He packs his thermos and pulls on his flannels. Without him knowing, his wife has already made him a sandwich the night before, cut diagonally, the way he has preferred since he was just a little bub. She hates it when he leaves so early. The rush of cold as the covers tear away. The stillness to the bedroom air in his absence. But she knows he must go.
“The early bird gets the worm.” She can hear him say it in her dreams.
Tip-toeing quickly across the living room hardwood he worries he is already late but still closes the front door softly with both hands and remembers to catch the screen door before it slams. There’s nothing to be done about the knock-knock rumble roar of his old trusty rusted diesel pickup though. As he opens the heavy door a styrofoam coffee cup spins on the mudded floorboard as a startled mouse scurries under a seat. The truck snorts and hacks its way to life in a dragon’s cloud of exhaust. The radio is static before the A.M. signal is switched.
As knobby tires turn on a rutted gravel road the affair begins. A sharp nectarine sunrise forces its way through the muzzle of frozen fog like motel lamplight casting through the draped satin kerchief of a lady of the night. Where cheap perfume would linger around the nightstand, spray on stink bait and the sour scent of Kentucky shad guts permeate the air around his tackle box.
Fishing is his mistress all the same.
Wearing his camouflage hip waders with an Elmer Fudd hat strapped atop his head he stops at the trailhead to remember what he forgot – his sandwich. Turning around he is caught in a moment that feels like forever to his tortured soul which suffers at the relentless pull of the water and all the promise that lies beneath.
As he reaches the muddy shoreline, with its whistling reeds and corndog cattails, wispy waterbugs skitter along the surface of the side stream and clouds of gnats hover like cartoon thought bubbles in the morning mist. A bright eyed bird pulls a worm from behind a wood stock and flees in flight with a celebratory chirp.
A brown and tangerine brook trout breaks the surface tension with a flick of its tail, sending ripples reaching out in all directions. Cutting a seam across the current, a glistening spotted head, mouth agape, lunges skyward in a speckled arc. As it splashes back beneath the surface spindly limbs protrude from the slimy creases of its jigsaw jaws.
Slipping into the stream before the crash of the water has calmed he settles into his surroundings and leans into the current creating a perfect eddy in his manmade wake. With a steady twitch he sends his line lashing through the air in a looping line toward that brook trout feeding hole. At first he’s sure he has a bite, but the reeds ultimately reveal themselves as the clinging culprit.
Beginning with finesse and devolving into a frustrated whiplash rip he eventually frees his lure from its snare and quickly gets back to casting. And reeling. And casting. And reeling.
Slowly, the birds begin to grow quiet in the trees and the gnats retreat to their unknown daytime haunts. As the sun rises ever higher and the shadows grow short the angler feels the hollow pang of defeat and drags himself from the water with hangdog eyes.
Back at home his wife greets him at the door. Hot soup and coffee steam at the table alongside a grilled sandwich, cut diagonally. She knows not to ask how the fishing went. She can always tell by the sound of his boots on the gravel.
She understands that fishing is a fickle mistress to her man, but she doesn’t know that the early bird really did get the worm. Tomorrow, she hopes, maybe he will sleep in. But she’ll still make him a sandwich, cut diagonally, just in case.
FISHIN’
As we wade into the deep end of fall fishing a mix of salmonids are keeping the masses entertained on the mainstem and assorted tributaries to the Chehalis and Cowlitz rivers.
Silvers are staying on the move on the lower Chehalis, finally making a strong push up into tributaries like the Satsop. What’s more, coho have finally turned the corner at Elma in good numbers and started running the flooded mud chutes between Malone and the mouth of the Black River near Oakville. The boat launch at Satsop has been as crowded as ever and bass boats have been making a ramshackle floatilla around Porter.
Most of the action these days on the Cowlitz River has been focused just below the Barrier Dam. Effort has been strong and the coho bite has picked up again recently, according to Karen Glaser at the Barrier Dam Campground.
“It’s pretty crowded most every day up here. Especially until about noon, one o'clock. Then it kind of thins out before the evening guys come in,” said Glaser, who noted that the Chinook season is currently closed. “Cutthroat are still doing good. Most of that’s Blue Creek area and there's even a nice steelhead here and there, which is kind of surprising since they took our early run away from us, but a few of them have snuck back in!”
