Don’t say it too loudly, for fear of waking the ghosts of Lousy Steelhead Seasons Past, but this one just may be turning into a decent winter fishery. Reports continue to circulate of fish being taken – nothing smokin’ hot, but action nevertheless – on most any stream that’s in reasonably good condition.
A spokesman at Jerry’s Surplus in Everett (425-252-1176) tells of steelies recently on the Pilchuck River. Sam Ingram (360-435-9311), a guide from Arlington, says there are fish being caught in the Skykomish above the dirty Sultan – he took two bright winter-runs Tuesday – and there’s even the occasional one in the lower-visibility river downstream from the Sultan.
Bob Ferber at Holiday Market Sports in Burlington (360-757-4361), has customers nailing steelhead at various places: At Fortson on the North Fork Stillaguamish, where leftover summer-runs are still holding, but where fresh winter fish are also showing in catchable numbers; below the hatchery on the Cascade (an upper Skagit River tributary), where early action on hatchery fish has been very good at times; on the Skagit proper, above Rockport, where fly fishermen are hitting some nice winter steelhead, and Dolly Varden, on flesh patterns; at Reiter Ponds, probably the most productive spot on the Skykomish so far this season; on the Wallace, where a scattering of 10- to 14-pound three-salt fish have entered the catch; and on the Snohomish, still murky but putting out at least fair numbers of steelhead for bar and boat plunkers.
On the Olympic Peninsula, the Forks-area streams continue to provide probably the best fishing currently in Western Washington, particularly the Bogachiel and lower Calawah.
The Cowlitz, which has been running too high much of the time to provide top action, still offers good fishing on those days when dam releases are minimized. A recent check by state Fish and Wildlife Department personnel between the barrier dam and Blue Creek showed 29 anglers with three steelhead, and four boat fishermen with three steelhead, and all the fish checked came from around Blue Creek. River flows Monday on the Cowlitz were a nasty 10,800 cubic feet per second, and visibility was less than three feet.
Ferber said recent windy weather has pretty much kept “surf” fishermen off the westside Whidbey Island beaches, but that moderating weather may provide good opportunities this weekend at Fort Casey, Ebey’s Landing, Lagoon Point, and Bush Point.
Blackmouth: Marine Area 10 – roughly south of the Edmonds/Kingston line – opened Tuesday to winter blackmouth fishing, the closest area to Everett currently available. Wind and rough water made it tough to get out, so reports on success rates were sketchy.
Gary Krein, owner/skipper of All Star Charters in Everett, said fishing has traditionally been good in the Kingston area, a little farther south at Jefferson Head and, on the mainland side, off the oil docks south of Edmonds.
“Bait tends to hold around the oil docks,” Krein said, “so you should fish fairly tight to the structures – it drops off fast there anyway – and then on down along Richmond Beach.”
Krein recommends a flasher, followed either by a squid or a Coyote spoon. Glow greens and white are good color patterns to start with. Work in 90 to 150 feet of water, he says, keeping your gear within 20 feet or less of bottom.
Razor clams: The coastal razor clam dig tentatively scheduled for Dec. 21-23, which had been dependent on marine toxin tests, has been given the green light and will proceed as planned. State shellfish biologist Dan Ayres in the agency’s Montesano office said three beaches – Long Beach, Twin Harbors, and Kalaloch – will be open all three days. Mocrocks, to the north, will be open only the first two days. The Ocean Shores beaches will not open at all.
Ayres said these are good tides and, given a break in the weather, should provide excellent digging. The lows are as follows: Dec. 21, 4:52 p.m., minus 0.7 feet; Dec. 22, 5:43 p.m., minus 1.2 feet; and Dec. 23, 6:33 p.m., minus 1.4 feet.
Waterfowl: The latest duck count by state biologists revealed a startling half-million birds on north Puget Sound waters (from Stanwood north to Canada), which is approaching record proportions. Dave Engel, president of the North Puget Sound Chapter of the Washington Waterfowl Association, said the majority of the birds were, surprisingly, in Skagit (as opposed to Samish) Bay.
“The state biologist, Mike Davidson, told me there was a raft of ducks on Skagit Bay a quarter-mile wide and over a mile long,” Engel said. “He said it was hard to count birds because the raft was so large.”
Engel said contrary to what most waterfowlers believe, wind alone isn’t necessarily enough to push huntable numbers of ducks off the big water.
“They’ll fly in the wind, sure, but they’ll also sit tight in a 20-plus-mile-per-hour blow,” he said. “What you need is cold temperatures, first, then some wind to go with it.”
Hunter education: Dick Abbey in Seattle has been involved in educating the youth of this area in hunting safety, sportsmanship, conservation and ethics for a long time. He sends a schedule along for 2004 classes in the Machias, Lynnwood and Kenmore areas, with the note that young, would-be hunters should schedule participation as soon as possible, since nearly all the classes will be filled by their scheduled dates.
And how many youngsters have Abbey and his fellow volunteers trained over the years? Hard to say, but last year it was more than 450, and will be closer to 500 in 2004. Figure that over 10 or 12 or 15 years, and that’s a bunch of kids.
Here’s the schedule, don’t lose it: At Machias, the Seattle Rifle &Pistol Association, Class 1, Feb. 17, 19, 24 and 26, plus Feb. 28 (pre-register Feb. 7 or 14); Class 2, May 11, 13, 18, and 20, plus May 22 (pre-register May 1 or 8); contact Dick Abbey, 206-542-2792.
City of Lynnwood, Class 1, Jan. 13, 15, 20, 22, and 24; Class 2, March 9, 11, 16, 18, and 20; Class 3, April 6, 8, 13, 15, and 17; Class 4, June 8, 10, 15, 17 and 19; and Class 5, Sept. 7, 9, 14, 16, and 18. Contact the Lynnwood Parks Department, 425-771-4030.
Kenmore Gun Range, Wildlife Committee of Washington; Class 1, July 14-17; Class 2, July 21-14; Class 3, July 28-31; Class 4, Aug. 4-7; Class 5, Aug. 11-14; Class 6, Aug. 18-21; and Class 7, Nov. 24, 26 and 27. Contact the rangemaster at 425-481-8686.
Spring chinook: Drano Lake and the other hot spots for spring chinook above Bonneville Dam should be hotter than usual in 2004 because of a predicted near-record run of returning adult fish. The estimate is for 360,700 spring kings to climb Bonneville’s ladder next year, which would be the second-largest run since the construction of the dam in 1938. Last year, 209,200 fish were counted, while the all-time record was 416,500 fish in 2001.
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