the film forum library tutorial contact

Steelhead Anglers Gear Up for Shift to Wild Runs by Greg Johnston Seattle Post-Intelligencer - January 27, 2005

With rivers around Western Washington finally dropping into favorable shape after the heavy rains of last week's tropical punch, anglers are seeing the steelhead season transition from hatchery to wild runs.

"I'm seeing mostly wild fish now, but there are definitely some hatchery fish left," said Tom Mathews, state catch sampler on the north coast's Quillayute system.

Several hatchery drifts produced good fishing over the weekend as the rivers began dropping, including the lower Cascade River, the Fortson Hole on the North Fork Stillaguamish, and the lower Wallace River and the Reiter Ponds drift on the Skykomish system. A shot of fish also barreled into the Tokul Creek hatchery on the Snoqualmie.

It's likely to be the last big shot of hatchery fish. Anglers are also reporting seeing many more dark and/or spawned out hatchery fish now, as well as fish trucked downstream and recycled back to the river from hatcheries where they are not needed for spawning (often marked with a hole punched in the gill plate).

On the coast, all three of the main Quillayute system tributaries should be good bets as waters continue to drop. The Hoh to the south is still turbid and in poor fishing shape, as is the main Quinault and to a lesser extent the Queets. The Humptulips to the south should be a good prospect, though it was high and murky yesterday. The Wynooche is also high but has begun producing fish for plunkers (still fishermen who do best during high water). The Satsop should start producing fish soon. Further south, a few fish have been reported in the Willapa and Naselle, both rain- and spring-fed rivers that drop fast.

With the wild fish moving in, there appears to be confusion on the rivers about a new annual limit that took effect Jan. 1. Approved by the Fish and Wildlife Commission last September, it establishes a seasonal limit of one wild steelhead (any with an intact adipose fin) on the 11 rivers left in Washington where wild winter steelhead may be killed.

Some anglers apparently believe the limit is one fish in each of the 11 rivers. That's not the case. You may retain only one wild steelhead per season period, taken in any of those 11 rivers. The season runs April 1, 2004, through March 31, so any wild steelhead taken after March 31, 2005, counts toward next season's limit.

The 11 rivers are the Bogachiel, Calawah, Clearwater, Dickey, Goodman Creek, Hoh, Hoko, Pysht, Quillayute, Quinault and Sol Duc.

It is a contentious issue among anglers, many of whom release any wild steelhead they catch in the interest of conservation.

In other fishing news:

• Salmon fishing reopen Tuesday in three keys regions of the inland marine waters: the San Juan Islands (marine area 7), northern Saratoga Passage (area 8-1) and north Puget Sound and Admiralty Inlet (area 9). February is not known as the best time of the year for chinook fishing in most of the inland marine, but those areas include traditional spots that can be productive any time of year. That includes President's Channel, Obstruction and Thatcher passes and Fidalgo Head in the islands; Baby Island, Greenbank and Ole's Hole in Saratoga; and Midchannel Bank, Double Bluff, Possession Bar and Point No Point in area 9. "I'm convinced we'll find active fishing," said Gary Krein of Everett-based All Star Charters. "I don't expect a whole bunch of 12- to 15-pound fish, but there should be plenty of 22- to 30-inch fish." Area 13 in the south Sound and area 10 in the central sound are already open, but anglers are reporting only a few chinook at Manchester, Point Gibson and Wallochet Bay.
• Quickly: Spring chinook season is not even close, but the year's first springer has arrived, showing up at the salmon hatchery on the Cowlitz River last week. The state is forecasting decent runs to Columbia River tributaries this year, especially the Willamette River in Oregon. A state plan to increase the allowable incidental catch of protected wild steelhead on the big river will be the subject of a meeting Wednesday at Ilwaco High School, from 6-8 p.m. ... Squid fishing is still good most nights at piers in Tacoma to Edmonds, although many anglers are reporting mostly small squid (5-7 inchers) on Elliott Bay piers lately.... Commercial netters are taking a few smelt now in the Columbia, but so far no smelt have reliably been reported where sport dippers get them, such as the Cowlitz. A small run is expected this year, with sport dipping open Tuesdays and Saturdays and a 10-pound daily limit. Smelt typically show in early February.

• Today-Sunday -- Washington Sportsmen's Show, Puyallup fairgrounds.
• Feb. 1 -- Salmon fishing reopens in marine areas 7, 8-1 and 9.
• Feb. 5-7 -- Razor clam digging open on four ocean beaches, pending marine toxin tests.
• Feb. 16 -- Salmon fishing reopens in marina areas 5, 6, 8-2, 11 and 12.