South Fork Trinity Springers??

[SeanO]

So we are working on a chinook project in the Trinity watershed here at UCD.

I was told that the S. Fork used to have a robust wild Spring Chinook fishery prior to the 1964 flood. I understand that the logging practices back then plus the epic flood pretty much shut down that fishery.

Just wondering if any of you guys remember that or even heard stories from others?

It would be great to hear about any "back in the day" stuff from that river for a little perspective and motivation for our students.

Best & thanks,

[Mark Kranhold]

I'll bet Joe Shirshac would have some great stories about this even Bill , Larry S and Darian as well?

[SeanO]

I'll bet Joe Shirshac would have some great stories about this even Bill , Larry S and Darian as well?

Cool, Mark!

Glad I posted it on this forum too then! Didn't think springers + fly anglers went together very much! I understand their numbers are slowly increasing there, hopefully it will come back to what it once was.

Best,

[Darian]

Hmmm,.... Can't contribute much to this one. Don't think I ever deliberately fished for Springers in the Trinity River. Timing of my trips always took place when they weren't likely to be present or to other rivers/streams along the coast. Sadly, it's probably too late for me to do that now,.... maybe not. Most of the people I knew who fished that area during that time are gone. I think Jay Murakoshi used to fish up that way, too.

When I did fish the Trinity, I usually fished below Willow Creek (through the Hoopa Res down to the Klamath). In the 60's and early 70's I was taken aback by the way the Hoopas neglected their land; abandoned trucks in dry washes, rusting mill furnaces almost falling down, the large dump on the banks of the Klamath just down stream of Weitchpec, etc. It did improve with the clean up of the dump, etc. In spite of all that, fly fishing in the fall was really good back then.

Once, when I was looking for a trail down to the river in the gorge, was driving slowly, came around an outside bend in the road with a wide shoulder and saw a bear sitting on his haunches, apparently, waving at passing cars. Either that or using the wave to attract a fresh fisherman for dinner. ;)

During the years when I did fish the Trinity often, I would hear people talking about catching Salmon in the deep hole at Big Rock in Willow Creek. Lots of bait guys working there. Too crowded for me.

I seem to recall that Lily Tso Wong, Phd., and author wrote about this fishery either in a magazine article or her book book, "Fly Fishing Northern California Waters." Some detail in her description of the place.

[ycflyfisher]

By my account, most of the fishing for springers occurs on the main stem above the SFT, and I’m inclined to believe that was the case prior to the 1964 flood and the TRD.

I’ve personally never heard of anyone spending a significant amount of time fishing springers on the SFT that wasn’t local. By local I mean Hayfork/Hyampom.

The SFT typically runs pretty turbid in the spring when springers are upmigrating on the main stem.

I’m guessing that most of the “what it was like stories” involving SFT springers are going to come from plunkers and gear guys who were fishing the main stem below the SFT, and the locals who were fishing/flossing the springers out of their refugia habitat when the river dropped and clarified enough to spot the fish in the deeper pools on the SFT.

Athis “Beercan” Jackson in Hoopa would be a good source. The ‘Can was a guide on the Res for decades, but I don’t think he started guiding until the 1970s, but he’d probably have some familiarity fishing springers prior to 64.

The ‘Can doesn’t guide any longer but I know he was still in Hoopa and still on this side of the dirt, and still pulling oars like a madman for members of his family, as recently as Nov 2014. Every conversation I’ve ever had with Beercan was interesting, with most being entertaining as well.

Hopefully Norm will chime in, he's probably your best bet on this forum for "what it was like" stories on SFT pre-64 springers.

[T-Ball]

I grew up in Hyampom and my dad lived there in the 60's. I cant remember any stories or info specific to springers to help you out though. I will ask him about this next time we talk. I was told that the 64 flood agraded the river channel in the valley upwards of 20 feet and the fish essentially disappeared in the years following. I might be able to put you in touch with some of the old time fishermen from the valley. PM me you phone number and I can call you if I turn up anything interesting. I am also interested in your project. Apparently the restoration funding is specific to the main stem below the dam and the tributaries all get ignored.

