The river rolls along low and slow just out of eyesight but just within earshot. Its clear water courses over rounded rocks rarely exposed so early in the season. A true river, it babbled in meditative tones suitable for a nature sounds playlist.
The afternoon sun caught in the web of branches of old property line trees and cast spider shadows across the edges of the pasture. Birds bounced on bendy branches and surveyed the river while wishing that they could swim. Fish hid in the calm water behind a root ball eddy. They braced against the outflow of the river and cursed the waterfall ahead that seemed to be lacking water and suffering from an overabundance of fall. All of a sudden the fish wished they could fly.
Out in the center of the field, far from the protective nook of hedgerows and the shelter of old tree lines, the wind sends tall grasses and heavy headed daisies whipping into prescribed chaos. Their roots anchored into the soil and their stems intent on reaching to the sky, they absorb the brunt of the wind’s force with a violent grace.
Take a moment. Sit down in the tall grass and witness a scene unfold. A silence so quiet it roars. A bumbling bee tumbling from flower tops. The river on rocks. The wind between grass stalks. A tired mind mired in a bog of midday thoughts.
Look across the field with soft eyes and the mad charge of the wind slows down. The velcro rip against the grass moves more slowly as the blades bend in independent unison.
Don’t tread on me!
They bend together and bounce back like tornados in a mosh pit, absorbing the force from their neighbor and diffusing the back breaking thrust of the uneven air.
Across the field an invisible wave parts the chutes and you to anticipate the bull rush before it teases your hair and cools the anxious sweat on your brow. As the grass bows and recovers in unpredictably familiar patterns the world begins to slow down. Silence takes hold in an observant soul. The wind blows steady and the river tries to run itself dry.
Wind is a spirit, sensed but not seen. The wave of tall grass is a miracle that reveals what is all around us. You just have to remember to look.
FISHIN’
Steelhead anglers in Southwest Washington received good news on a handful of tributaries this week when fish officials announced an impending opening of night fishing and an increase in the daily limit for hatchery steelhead on the lower reaches of the Cowlitz, Lewis, Wind, and White Salmon rivers.
The WDFW noted that forecasted returns for summer steelhead have improved for 2018, which allowed for the relaxation of regulations. With those changes the Cowlitz River and Lewis River will both be open for night fishing beginning June 16 through June 30 with a daily limit of three hatchery steelhead. The Cowlitz will be open from the Lexington Bridge to the mouth while the Lewis River will be open to night fishing on the same days from the mouth of the East Fork down to the mainstem mouth.
On the Cowlitz River last week the WDFW sampled seven bank rods and one boat rod below the I-5 Bridge with no catch to show. Upstream, 12 boat rods had two keeper springers and one steelhead. At the salmon hatchery separator crews collected 34 winter-run steelhead, 134 spring Chinook, six jacks, and nine summer-run steelhead. Crews also deposited one winter-run steelhead into the Tilton River at Gust Backstrom Park in Morton and released three winter-run steelhead into the Cispus River near Yellow Jacket Creek. Five spring Chinook adults and one jack were also released at Lake Scanewa near Randle.
River flows at Mayfield Dam on Tuesday were recorded at approximately 6,320 cubic feet per second, with water visibility at 14 feet and the water temperature 48.7 degrees. Additionally, upriver anglers have been having success for kokane on the west end of Riffe Lake and bass on the east end.
In other Cowlitz River changes, new regulations will allow for the use of barbed hooks when targeting salmon, steelhead and cutthroat trout from the Lexington Bridge up to the barrier dam boundary from June 1 through the end of July. Also on June 1, the no-fishing zone below barrier dam will expand from 100 feet to 400 feet in order to help increase the number of Spring Chinook making it to the hatchery.
A report from the WDFW noted, “We had projected that 5,000 spring Chinook would return to the river this year, but they’re tracking well below that now. Expanding the area that’s closed to fishing will help ensure we can meet hatchery broodstock goals and continue to move fish to the upper Cowlitz watershed for fishing opportunities and reintroduction efforts. The no-fishing zone will be posted with signs until further notice.”
The WDFW also provided creel reports from the Lewis and Kalama rivers last fishing. On the mainstem Lewis River five bank rods showed no catch and 11 boat rods kept one adult spring Chinook. On the North Fork Lewis River 33 bank rods kept seven adult spring Chinook and one steelhead while eight boat rods had no catch. On the Kalama River no catch was reported for nine bank anglers and three boat anglers.
On the Lower Columbia River the sport fishery for spring Chinook reopened on May 25 from the Rocky Point/Tongue Point line upriver to the Washington/Oregon border near Umatilla. Fish officials decided to reopen the fishery based on an updated projection calling for 116,500 upriver origin spring Chinook to return to the mighty river this year. That projection is still down from the preseason forecast of 166,700 fish, but the run has improved enough recently to allow for the opening.
