Kish 9/18/07

MKern

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Sep 11, 2006
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After some advise, I decided to give the Kish a try (especially becasue it is only a quarter mile away). When I got there I thought o myself, and probably said aloud, "This looks sh*tty." After about 5 min. and no action, I walked back to my truck and put on my waders to get better drits for my nymphs. When I came back I say a few dozen rises, but couldn't distinguish if they were actually trout. After spooking what ever they were and being bumped into by a 14" brownie, I settled on the fact that they were trout. So I moved up stream, where I landed 5 in an half an hour: all rainbows that were stocked as fingerlings or ?wild?.

They ranged from 4 inches to about 8". Caught most on a size 16 PT.

Sorry no picks, camera batteries went dead because my lady friend decided to take over 100 pics in an hour.
 
Those pain in the butt little rainbows are stocked fingerlings. When I first fished the Kish it was loaded with stockers. Browns, rainbows, golden rainbows. I enjoy it now more than back then even though they used to put monsters in there. I have caught the rainbows up to 14" but I don't know how big they can get. I do know the wild browns can grow rather large there. Im also not sure how long they've been putting fingerlings in there. My guess is about 3 years. I've had many good and bad days on the Kish. I believe they still do normal stocking on the upper parts but it warms quick in most spots. I am always shocked at the lack of pressure the stream gets. It holds good water flow all year and has plenty of room, yet I never seem to run into anyone there except a few bait fisherman. Not complaining, just wondering if anyone in Lewiston actually fishes. My most memorable day on the kish was Sept. 11, 2001. Not because of the fishing of course. At least one good thought comes into my head when they ask," Where were you...?"
 
Now that they've started stocking fingerlings, have they quit stocking adult trout from Reedsville on down through Burnham?

And do they still have the infamous trout tournament?
 
Mattd-- I have only seem 2 kids fishing since I've lived here.

troutbert-- I haven't lived here long enough to know if they have a tourny.


I gues that everyone around here is all about hunting and fishing. I don't mind having the stream all to myself! I also don't mind catching small trout as long as there is plenty of them, and the occasional large fish to keep my attention. I would like to catch some 12"+ brownies this weekend.
 
I haven't seen any adult stockers in that area last 2 years except the accasional holdover from before. So I don't think they do. As for a tournament I know nothing about that except I caught a tagged rainbow once.
 
Back in the Spring of 2000, I was fishing Tea Creek when a teenage boy showed up with a bucket containing three large browns that he had caught in Kish Creek. He put them in Tea Creek, reason being the fishing in Tea Creek had deteriorated significantly as the result of some road construction in the area. Apparently he had been doing this all spring.

I've only fished Kish Creek once, in the Narrows section. Very nice piece of water. Honey Creek is also worth some time, though it doesn't give up its fish easily. I hope Tea Creek is returning to its former glory.
 
Tea has been off and on the last few years. As always they do come up in summer when Kish warms. Last year I had my worst fish ever on tea. One small wild brown. Didn't see anything else. 2 years ago I had my best day ever on the stream. Got about 20 in 2 1/2 hours with 3 wild browns over 16. They removed the dam just above town and I think it will be an improvement but only time will tell. Tea is always worth a try, not like you don't have plenty of water to fall back on. Tea has been through alot in the past and will survive.
 
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