Subject: Cispis River in Washington State?

From: [email-masked] (Chuck)
Date: 26 Jul 1995 21:20:18 GMT

I know this is not the rec.fishing location, but thought there may be somebody
out there who knows this relatively unknown river.  Anybody know the Cispis
River.  It is a tributary of the Cowlitz, I believe, and is located NW of
Mt. Adams and WSW of Goat Rocks in the Gifford Pinchot Forest of central
Washington state.  I've never been there, but will be this weekend and would
like to know what fish are found there and if there is any reasonable chance
of good fishing.  My only info is from 1968 and 1969 "fishing guides", so is
badly out of date.  They both agree that the stream contains rainbow,
cutthroat, and Dolly Varden, with brook trout in the upper reaches.  Can
anybody confirm that, or better yet, add to it?

Thanks very much.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Chuck                      | "Be sure you see what you
[email-masked] |     look at..." - Cap Huff
                               |     Rabble in Arms by
                               |     Kenneth Roberts
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

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From: [email-masked] (Steve Kaimmer)
Date: Thu, 27 Jul 95 07:40:14

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] says...
>anybody confirm that, or better yet, add to it?
Lucky you.  In the late 70's, I fished this a few times.  A power company 
put a dam on the river, and as compensation, agreed to stock the river.  
They stock(ed?) silver salmon.  They get to 18 or 20 inches.  Spin cast 
off the banks with dick nite's or canadian wonders, that type of lure, 
use light gear, 6 pound main line.  Have fun.

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From: [email-masked] (Chuck)
Date: 27 Jul 1995 21:15:53 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Steve Kaimmer) says:
>>River
--- clip ---.
>use light gear, 6 pound main line.  Have fun.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks!  Actually, I'll probably try fly fishing, but based on what you say,
may take my ultralight spinning gear (2 lb usually, 4 lb max) with me.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Chuck                      | "Be sure you see what you
[email-masked] |     look at..." - Cap Huff
                               |     Rabble in Arms by
                               |     Kenneth Roberts
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

---

From: [email-masked] (Chuck)
Date: 31 Jul 1995 20:56:03 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Chuck) says:
>River.
--- clip ---
For any having an interest, I spent the weekend at Adams Forks Campground
on the Cispus.  Most of the folks there had trail bikes and were off elsewhere
leaving the stream pretty deserted.  The water was quite cloudy from reported
upstream rains, but looked more like glacier melt to me.  I fished nymphs and
tried dry flies without a strike or any hint of a strike and saw no action to
convince me that fish were present.  By Sunday, the water had cleared some
but was still a little milky.

Both days I moved to the North Fork of the Cispus and caught fish from 3" to
8" (releasing all carefully from mostly barbless hooks), exclusively on dry
flies - not a touch on a wet.  Fish were rainbow and cutthroat trout. Given this
the regulations are a bit curious - 2 fish limit over 8", no more than one over 12".
This is similar to many streams here in Washington where there seems to be
little chance of fish of any size.  Can anybody explain the logic?  It seems
unlikley that there are fish over 12" (rare exeption?) - not even salmon or
steelhead since I understand they are blocked by dams.

Bright spots in an otherwise dull fishing story:  the weather,scenery and
solitude were glorious, and we found wild blueberries, black caps and one
other black berry (marionberry? - not sure of identification) that were ripe and
wonderful.