03/19/10

SILETZ TRAP RUN:

Friday, Mar. 19 2010

Wayde and Bill left the Pig House at 0800 and went to the Chevron station with a nearly empty tank. We had the "lib truck" which has the big tank on it. This truck is hard to fill with gas and it must be dribbled in slowly. After 15 or 20 minutes the attendant gave me the receipt and we headed north. A few miles north of Newport, Bill noticed we only had 3/4 tank of gas. We guess the attendant ran out of patience and just sent us on our way.

Our first stop of the day was at Schooner Creek. The water was clear and 38 degrees. No fish and the trap was clean. We left Schooner about 9:30 am and saw a lone Bald Eagle sitting on a limb above a shallow riffle, fishing?? We went up Hwy 229 to Siletz then on up to the gorge.

We stopped to check the Palmer trap but it too was empty with water at 42 degrees. We left Palmer at 10:50 and continued up the gorge road.

We arrived at the Siletz Falls trap at 11:30. The water was down and clear, 38 degrees. The trap had 16 Steelhead in it.

3 wild males 7 wild females

4 hatchery males 2 hatchery females

1 wild female was marked and put back down the ladder. The remaining fish were transported across the river along with 3 buckets of water and put in the truck tank. These will be used as brood stock. We left at 12:57 and went east through Valsetz and headed toward the Alsea Hatchery. Remember the gas I mentioned earlier, well I looked at the gauge and it was near 1/4 tank. After a lively debate and a consensus discussion we went into Philomath and gassed up, again. This time it took 24 gallons. The good news was that the tank showed full now.

Arrived at the Alsea Hatchery near 3:00 pm and began processing the fish. All the wild fish were sedated, inoculated and tagged. The hatchery fish were placed in a different holding tank.

We left the hatchery at 4:00 pm and followed the Alsea river to Waldport then on Hwy 101 to Newport. We got in at 5:04 pm. A long day but very nice with sunshine, no wind and a high of 70.

Wayde

03/17/10

SILETZ TRAP RUN:

BILL AND I LEFT THE PIG AT 8:15 HEADED FOR THE SILETZ TRAP. I DROPPED BILL OFF AT BUCK CREEK, AND HE DID A STEELHEAD SURVEY. HE FOUND 4 NEW REDDS AND SPOTTED 2 HENS AND I BUCK. WE PROCEEDED UP TO THE TRAP, WHERE WE NEEDED TO GET 2 HATCHERY FISH FOR CASEY. HE NEEDED THEM FOR A CLASS HE WAS TEACHING IN WALDPORT. WE ESTIMATED THERE WERE 12 TO 15 FISH IN THE TRAP. WE NETTED 3 HATCHERY STEELHEAD 2 MALES AND 1 FEMALE, AND WE LEFT THE REST IN THE TRAP FOR FRIDAY. WE SENT 1 MALE DOWN THE RIVER FOR STREAM ENHANCEMENT AND THE OTHER 2 FISH WE BROUGHT BACK TO NEWPORT FOR CASEY. AFTER THE DELIVERY WE HEADED SOUTH TO THE BOHANAN TRAP, WHERE FOUND 3 NATIVE STEELHEAD 2 MALES AND 1 FEMALE. WE RELEASED THEM AND HEADED BACK TO NEWPORT, ARRIVING ABOUT 2:30. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL DAY TO WORK THE TRAPS. LARRY

03/17/10

SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:

Good morning,

I was bamboozled!! Yes, it happened to me as well. I went into the trap this morning not seeing any fish. After just a moment in the trap I felt the familiar bump on my leg then saw a nice fish darting around the trap. It looked like a nice wild male with colored gill plates and a nice red stripe down the side. I climbed up the ladder got the net and returned to the trap. No fish. I scoured the trap for five minutes testing all the places a fish can hide in the trap (which aren't many) and found nothing. That sneaky fish slipped out and back down the ladder just like it had done to another team. Dejected, I climbed back out of the trap locked it up and left the area with my tail between my legs.

