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