Everett, Wash.
Published: Thursday, November 20, 2008

Get those ugly chum while you can

Still a few of these fish available to catch in area rivers

By Wayne Kruse
Herald columnist

 Ugly, snaggle-toothed, purple-striped chum salmon are waiting in area rivers to tear up your tackle and commit mayhem on your person. The fish were brought in by the last big rainstorm, and the next couple of weekends may be the last opportunity to find fish still fresh enough to take home to the smoker.

Guide and Arlington resident Sam Ingram said the Skykomish River below Sultan had dropped and cleared to the extent that he had 18 inches of visibility Monday and Tuesday, and that he hit several nice fish both days from 10 to 16-plus pounds, about one in three or four still relatively bright.

"With the river still high, you need to concentrate on softer, slower water closer to the bank -- something in the five-foot depth range," Ingram said.

Under limited visibility, he suggested M2 Flatfish or K15 Kwikfish in chrome or pink as good back-trolling choices.

Bryan Nelson at Three Rivers Marine in Woodinville agreed that there are decent chums still available in the Monroe/Sultan area, and his choice for back-trolling was a K15 Kwikfish in chrome or chartreuse.

Up north, the Skagit is closed to chum retention, but Anthon Steen at Holiday Sports in Burlington said a few fishermen were targeting chums on the Samish at Thomas Road before the high water, and doing fairly well. And, Steen said, the popular fishery at the mouth of Whatcom Creek in Bellingham has started.

While the chum beach fishery at the Hoodsport Hatchery on Hood Canal has started to fall off, the latest state checks there last week showed four anglers with six fish.

There have been exceptions, but many of this fall's chum runs have been below preseason expectations, according to state biologists. The south-Sound run, for instance, to tributaries such as Kennedy Creek, is only about half of what was expected.

STEELHEAD: Nelson said early winter steelheading at Reiter Ponds on the upper Sky has been at least fair since it dropped into fishing shape after the recent storm. An employee got a bright winter fish there on Monday, he said, and a couple of customers came by Tuesday with four Reiter fish.

The first really serious winter steelheading in Western Washington usually gets under way on the coast, being closest to the source, and Bob Gooding at Olympic Sporting Goods in Forks said this year is no exception.

"Fishing has been pretty good the past few days at the normal hot spots," he said, "at the mouth of the Calawah and below the hatchery on the Bogachiel."

The run so far "looks good for early on," he said.

Anthon Steen said that when the Skagit drops a little, there should be decent numbers of winter steelhead scattered throughout the river. Fresh fish already have been caught on the Cascade, he said, and there are steelhead in the trap at the Marblemount Hatchery.

The winter season also has started in southwest Washington, where several Columbia River tributaries already are putting out fish. The Cowlitz and the Lewis are the best bets for this weekend, both dam-regulated.

East of the hump, steelheaders continue to score well from the bank and from boats at the Ringold rearing facility on the Columbia, north of the Tri-Cities. Bank fishermen averaged one steelhead for each 9.4 hours of fishing last week, while boat fishermen put in one hour less on the water for each fish.

The relatively new steelhead fishery on the Columbia, between Rocky Reach and Wells dams, is an interesting possibility. Rod Hammons of R&R Guide Service in Brewster (randr@swift-stream.com) said the area below Wells Dam has been productive for those drifting float-and-jig rigs in the shallow, faster-moving water, and it hasn't been receiving much pressure.

LOCAL SALMON: Two days don't make a trend, but blackmouth action picked up noticeably in Area 9 over the weekend, according to Gary Krein of All Star Charters in Everett.

"Don't get me wrong," he said, "it's still not hot, but I heard from friends of several fish, including a couple of limits, from such places at Port Townsend (Midchannel Bank) and Possession over the weekend."

Krein said the tides are good for this weekend on the southeast corner of Possession Bar, where a strong ebb usually makes for good fishing. Drop down close to the bottom in 120 to 150 feet of water, he said, using a green flasher, 36 to 40 inches of leader, and a green squid -- either the standard variety or the new UV.