Last week on the Cowlitz River the WDFW sampled 30 bank rods downstream of the I-5 Bridge with a haul of three adult coho and three fish released. Two boat anglers reported no catch. Upstream of the I-5 Bridge 77 bank rods showed a catch of 34 adult coho and a jack, along with 11 released adult Chinook and 26 adult coho. Six boat rods kept six adult coho and released six other fish. At the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator last week crews recovered 1,989 adult coho, 333 jacks, 98 fall Chinook adults, two jacks, 43 cutthroat trout and 16 summer run steelhead. River flow at Mayfield on Monday was reported at about 5,900 cubic feet per second with water visibility of four feet and a temperature of 51.1 degrees.
On the Mainstem Lewis River Last week the WDFW sampled 12 bank anglers and three boat rods with no catch. The North Fork Lewis River was much more active, but only marginally more successful. Some 72 bank anglers reported keeping just one adult coho while releasing one adult Chinook and three adult coho. Another 40 boat rods kept four adult Chinook, one jack, and 24 adult coho while releasing, four adult Chinook, five jacks and eight adult coho.
Salmon fishing is open on the lower Columbia River as well from Buoy 10 to up above McNary Dam. Most of the runs have moved past the mouth of lower river tributaries though and the bulk of the catch has been reported in the pools above Bonneville recently.
Preparations have begun to prep area lakes and ponds for a revamped fall trout fishing scene and soon the WDFW will begin planting thousands of “catchable size” rainbow trout in select waters in advance of the annual “Black Friday” family fishing event.
That fishery is set for the day after Thanksgiving in order to give families an outdoor alternative to crowded shopping centers. The hatchery trout slated for those stocking efforts will include rainbows that average between 15-16 inches in length and weigh up to three pounds each. The Black Friday fishery will take place on Nov. 24.
“This is a great reason to avoid the holiday shopping stress just a little longer and enjoy a fun day on the water with family and friends,” said Steve Thiesfeld, WDFW inland fish program manager,” in a press release.
Local bodies of water set for stocking include Fort Borst Park Pond, South Lewis County Park Pond. In Thurston County Black Lake, Long Lake and Offut Lake are set for a rainbow dump. In Cowlitz County Kress Lake will be stocked, and Clark County will see rainbows dropped in Battle Ground Lake and Klineline Pond. Most of those lakes will be closed beginning the Monday before Thanksgiving in order to allow the trout to acclimate to the water. All anglers age 15 and older must have a current Washington fishing license in order to try their luck.
Off of golden ponds and from the ivory towers of decision making the WDFW is sending out a call for public input in order to help simplify the state’s freshwater sport fishing rules.
Several proposals were submitted for review by the WDFW in September for species in lakes and rivers that include trout, steelhead, bass, walleye, panfish, sturgeon, and shad.
“We previously provided an overview of how we want to simplify fishing regulations for freshwater species,” said Craig Burley, head of WDFW's fish management division, in a press release. “Now we’re telling anglers how the proposed changes apply to their favorite stream, river or lake.”
Proposed changes include a consolidation of seasons on lakes, ponds and reservoirs into one of six standard seasons. Currently the WDFW sets an individual season fo each body of water. Additionally, the WDFW has proposed separate daily limits for trout and steelhead as opposed to the combined daily limit that exists today.
“We know our regulations are complex and can be difficult to follow,” Burley added. “This is the first step toward making fishing rules easier to understand.”
Burley noted that the freshwater reforms are part of a three-year effort to simplify recreational fishing regulations around the state. Salmon fishing rules are slated for discussion in 2018. Shellfish and other saltwater species are on the docket for 2019.
A complete list of proposed rule changes is available for review online at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/rule_proposals/. For a hard copy of the proposed rules call 360-902-2700.
Written comments will be accepted through Nov. 30. The public will also be allowed to comment in person during the Dec. 8-9 Fish and Wildlife Commission meetings in Olympia. A final decision on the new rules is expected to be made in January.
HUNTIN’
It is a wild time to be a hunter in Washington with seasons of all stripes coming and going quicker than the window for a kill shot on a foggy morning in an alder grove.