The trap had good flow with about 18" to 20" of water running through. On the way up and again on the way down I saw the Elk herd bedded down in the field. They must have been enjoying the sun like I was. Hopefully the team on Friday will be better equipped to deal with this phantom fish than I was.

Team Lone Wolf,

Mike

03/15/10

It was Wayde and Barb's turn to check the Schooner trap Monday morning. They had to make a quick stop at the ODFW office and got a wonderful surprise when they walked in . . . Casey was sitting at his desk! It certainly was a great way to start the day.

Trap Report:

Water was 14 inches deep, clear and 43 degrees. There were no fish in the trap but the weather was great with no wind and sunshine. Noticed one redd in the stream above the trap but not sure how old it was. The photos show how clear the creek was and one of the pictures shows the redd but you may not be able to spot it in the photo. Sunshine, no rain . . . it really was a great Monday morning.

Wayde

Note from Tom Simpson:

We need to get Wayde on the camera once in a while !!! Barb is always running it and we are always forced to see WAYDE, WAYDE, WAYDE !!!

03/12/2010

SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:

Hi friends!

The day was beautiful the wind,and rain had died down,and the surf was pounding the coast. On the way in and on coming out we had the pleasure of spotting the elk herd just before the Drift Creek turn off. There were about 30 head in the herd. When we got to the trap we found the water high and fast covering the sand bags. Larry went into the trap and found fish, he dipped out a very nice bright small hen and we sent her up stream. While I took the fish up stream to Bud to release Larry and John said they spotted another fish in the trap. I handed Larry the net and he could not produce the fish something mystical going on here. The conclusion is he didn't like Larry and went back the way he came. All in all a great day. Good LUCK on the water.

Team Chinook

Electric Bill

03/12/2010

SILETZ TRAP RUN:

Alice Smoker drove the ODF&W truck today on the trap run. Bill Sigler rode "shotgun" and Wayde was the "tail gunner".
We left the Pig House at 8:00 and headed south to Ona Beach where we turned east and followed the North Beaver Creek road to the 1000 Line road then south to the Bohanon trap. The water was high and dirty. There was 1 wild female Steelhead which we sent on her way upstream. We saw a herd of elk mid-way on the North Beaver Creek road and another herd at the 71/2 mile on the 1000 Line. The water temp at Bohanon was 43. We left at 9:26 and followed the 1000 line to Toledo and then Siletz.
We stopped at Palmer Creek. Bill put the trap into operation last Wednesday. There was plenty of water but no fish. The resident beaver had began rebuilding his dam at the front of the trap. The water was 42 and we left at 10:55 to continue the journey to the Siletz Falls trap. The road was busy and we met a pickup and a log truck on their way out which provided Alice with some avoidance training. Going up the grade just past Buck Creek we found a slide had come down and 3 trees were across the road. This time Alice got some training in backing down a steep and narrow grade. Bill got on the CB radio and told some trucks behind us about the obstruction. They responded thanks and arrived shortly. The lead vehicle was a pilot truck for a truck and lowboy hauling a skidder. The lead truck was being driven by Kong, "The Bull of the Woods" who seems to be a local legend around Toledo. He cleared the road quickly of trees and the trucks moved on. We had gone to Sunshine Creek to post some "no fishing" signs and saw the equipment continuing up the gorge.
We arrived at the Siletz trap at noon. The water was high and only 2 feet below the top of the trap headwall. The river looks great at this level as it crashes through the boulders of the falls, all white water. There were 9 Steelhead in the trap.
Hatchery 4 males 3 females The water was 39.
Wild 2 females
Bill punched holes in the tails of the wild fish and we put them back down the river. The hatchery fish were taken back and given to food share in Newport. We finished the day at 2:30.
It was an eventful day for Alice being on her first driving run.


