention, based on what, John said on Monday is to clean the trap completely out and try a second removal of some gravel immediately above the head-gate.
Thanks
James
------------------------------
James Ray
Assistant District Fish/STEP Biologist
Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife
810 SW Alder St., Suite C,
Newport, OR, 97365
Phone: (541) 265 8306 ext. 253
Fax: (541) 265 9894
Thursday, January 22, 2009
01/21/09
SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:
Greetings everyone,
Schooner Creek trap looks fantastic with good water flow and no silt. Great job ODFW. No fish today but none the less, it was a nice day at the trap.
I am putting out a call for assistance for the next couple of weeks. Unfortunately I will be out of town on a vacation, and Caribbean cruise for a couple of weeks. Just trying to take one for the team. There was a business card at the shed in the clipboard for Mike Poley. I don't know when he put it there, but I just saw it today. Mike is local resident of Lincoln City and used to work the trap on a regular basis. In fact he was involved for approx. 15 years. I know Mike and have for a number of yeas. He has a desire to volunteer once again. This might be a good time to contact him and ask for his help. Additionally, he has others who would like to volunteer with him. I would at least like to ask for his help one day a week then I can still go one day a week. I will leave the decision up to James and Casey. If this is something you would like to pursue let me know and I will call Mike or give you his number. I would like to take Wednesdays if he will take Fridays.
Mike
Greetings everyone,
Schooner Creek trap looks fantastic with good water flow and no silt. Great job ODFW. No fish today but none the less, it was a nice day at the trap.
I am putting out a call for assistance for the next couple of weeks. Unfortunately I will be out of town on a vacation, and Caribbean cruise for a couple of weeks. Just trying to take one for the team. There was a business card at the shed in the clipboard for Mike Poley. I don't know when he put it there, but I just saw it today. Mike is local resident of Lincoln City and used to work the trap on a regular basis. In fact he was involved for approx. 15 years. I know Mike and have for a number of yeas. He has a desire to volunteer once again. This might be a good time to contact him and ask for his help. Additionally, he has others who would like to volunteer with him. I would at least like to ask for his help one day a week then I can still go one day a week. I will leave the decision up to James and Casey. If this is something you would like to pursue let me know and I will call Mike or give you his number. I would like to take Wednesdays if he will take Fridays.
Mike
01/16/09
SILETZ FISH TRAP:
This was in from Hank Bryson on Friday.........................................
Today John Spangler, myself and Casey went to Palmer Creek to check the trap and flow of water because of previous Beaver dam problems, no fish in the trap because the Siletz is low enough that the fish are not leaving the big river. Then we went on to the Siletz trap which had four Steelhead, all nice fish, one was a hatchery fish the rest were marked and sent back down the fish ladder. Casey was holding another eight Steelhead, four female and four males to be used for brood stock which he transported to the Alsea Hatchery. We saw two deer on the return trip and kept warm as long as we were in the sun, the frost was everywhere else. Was a nice day and good company made it all worthwhile.
Hank
This was in from Hank Bryson on Friday.........................................
Today John Spangler, myself and Casey went to Palmer Creek to check the trap and flow of water because of previous Beaver dam problems, no fish in the trap because the Siletz is low enough that the fish are not leaving the big river. Then we went on to the Siletz trap which had four Steelhead, all nice fish, one was a hatchery fish the rest were marked and sent back down the fish ladder. Casey was holding another eight Steelhead, four female and four males to be used for brood stock which he transported to the Alsea Hatchery. We saw two deer on the return trip and kept warm as long as we were in the sun, the frost was everywhere else. Was a nice day and good company made it all worthwhile.
Hank
01/19/09
SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:
This in from Frank Stout....................
Hank Bryson and I worked the Schooner Creek Trap this morning and it looked better than I've seen it in a long time. James Ray and crew really did a good job last Friday. There were no fish but the trap was clean and running clear. There was no debris in the upper gate and only a few inches of gravel built up on the concrete floor of the trap. We cleaned the trap down to concrete. There is still some buildup of gravel at the turns of the ladder but not bad enough to cause any problems for the fish to swimming up. . Frank
This in from Frank Stout....................
Hank Bryson and I worked the Schooner Creek Trap this morning and it looked better than I've seen it in a long time. James Ray and crew really did a good job last Friday. There were no fish but the trap was clean and running clear. There was no debris in the upper gate and only a few inches of gravel built up on the concrete floor of the trap. We cleaned the trap down to concrete. There is still some buildup of gravel at the turns of the ladder but not bad enough to cause any problems for the fish to swimming up. . Frank
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
01/12/09
SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:
SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP REPORT ( 12 January 2009 ) (Team Chinook ><>
WE HAVE A PROBLEM HOUSTON !!!!!!!!!! ( SCHOONER FISH TRAP IS OUT OF COMMISSION )
When we arrived, we did not find any fish in the Trap >><<>>>>>>>>>
There was very minimal flow from the creek onto the Trap Head Gate. It was packed solid, with about 5 feet of silt & debris. This condition was level all of the way out the front of the Trap & into the creek. The bottom of the Trap contained about 18 inches of Silt with a very limited water flow of 6 to 8 inches. We were able to open the Tail Gate of the Trap & Bill went under & down the Fish Ladder. He found Heavy Gravel/Silt build-up at all of the Angel Changes in the Ladder, making it virtually impossible, with the severely restricted water flow & build up, for any possible up stream movement of fish.
