Lake Chelan Adventures
7/10/2011 6:06:00 PMI do Feel that there should be more enforcement. I have contacted them numerous times to let them know what is going on, not only at the pens but in the lower lake..I have been there a lot lately and have not seen 1 Agent checking fisherman...I do know that they are spread thin, but I would like to see a little more effort put forth..I wish there was something more that we can do to help enforcement on Rufus Woods..This fishery is a world class fishery now but if this continues it will not last!!!!
HammerinHonkers
7/10/2011 6:19:00 PMWord! wish we could do something as citizens. great place, hope it lasts.
TroutPro
7/12/2011 3:33:00 PMNice job! The last few times I have been up there I saw the warden checking numerous times! so maybe there finally cracking down
Ganno
7/13/2011 2:32:00 PMLets hope so Trout Pro it is a great fishery that could be enjoyed for a long time .Lets follow the rules and catch and release can be a lot of fun you can only eat so much fish.
1dexter1
7/30/2011 9:26:00 PMHey Ganno, thanks for the report. I was up on Rufus Woods Thursday and Friday this week. Camped on shore and ate fish for breakfast. It was a great trip.
There was a downer that troubled me greatly, poachers. I watched two boats travel up the lake together just after sunup Friday morning. They were headed out like they knew where they were going. Later in the morning I found them. They were tied side by each to the down river end of the lower fish pens. I was drift fishing the bank down river of the pens. I was using barbless hooks and doing fairly well with catch and release. I kept seeing dead fish float by. Those guys (two per boat) were there for several hours. I have no idea how many fish they must have caught and killed or maimed. It would have been a lot if I had seen half a dozen. I heard other boats talking about catching fish with leaders in their mouths. I saw one boat scoop up a fish that was still alive and was a totally acceptable size for most fishermen, certainly acceptable to the guy that picked it up. It just really saddened me to see such waste and greed. It would not take Fish and Wildlife much effort to catch those jerks. They were very blatant about what they were doing. If Fish and Wildlife show up in there special boats and in uniform they probably would not see much but if they showed up looking like fishermen It would not take them long to see the trouble. Hope they do.
It took me a while to get onto the fish but once I did I did nicely with a light brown wooly bugger on a sinking tip line. Six pound trout on a line with a four pound tippet is great fun. Tight lines.
There was a downer that troubled me greatly, poachers. I watched two boats travel up the lake together just after sunup Friday morning. They were headed out like they knew where they were going. Later in the morning I found them. They were tied side by each to the down river end of the lower fish pens. I was drift fishing the bank down river of the pens. I was using barbless hooks and doing fairly well with catch and release. I kept seeing dead fish float by. Those guys (two per boat) were there for several hours. I have no idea how many fish they must have caught and killed or maimed. It would have been a lot if I had seen half a dozen. I heard other boats talking about catching fish with leaders in their mouths. I saw one boat scoop up a fish that was still alive and was a totally acceptable size for most fishermen, certainly acceptable to the guy that picked it up. It just really saddened me to see such waste and greed. It would not take Fish and Wildlife much effort to catch those jerks. They were very blatant about what they were doing. If Fish and Wildlife show up in there special boats and in uniform they probably would not see much but if they showed up looking like fishermen It would not take them long to see the trouble. Hope they do.
It took me a while to get onto the fish but once I did I did nicely with a light brown wooly bugger on a sinking tip line. Six pound trout on a line with a four pound tippet is great fun. Tight lines.