Area 10 also turned on, Krein said. Reports were good from the shoreline between Shilshole and Edmonds, and across the Sound at Jefferson Head.

State checks over the weekend at the Port of Everett ramp were slow, but at the Kingston ramp on Sunday, 18 fishermen had two blackmouth. Not gunnysack, but respectable.

RUFUS WOODS: Some reports from the eastside indicate spotty fishing for the big rainbows in Rufus Woods Lake, above Chief Joseph Dam on the Columbia, probably because of water level fluctuations. The fishery can be the best in the state, but it's not always a slam dunk, and that's a long way to drive for a boat ride. If you're interested in heading over, check it out with Guide Joe Heinlen (509-393-9665); guide Anton Jones (antonj@aol.com; 866-360-1523), guide Rod Hammons (above) or, more locally, Jim Brauch in Everett (jbrauch@comcast.net). Brauch has fished Woods fairly regularly over the past year or two, and says he's willing to answer questions about the fishery. The last time he was there, two or three weeks ago with his granddaughter Ashley, they boated and mostly released 40-some trout, and 11-year old Ashley caught two over 5 pounds.

OUTDOORS CHRISTMAS: I suspect that a majority of outdoor sportsmen/women tend to tip toward the traditional side of the cultural scale. If that's so, and if you -- as I do -- get frustrated with retailers this time of year ignoring much-cherished and traditional "Christmas" for the more politically correct "holidays," then I offer Cabela's, L.L. Bean, and Bass Pro Shops.

These outdoor-oriented firms have unabashedly issued Christmas catalogs (rather than the ubiquitous "gifts for the holidays") and I plan to buy at least a token something from each, just to reward their belief in tradition.

Jenna Kendall, a spokesperson for Bass Pro Shops, says: "Remember when Christmas meant home and family and everything magical to a kid? When Christmas came from merry carolers on a street corner, mugs of hot cocoa with steam rising into the frosty air, hometown parades and kids with noses pressed to windows of toy stores. Remember when Christmas came from a feeling?

"As adults we know that time passes too quickly and some things are important enough to hold onto. While many retailers don't, we at Bass Pro Shops still believe in Christmas, and would like to invite you to return to that special time of your life."

Hokey? Sure. Meant to sell stuff? Sure. But better than looking at a full-page ad for "holiday trees."

To request a Christmas catalog, or to further explore any of these three firms, try: L.L. Bean, Christmas 2008, 1-800-221-4221, llbean.com; Cabela's, Christmas 2008, 1-800-237-4444, cabelas.com; or Bass Pro Shops, Christmas 2008, 1-800-227-7776, basspro.com.

Something other than a rod, reel, duck call or pair of waders? Macy's is also making a big pitch for the traditional Christmas trade.

HUNTING: Results of the late, rifle, white-tail season in northeast Washington have so far been disappointing. State Department of Fish and Wildlife district wildlife biologist Dana Base said that Nov. 8-9 data from check stations at Chatteroy and Deer Park, north of Spokane, showed the number of hunters to be roughly the same as last year, but the success rate was much lower. Some 189 hunters were checked last year at the same point in the season, with 45 deer, for a success rate of 24 percent. This year, 181 hunters had just 13 deer, for a success rate of 7 percent.

Base said winter-kill last year could have been worse than earlier estimated in parts of the region.

Last week's storm pushed more northern ducks into the Columbia Basin, according to state waterfowl specialist Mikal Moore in Ephrata, offering good prospects for waterfowl hunters over the next several weeks. Populations of mallards and widgeon continue to build, and Moore was impressed by the numbers of lesser Canada geese now showing up in traditional areas in the Basin, such as Moses Lake and Royal Lake. Goose hunters in the region, where goose hunting is available only on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays, get a few extra days this month with the Thanksgiving holiday. Thursday, Nov. 27, and Friday, Nov. 28, are open to goose hunting in that area.
© 2009The Daily Herald Co., Everett, WA