We worked for about 2 hours ><>
The Present Condition of the Trap is that >>Upon our departure<<>
JCS for Team Chinook MembersFrom: James Ray [mailto:James.Ray@state.or.us]
Sent: Monday, January 12, 2009 4:05 PM
To: John Spangler
Subject: RE: SCHOONER CREEK TRAP REPORT (12 JAN. 09)
John,
Thanks for the report. Obviously this is not good. I need to speak with Casey about when our soonest response can be. I'll be in touch.
James
01/09/09
SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:
Good afternoon,
I just returned from Schooner Creek. Both the Schooner Creek Road and the road to the trap are clear (no slides, and no downed trees or debris in either road). No fish today because the trap was again silted in pretty bad. I cleaned quite a bit of silt and gravel out and once again we have a good flow about two feet deep. If the creek has peaked we may have good flow for a couple of days. I will go back up to the creek either Saturday when I return or Sunday morning. Have a good weekend as I will be out of town.
Mike
Good afternoon,
I just returned from Schooner Creek. Both the Schooner Creek Road and the road to the trap are clear (no slides, and no downed trees or debris in either road). No fish today because the trap was again silted in pretty bad. I cleaned quite a bit of silt and gravel out and once again we have a good flow about two feet deep. If the creek has peaked we may have good flow for a couple of days. I will go back up to the creek either Saturday when I return or Sunday morning. Have a good weekend as I will be out of town.
Mike
Thursday, January 8, 2009
01/07/09
SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:
Good afternoon everyone,
I just returned from Schooner Creek. Three fish in the trap. All three were wild male Coho. Two of the fish were in good shape but it is doubtful the third will survive. The water is on the rise and it looks like it will be for the next day or two. I worked on the trap for a little while and we currently have over 24" of depth in the trap with pretty clean silt free flow at this point. I will go back to the trap on Thursday to check again (I am out of town on Friday) and again on Saturday. Schooner Creek Road is clear all the way to the gate and from the gate to the trap. I have been walking in for the past couple of years so I try to remove any limbs or rocks from the road on the way up. See you in the morning for breakfast.
Mike
Good afternoon everyone,
I just returned from Schooner Creek. Three fish in the trap. All three were wild male Coho. Two of the fish were in good shape but it is doubtful the third will survive. The water is on the rise and it looks like it will be for the next day or two. I worked on the trap for a little while and we currently have over 24" of depth in the trap with pretty clean silt free flow at this point. I will go back to the trap on Thursday to check again (I am out of town on Friday) and again on Saturday. Schooner Creek Road is clear all the way to the gate and from the gate to the trap. I have been walking in for the past couple of years so I try to remove any limbs or rocks from the road on the way up. See you in the morning for breakfast.
Mike
01.05.09
SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:This in from Wayde Dudley......................
Wayde, Barb, Lee and Candy (Lee's wife) visited the trap on Monday. Cool with a few showers. I put lube in the gate lock and the trap lock. There were no fish in the trap. The water was a little high with a foot of water in the trap. The water was high enough to make it difficult to clean the debris from the front grate but we did some. We left with 18" of water flowing in the trap. The water was a little dark but not bad. I would expect fish there later this week. Frank left me a phone message saying that a pick or polaski type tool was needed to be able to raise the front gate. Good idea as we could not get it up. Will take something next time. As always, it was a nice drive. The roads were fine. No trees or slides.
Wayde
Sunday, January 4, 2009
01/04/08
SCHOONER CREEK TRAP:
Good afternoon,
I just returned from Schooner creek a few minutes ago. The slide I mentioned in my last report which was just below the road to the trap has been cleared. There are no impediments to travel either up Schooner Creek Road or on the road to the trap.
No fish in the trap either yesterday or today. I removed another foot or so of silt and gravel but still unable to raise the upper gate. The flow is good today but as the stream continues to drop it will require more silt removal. Most of the sand bags are gone but I was able to snag a couple from the middle of the creek and place them by the entrance to the trap to divert more water into the trap. This will work for today but by tomorrow they may have outlived their usefulness. Hope you have a good trip tomorrow.