Elk hunters have nearly a week left in the modern firearm season in western Washington. That hunt began on Nov. 4 and will end on Nov. 15. Any elk can be taken in GMUs 407, 448, 564a and 666. Any bull can be taken in GMU 454, and there is a 3-point minimum for elkin GMUs 460, 466, 503, 505, 506a, 510-520, 524 (except Elk Area 5066), 530ad, 550, 560, 568, 572, 574, 578d, 601-618, 624 (except Elk Are 6071), 627, 633, 638-651, 652 (except Elk Area 6014), 654-681 and 684d. Only elk with at least 3-points or no antlers at all may be hunted in GMUs 501, 504 and Elk Area 6014.
The late general season for black-tailed deer will take place from Nov. 16-19. Any buck can be taken in GMUs 407, 454, 466, 501-505, 506a, 510-520, 524, 530ad, 550-560, 568, 572, 601-621, 624 (except Deer Area 6020), 627-654, 658-684, and 699d. Any deer can be taken in GMUs 410-417, 419-422, 564a*, 655, and Deer Area 6020. A white-tailed deer hunt will take place east of the mountains during that same time in GMUs 105, 108, 111, 113, 117d, 121, and 124. A disabled hunter/senior citizen and youth hunt for white-tailed deer will also take place in GMUs 101, 105, 108, 111, 113, 117, 121 from Nov. 11-19.
A late archery season for white-tailed deer will take place in GMU 101 from Nov. 10 through Dec. 15. Additional bow and muzzleloader openings for white, black and mule deer will begin in the third week of November.
Fall bear season will end on Nov. 15 but hunters hoping to put a big bird on the table for Thanksgiving will be able to go turkey hunting again in GMUs 105-154, and 162-186 beginning Nov. 20. Cougar hunting is permitted through at least the end of the year in all legal areas. Extended seasons are dependent upon harvest numbers.
Smaller birds are also an option both high and low these days. Forest grouse seasons are open statewide through the end of the year and the regular season for pheasant, California quail, mountain quail, and northern bobwhite in Western Washington will all continue through the end of the month and crows are legal for hunting through the end of the year.
Duck, coot and snipe seasons are open statewide through Jan. 28. Goose seasons are open across Washington but vary depending on area. Management Areas 1 and 3 will both remain open through Jan. 28. In Goose Management Area 2, all grounds are open every day other than the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge.
Bobcat, fox, cottontail rabbit, snowshoe hare and raccoon seasons will all remain open through the Ides of March and, of course, coyotes are legal hunting fodder all year round.
CLAMMIN’
Last week’s coastal razor clam digs drew a smaller crowd than officials anticipated but those that hit the beach, shovel and bucket in hand, were rewarded for their sandblasted efforts.
“They were pretty successful,” said Dan Ayres, coastal shellfish manager for the WDFW. “I think a lot of people took a look out the window back home and said, ‘Fooey! I’m staying home.’ But as crummy as the weather was the people who came out found that the surf was in good shape.”
Ayers said there were an estimated 27,800 digger trips made during the four day dig with an estimated haul of 13.2 clams per trek. Ayres added that the clams averaged 4.7 inches coastwide with the largest clams found at Long Beach. Mocrocks and Copalis have the largest clam populations but also the smallest clams out of the bunch.
The next round of razor clam digs are proposed for the following dates, beaches and tides:
Dec. 1, Friday, 4:42 p.m.; -0.3 feet; Copalis
Dec. 2, Saturday, 5:29 p.m.; -1.1 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Dec. 3, Sunday, 6:15 p.m.; -1.6 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Dec. 4, Monday, 7:02 p.m.; -1.8 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Final approval of those digs is dependant upon marine toxin testing that will be conducted roughly one week prior to the beginning of the digging dates. Ayres expressed optimism about the likelihood that the digs will be approved.
“We don’t ancitiopace any problems at this point the toxin levels seem to be in good shape,” said Ayres. “We aren’t seeing nearly as much of the plankton species that produces domoic acid, which is pretty typical this time of year, and it should continue to dissipate going forward.”
However, Ayres added that there is a good chance some proposed openings at Long Beach will wind up being cancelled. That’s because the effort at Long Beach has been higher than preseason forecasts predicted, and the peninsula was dealing with a slumping razor clam population to begin with.
“We’re going to have to take a breath here soon and figure out what to do there,” said Ayres. “We’ve got to ensure that there will be enough clams remaining for the spring openings.”
All diggers age 15 and older are required to have a current license. Each digger must dig their own clams and keep their harvest in their own separate container. Diggers are allowed up to 15 clams per day but are required to keep the first 15 they dig, regardless of size or conditions.
