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[rhino]

Too bad i was hoping to spend a little quality time with my son on the river, its a long way to go from the island if there are'nt many fish around. Funny my son was talking to a guy the other day that said he hooked 30+ hoes on the Chehailus in three days this is some sort of feat, i was very skeptical about it after all i have read about the lack of fish on the river, how could one guy hook so many while 30 fishermen havent hooked that number ? I am hoping it picks up.

there are some fish and its a amazingly beautiful rive to explore with wildlife everywhere.go anyways! spend a day with your son and have fun. i wish my son was old enough so I could do that with him. he is only 3 months old.

[FlyFishin Magician]

i am not sure what it used to be like, but i had alot of success early in the season on this flow. the last time i was there i saw a alot of hatchery fish in the hatchery canal, verk dark though. lately the water has been low. maybe that has something to do with it.

It used to be awesome!  When the flow went past the hatchery, there was a nice run that was perfect for fly fishing - in fact, I caught my first steelhead on the fly there back in 2000.  In the summer of 2001, I also did great catching red springs on the fly.  Back then, the Easter Seal run used to hold tons of coho within reach of the fly.  Gear also worked well; however, the easter seal run often got very crowded. 

A number of years ago, the river blew out and it now runs along a different path (as we all know).  The Easter Seal run has flattened out and is not great holding water.  But man - do I remember the glory days of the Chehalis - and I know many of you do as well...

[purplehelmet]

Last fall I went there after not having been there in some time (pre-flood).  As stated, where I used to go in, the river wasn't there anymore.  In any case, tons of Coho where coming up the hatchery channel that was super low & clear. Some guys where trying to fish stealthily, others, I heard, snagging.  I saw one guy walk out w/ his limit.  How do you catch fish that scurry as soon as you enter the area in 6" of gin-clear water that is 5' wide?  This is likely why they closed the channel this year.  Where I was looked like a nightmare w/ downed trees everywhere, really tough & dangerous hiking, & I had no idea where the mainstem was.  I had to get the hell out of there before nightfall or else!

[Preliator]

Does anyone have a map of the old river? I'm really curious as to just how much the river changed after the flood.

[bigblockfox]

if you look at google map you can see where the river use to run. look for the old river beds that run near the hatchery.

[Preliator]

That's incredible to see. I can't believe how much it diverted. I wish I had lived in BC years earlier so that I could have experienced the old river

[ihatefisheadsoup]

so hows the water level? fishable?

[bcguy]

Was running quite high on Monday, saw no fish around, most of the carcasses had been swept clear by the recent rain...very quiet, except for the sound of the water,the birds in the air, the wind rustling through the trees. The sun was out, and nature was all around me..a truly glorious day.

[adecadelost]

That's incredible to see. I can't believe how much it diverted. I wish I had lived in BC years earlier so that I could have experienced the old river

It was an amazing river, but the new river path has made for some interesting fishing as well.  It has eroded land in a very unique way creating some very exaggerated undercuts and shelves.  It creates some unique holding spots for fish and presents some great challenges/opportunities for trying to get your presentation to them.  Plus being a fairly young river bed it is constantly changing, adding variety every year.

[blacktail2]

I was there yesterday with my fishing pal (my son)... Lots of walking, beautiful weather crisp and clear. I have heard a lot about the Chehailus and decided to give it a go.. For the amount of effort put in was very disappointed. We fished i meant flogged from daybreak till dark and i mean flogged and landed three bright coho and one chum. So for the miles we walked and effort put in it was disappointing. We ran into several other fishermen and only saw or heard of one other fish caught and lots of talk about not many fish in the river, i have to agree. I guess we missed the good or should i say better fishing a few weeks ago. The only saving grace was spending time with my son, the conversation and the sites (absolutely stunning) !!!! and sounds What a picturesque river.. I guess we cant have a bang up day all the time and by the sounds of it we did pretty good although it is certainly not what i am used to and call even a half decent day so i gotta say i am spoiled..

[DionJL]

It was an amazing river, but the new river path has made for some interesting fishing as well.  It has eroded land in a very unique way creating some very exaggerated undercuts and shelves.  It creates some unique holding spots for fish and presents some great challenges/opportunities for trying to get your presentation to them.  Plus being a fairly young river bed it is constantly changing, adding variety every year.

You're right. Though these changes have also made this river extremely dangerous. The undercut banks are always on the verge of giving way and falling into the river, the river has taken down a lot of trees as it develops its new path and created many log jams, and the fresh river bed is extremely loose making it very dangerous to cross. A friend of mine lost his footing last year during a cross in relatively low water conditions and nearly died after being swept into a log jam. You definitely need to have your wits about you as you fish that river.

[Preliator]

You're right. Though these changes have also made this river extremely dangerous. The undercut banks are always on the verge of giving way and falling into the river, the river has taken down a lot of trees as it develops its new path and created many log jams, and the fresh river bed is extremely loose making it very dangerous to cross. A friend of mine lost his footing last year during a cross in relatively low water conditions and nearly died after being swept into a log jam. You definitely need to have your wits about you as you fish that river.

It's remarkable to see people attempting to cross various points on the system. Remarkable that they make it across, and remarkable that they would even consider crossing certain areas. Most of these people I've observed seemed to do it fast and without any real caution... or PFD's, for that matter.

[Iyekim76]

Hi gang, just wanted to know what the conditions are for chehalis? Might give her a go Monday or Tuesday if the water is not too low. I'm pretty sure there are still a few ho's hanging around. Any info would be appreciated. THANKS!

Mike SL

[colin6101]

Sorry this is a bit of a late reply but I was up there on Monday and it was quite low still. Walked up from the bridge to the canyon entrance and took this pic.

[roseph]

I was there yesterday with my fishing pal (my son)... Lots of walking, beautiful weather crisp and clear. I have heard a lot about the Chehailus and decided to give it a go.. For the amount of effort put in was very disappointed. We fished i meant flogged from daybreak till dark and i mean flogged and landed three bright coho and one chum. So for the miles we walked and effort put in it was disappointing. We ran into several other fishermen and only saw or heard of one other fish caught and lots of talk about not many fish in the river, i have to agree. I guess we missed the good or should i say better fishing a few weeks ago. The only saving grace was spending time with my son, the conversation and the sites (absolutely stunning) !!!! and sounds What a picturesque river.. I guess we cant have a bang up day all the time and by the sounds of it we did pretty good although it is certainly not what i am used to and call even a half decent day so i gotta say i am spoiled..

hope you don't take this the wrong way but it sounds like you actually had a great day.  Full day of fishing with your son on a river as beautiful as this one with summer steelhead and at least 4 other types of salmon and trout around..how many fish do you need to make all that 'worth it'?