Wayde

03/10/2010

SILETZ TRAP RUN:

Bill and I arrived at the Siletz Trap yesterday which was covered by a light coat of snow. There were 10 fish in the trap but 4 or 5 of those were holdovers from Monday. The count was Hatchery: 3 males, 2 females and 1 juvenile. Wild: 3 male and 1 female. The juvenile was in the upper compartment of the trap and was apparently small enough to get through the bars. At first we thought that he was a large trout but after a close exam we could see that he was clipped and in fact was a steelhead. We then transported all 10 fish to the Alsea Hatchery. We then picked up 100 eggs which were to be taken to the grammar school in Siletz and placed in the tank. Depending on the water temperature they should hatch in about a week and a half. Arrived back in Newport at 3:00 pm. Frank

03/10/2010

SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:

No fish, no fish, no fish. Once again with clear water, clear skies and a clear fish trap we leave the canyon with no stories to tell. The water is pretty low with about 12" running through the trap. Good luck on Friday.

Mike

03/08/2010

SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:

It was a beautiful day for a drive up to Schooner trap. Larry and John had other obligations for the day. It was just Bud and myself we didn't see any wildlife going or coming back home. As usual it was very beautiful down at the trap. There were however no fish in the trap. There was about 16 inches of water running clear and unimpeded. We buttoned up everything and We were back at 10:45 am.

for team Chinook

Electric Bill

03/05/2010

SILETZ TRAP RUN:

Trap run for Friday, Mar. 5

Wayde & Bill left the pig house at 8:20 and headed for Siletz. Bill had to do a stream survey on Buck Creek from the Siletz river to the gorge road, about a half mile of stream. He was looking for spawning beds (redds) and any live fish. I dropped him off at the Buck Creek bridge at 9:21. He reached the gorge road at 9:48. He found 5 redds but saw no fish. The water was 43 degrees.

We proceeded up the gorge to the Siletz Falls trap arriving at 10:20. There was 1 wild female and we left her in the trap. She and others will be used for hatchery brood stock. The water was 42 degrees. We left the trap at 10:46 and headed back down the gorge.

We went through Toledo and up the 1000 Line Road to the Bohanon trap. No fish and the water was 42 degrees. Went back to town via North Beaver Creek and arrived at 1:48. No unusual wildlife were seen.
Wayde

03/05/2010

SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:

Hank and I checked the trap this morning but the pattern was the same...no fish. We had an enjoyable trip and stopped in Depoe Bay for breakfast. The swells made for some beautiful waves. Frank

03/03/2010

SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:

Good evening,

No fish, no rain, and no wildlife. The trap had good flow with very little debris. Oh well, maybe Friday will be better.

Mike

03/03/2010

SILETZ TRAP RUN:


BILL AND I LEFT THE PIG AT 8:15 AND HEADED SOUTH TO THE BOHANAN TRAP. WE FOUND 5 STEELHEAD, ALL WILD 3 HENS, 2 BUCKS. AT ABOUT 9:30 WE LEFT FOR THE SILETZ TRAP. WE HAD 9 STEELHEAD IN THE TRAP, 3 HATCHERY, 2 BUCKS, 1 HEN, AND 6 WILD, 3 BUCKS AND 3 HENS. WE SENT THE WILD ONES DOWN RIVER, AND THE HATCHERY CAME BACK TO NEWPORT TO FOOD SHARE.
ON THE WAY BACK BETWEEN LOGSDEN AND SILETZ BILL SPOTTED A HEARD OF ELK LAYING IN A BIG MEADOW. WE GOT BACK INTO NEWPORT ABOUT 1:30. LARRY

03/01/2010

SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:

Water running clear and fairly high through the empty trap today. Maybe later on in the week. Frank

02/27/2010

SILETZ TRAP RUN:

Wayde and Bill Sigler made the Friday trap run on a cool & breezy day.
Schooner trap was clean and clear but no fish. The water was 48 degrees.
The Siletz falls trap had 8 Steelhead. The water was up from the recent rain and 42 degrees.
There were:
Hatchery 2 male 3 female
Wild 1 male 2 female
The fish were left in the trap to keep for brood pairs which will be taken to the Alsea hatchery next week.
Back in town by 1:30.
Wayde

02/24/2010

SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:

Good morning,

I went to Schooner Creek early this morning and am I glad I did. Up here in LC it is pouring now. The creek has risen a little but not much. I found one wild female Steelhead in the trap which I released up by the bridge. This female had two distinct seal slashes on her right side but it didn't seem to hamper her progress or her strength. If this rain keeps up there should be fresh fish at the trap on Friday. No wildlife today.

Mike

02/24/2010

SILETZ FISH TRAP:

Bill and I checked the Siletz trap this morning with the intent of taking a few pair over to the Alsea Hatchery. However, there were only 4 fish in the trap. There was 1 pair wild and 1 pair hatchery. With just one pair for brood stock it didn't make much sense to make a special trip over to the hatchery so they were saved for another day. It was a short day for us and we were home just before noon. Frank

02/19/2010

SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:

A Full Team Chinook made the run >< Unfortunately, we found NO FISH >< However, the Weather was Terrific; Stream Flow Clear & Bud was able to get a Very Strong GPS Signal on his Device. JCS >> for “The Team”

02/17/2010

SILETZ TRAP RUN:

Wayde and Bill Sigler made the Wednesday Siletz Falls trap run. The Bohannon trap did not need to be checked so we left about 8:10 am and headed for Siletz. We stopped at the Palmer trap on the way up the gorge. The Palmer trap was taken out of service a few days ago. Most of the water was diverted back to the main stem of Palmer Creek. There were no fish below the trap or the weir. The water temperature was 44 degrees. We continued up river and arrived at the Siletz Falls trap at 10:00 am. We saw fish darting around as soon as we opened the access door.
There were a total of 24 Steelhead in the trap. The water was 43 degrees.
Wild --- 3 male 3 female
Hatchery ---- 11 male 7 female

15 hatchery fish were left in the trap to be taken to food share on Friday.
The wild fish were taken across the river and loaded in the truck at 11:30 am. We took them down to Sunshine Creek (near Buck Creek) and released them.

Next stop was Mill Creek, just upstream from the Logsden store, where we helped a crew of 3 others install a smolt recovery system. This is unique device with a 5 foot diameter baffled cone that turns in the water and deposits the small fish in a live catch tank to be counted, examined, marked, etc. The biologist, Chris, said up to 20,000 Coho smolt travel through this capture point annually. There are 3 other similar traps in the area and it would make a good LVHFC field trip to visit one while in operation. I let the others do all the heavy lifting so my back is still up for another day. We got back in town at 2:43 pm and did not see any wildlife of note.
Wayde

02/17/2010

SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:

Good morning,

I just returned from Schooner Creek. Total fish, 1 wild male Steelhead and it was a very nice fish (approx. 10lbs). I released him up by the bridge and he shot right back down by the dam. No other fish but good stream flow. I saw the Elk herd both on the way up and again on the way down. They were in their usual lounging/eating location, just West of the 2 mile marker.

I am leaving town this morning and won't return until next Tue. Have a great week.

Team, Lone Wolf

02/15/2010

SCHOONER CREEK FISH TRAP:
Team Chinook is pleased to report 5 Native Steelhead ( 3 Hens & 2 Bucks ) in the trap. All were released in reasonably Good Condition. It was a very fine day, but the only Wild Life we saw, occurred when we got back into LVH >> !!! << Low & Behold >< Standing right in the middle of the street was Charles Burke & Phil Reed >>> When we ask them what they were up to >< They told us they were “Pan Handler Birds” >>>> Suffice to say >< We went to great lengths to get out of their area …PRONTO !~!~! JCS … for “The Team - Electric Bill”