“We’ve been monitoring fish passage at Bonneville very closely, because we didn’t want to reopen the fishery without a better idea of the actual run size,” said Ryan Lothrop, fishery manager for the WDFW, in a press release. “We now know that run was both late and smaller than expected, but it’s still strong enough to support reopening the fishery.”
That opening is set to continue through June 6 below Bonneville Dam and until June 15 upriver. However, either fishery could be closed earlier if harvest quotas are reached or if the run is downsized again. According to Lothrop, roughly 2,500 adult spring Chinook are currently available for harvest in the lower river. Anglers are allowed to keep one adult Chinook and one steelhead, or two hatchery steelhead as part of the daily limit. In the lower river, the spring chinook fishery will be open for boat and bank fishing from the Rocky Point/Tongue Point line near the mouth of the Columbia, to Beacon Rock. Bank anglers can also fish upstream from Beacon Rock to the deadline below Bonneville.
Last Saturday, fish officials counted 282 salmonid boats and 245 Oregon bank anglers on the Lower Columbia River between Tongue Point and Bonneville dam. Both boat and bank anglers in the estuary averaged 0.09 spring Chinook, while bank anglers fishing in the Portland to Westport area averaged 0.05 spring Chinook and 0.03 steelhead caught per angler. River flows have been high and are believed to be contributing to a slow bite.
Anglers are also targeting shad from Buoy 10 upstream to Bonneville Dam. Last week, 60 shad anglers, including 10 boats, were reported keeping 289 fish and releasing 191, for an average of six fish per person. Just below Bonneville Dam anglers were averaging 11.6 fish per person, while some anglers had as many as 50 fish each.
White sturgeon are also open for harvest from Buoy 10 upstream to Wauna powerlines for one more day this Saturday. Over the Memorial Day weekend sturgeon anglers are believed to have made 3,609 fishing trip to the Lower Columbia River estuary, keeping a total of 466 white sturgeon.
The spring Chinook fishery is also ongoing on the Chehalis River. That sport fishery will continue through June 30 from the Chehalis River Bridge at Highway 101 approximately 80 miles upriver to the Highway 6 Bridge in Adna. The daily limit is one springer with a minimum size of 12 inches. According to the WDFW the forecasted return of spring kings is sufficient to support the fishery, and anglers have been taking advantage of optimal weather to try their luck around the twin cities. Kayaks and motor boats alike have been plying the waters from the bends upriver of Borst Park down past Independence, and bank anglers have been scrambling down dusty trails while the water is low. Rain forecast for the near future could also help to bring more fish upriver.
Lastly, inland fishing opportunities have been bolstered on a number of area lakes and ponds in the last week. South Lewis County Park Pond was stocked with 720 rainbow trout and Swofford Pond was planted with 3,600 rainbow trout. The bass bite has been what’s keeping folks busy a Swofford lately, though.
In Skamania County, Goose Lake was planted with 3,273 cutthroat trout and 1,700 rainbows, while Swift Reservoir is scheduled to be stocked with 45,000 “catchable” size rainbow trout prior to the June 2 opener.
HUNTIN’
This is the end, my only friend, and hunting season has finally reached its inevitable nadir. Thursday marks the end of the spring wild turkey hunt that began in mid-April on both sides of the mountains. That closure means that hunters will now have to be on hiatus until at least August when general bear season begins, along with some muzzleloader opportunities.
However, as long as coyotes continue to howl at the moon, they will remain legal quarry in the state of Washington.
SHRIMPIN’
Shrimpers will soon have expanded opportunities to put some prawns on the barbecue. From 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Wednesday, June 6 and Saturday, June 9, a recreational spot shrimp fishery will be open in Hood Canal (Marine Area 12). That fishery will be open to all shrimp, including spot shrimp.
Beginning Friday in the South Sound (Marine Area 13), a recreational fishery for coonstripe and pink shrimp will open with a 250-foot maximum depth restriction. That fishery will be open daily but all spot shrimp must be returned to the water immediately.
Other areas of Puget Sound will also have expanded shrimp fishing opportunities beginning June 1.
OBSERVIN’
On Saturday, a guided tour of native plants will be conducted free of charge at Seminary Hill Nature Area.
The informative nature walk will begin at 10 a.m., June 2, and will be guided by Joe Mano, leader of the ecology club at Washington Elementary School. The event is sponsored by the Friends of the Seminary Hill Natural Area and cookies and coffee will be available.
The native plant tour will begin at the Barner Drive entrance to the natural area at the eastern end of Locust Street. .A press release from the Friends of the Seminary Hill Natural Area noted that, “Because recent events have been popular and highly attended, it is suggested that attendees arrive several minutes early, and consider parking on Locust Street above or below the entrance to the Natural Area.”