Thanks for the thoughts about sending someone with me Wayne. Because I live so close to the creek it is always easy for me to jump in the truck and go check the trap. However, the next time we have extremely high water or a major wind storm I may call and see if someone would be available to go with me. Thanks again.
Mike
Good afternoon,
I just returned from Schooner creek a few minutes ago. The slide I mentioned in my last report which was just below the road to the trap has been cleared. There are no impediments to travel either up Schooner Creek Road or on the road to the trap.
No fish in the trap either yesterday or today. I removed another foot or so of silt and gravel but still unable to raise the upper gate. The flow is good today but as the stream continues to drop it will require more silt removal. Most of the sand bags are gone but I was able to snag a couple from the middle of the creek and place them by the entrance to the trap to divert more water into the trap. This will work for today but by tomorrow they may have outlived their usefulness. Hope you have a good trip tomorrow.
Thanks for the thoughts about sending someone with me Wayne. Because I live so close to the creek it is always easy for me to jump in the truck and go check the trap. However, the next time we have extremely high water or a major wind storm I may call and see if someone would be available to go with me. Thanks again.
Mike
01/02/08
SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:
This in from Mike Samples...................Note to Mike: Be sure to let us know if the trap needs attention. We could round up some help if you need it.
Good morning,
I apologize for not providing a report for a few days but my internet has been down and I am just now getting service again. I was unable to access the trap on Wednesday this week due to some other priorities that came up.
Schooner Creek road is passable with three small slides in the road. Only one of the slides makes passing a little dicey. However, I was able to get up to the trap road with very little problems. By Monday the slides should be cleaned up and the road clear.The road up to the trap is very good. I cleared out some limbs and at this point there is nothing to hinder access.
When I arrived at the trap I found it completely silted in with only about 1" of water in the trap. There were no fish. The water was above my head in the upper chamber (a little creepy). I was able to break quite a bit of the debris loose and dropped the water about 2 feet. When I left there was good flow through the trap and down the ladder. I am going back up this morning and on Sunday morning to do more work on it. I expect to see some fish today. I will send an email on Sunday just to give everyone an update and let the Monday team know what to expect.
Mike
This in from Mike Samples...................Note to Mike: Be sure to let us know if the trap needs attention. We could round up some help if you need it.
Good morning,
I apologize for not providing a report for a few days but my internet has been down and I am just now getting service again. I was unable to access the trap on Wednesday this week due to some other priorities that came up.
Schooner Creek road is passable with three small slides in the road. Only one of the slides makes passing a little dicey. However, I was able to get up to the trap road with very little problems. By Monday the slides should be cleaned up and the road clear.The road up to the trap is very good. I cleared out some limbs and at this point there is nothing to hinder access.
When I arrived at the trap I found it completely silted in with only about 1" of water in the trap. There were no fish. The water was above my head in the upper chamber (a little creepy). I was able to break quite a bit of the debris loose and dropped the water about 2 feet. When I left there was good flow through the trap and down the ladder. I am going back up this morning and on Sunday morning to do more work on it. I expect to see some fish today. I will send an email on Sunday just to give everyone an update and let the Monday team know what to expect.
Mike
01/02/08
PALMER AND BOHANAN FISH TRAP (SILETZ):
This in from Hank Bryson............If you would like to go with him next Friday, give him a call............
Hank
This in from Hank Bryson............If you would like to go with him next Friday, give him a call............
Howdy:
We left a 8:00 AM for the Palmer Creek Trap, We being Casey and Bill who has been helping Casey this winter on various projects and myself. The road into Palmer Creek is passable, barely, because of road slides and lots of water coming off the mountain and found the water backed up behind the trap which allowed us to get into the trap and pull out one female Coho and four hatchery Steelhead, the weir was still up on the creek except for one corner which was cleaned along with the trap. The Siletz river was dropping and Casey expects to see a good amount of fish with the lower flow of water, the steelhead were very bright fish with one having a green back like right out of the ocean.
We left a 8:00 AM for the Palmer Creek Trap, We being Casey and Bill who has been helping Casey this winter on various projects and myself. The road into Palmer Creek is passable, barely, because of road slides and lots of water coming off the mountain and found the water backed up behind the trap which allowed us to get into the trap and pull out one female Coho and four hatchery Steelhead, the weir was still up on the creek except for one corner which was cleaned along with the trap. The Siletz river was dropping and Casey expects to see a good amount of fish with the lower flow of water, the steelhead were very bright fish with one having a green back like right out of the ocean.
Next stop was Bohanan which had a lot of fish, 22 Coho, 16 Males and 6 Females. Steelhead was one Jack and two hatchery fish. We spent some time cleaning out the silt and debris in and on top of the trap. The fish ladder was active while we were there, we could see them climbing for the trap and again Casey expects a lot more fish as the water drops.
The Siletz was over flood stage so we did not get to that trap.
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