[SeanO]

Hey, thanks a bunch everyone! I have learned a lot.

I do appreciate the info given here.

We are not part of any restoration project per se, but rather we are doing a genetic analysis on the chinook and steelhead in the Trinity basin and other North coast rivers (Eel, Klamath, New, & Salmon rivers, in particular). My contact at UCD who mentioned the springer fishery there was not around then, so he could have been misinformed and/or meaning the mainstem below the confluence of the S. Fork?

I'll keep this thread updated with our findings and will keep reading too. Please keep any info. coming.

Thanks!

[SeanO]

ps. ycflyfisher: "Beercan" sounds like a colorful fellow! also, T-Ball, sending you a PM w/ contact info.

Best,

[T-Ball]

No, he wasn't miss informed there is a population of spring salmon in the SFT that still persist. The take of Chinook below the confluence of the SFT is not allowed until September 1, hence there is not a current sport fishery that targets this run, some of these fish do get harvested form the main stem klamath sport fishery and Hoopa/Yurok tribal netting. I still don't understand why we have not gone to a mark selective fishery for the spring run as there are only a handful of truly wild spring salmon left in the basin, like a few hundred!

[DPLee]

..........

[jack_salmon99]

salmonid,

CDFW has a collection of chinook-coho-steelhead scales collected throughout the north state (inland rivers and along the coast) stored in the Arcata Field Office. This collection dates way back to the early 1900's, but I cannot remember if any of the old ones came from SF Trinity. We collected a whole bunch of scales from salmonids encountered in weirs, juvenile traps, carcass surveys, efish surveys etc located in SF Trinity (incl tributaries) as well as mainstream Trinity (incl tributaries) during the 1980's and 90's for ageing and stock identification studies. Those scales should be a good resource to your project.

The Arcata Field Office also has a pretty complete library of raw notes, memos to files, summary reports etc of fish sampling efforts compiled for the coho status review. The library is cataloged in a bibliographic software program - a keyword search can give you who-what-where-when-what they found by individual stream north of SF Bay.

Millard Coots (CDFG biologist) was the guy to talk to about SF Trinity but sadly he passed several years ago. His field notes are in the Weaverville public library (at least they were there about 10 years ago).

See if you can track down some of the retired (old farts) biologists (feds and state) who worked in the SF Trinity and mainstream Trinity and talk to them for information. Some of their seasonal/scientific aids were locals and might still be around - they too can give you some insights.

PM me and I can send you contact info for the Arcata Field Office library (scale and document) and for some of the old farts that I am in contact with.

Bill (old fart myself)

[SeanO]

Wow! Thanks for the great information, everyone!

DPLee and jack_salmon99, I will be looking into your sources and pass them on to our students.

I have received more than I have given on Kiene's forum for sure.

Thanks for sharing your insight with a newbie, guys!

ps. T-Ball, times are changing, and that could be in the works... Lots of agencies, Tribes, and user groups to work with though.


I still don't understand why we have not gone to a mark selective fishery for the spring run as there are only a handful of truly wild spring salmon left in the basin, like a few hundred!

[jack_salmon99]

salmonid - PM sent

[Larry S]

salmonid,
Being a school teacher, I had 2 weeks off at year's end and in the late 1960's used to head to the Smith. Now and then, I'd drive home
thru the Trinity country. Lots of gear guys in those days used a crawler harness on the T. Del Loma was a jumping place, then.
Never had the chance to do a lot of salmon fishing; still in those days, there were plenty of fresh fish around thru the Xmas
break.
Here's an interesting link I found for the Trinity; doesn't go back to the 60's however.
http://www.casalmon.org/salmon-snapshots/history/trinity-river


BTW, the drive thru the Avenue of the Giants along the Eel has some "high water marks" for the Dec, 64 flood.
Truly awesome. Crescent City had a double whammy that year with the tsunami.
Best to you and hope you keep us informed.
Larry S

http://www.casalmon.org/salmon-snapshots/history/trinity-river